SPREAD BETTING. THE PRINCIPALS.
The firms offering Spread Betting to the public are few but all are experts in their field.
They all have similar operating methods. i.e. They all have excellent websites. You can bet online or by phone and they all have staff who know their business and are helpful in the extreme.
The firms I will deal with are those who have held their positions in the market and can be trusted. Contrary to many thoughts some bookmakers do over reach themselves and go too the wall. The same could happen with Spread firms. However they are so tightly regulated by the Financial Services Authority that their clients are very unlikely to suffer.
SPORTING INDEX
Founded in 1992 with a handful of staff and not many more clients. They have progressed steadily to their present position were their clients number in their tens of thousands and half of their large staff work on the trading desk.
So successful have they been that they now have a website for the sole use of their Irish clients.
Progress in other avenues have been consistent. An interactive website that handles over 75% of all it’s trade. A mobile ‘phone facility that is as good as being online. 2004 saw a world first, with Spread Betting Games being added to there lengthening portfolio. Their clients can now enjoy casino and many sports betting games with a Spread Betting flavour.
2007 saw them win "Mobile Operator of the Year" with their Bet on the Move, mobile facility.
They accept all major credit cards and a variety of currencies. Aussie dollar, Euro .Yankee Dollar and of course the GBP.
www.sportingindex.com
SPREADEX
They have a reputation for having a very friendly and most helpful staff.
"Born" 1999 they have built up a fine client base.
Their Sports Betting portfolio is as you would expect of a market leader. Whatever your chosen sport Spreadex will have something to offer you to trade on.
In addition to Sports Betting they operate financial spreads on all the commercial markets, including equities bonds and currencies.
Their chosen currency is the Great Britain Pound. (GBP). The usual credit cards are accepted.
Check regularly to see what incentives they are offering, even to existing clients.
They also have a nice gimmick, "Hide me now". Just hit this but when the "enemy" are around and you have a nice blank screen.
www.spreadex.com
I. G. SPORT
Their parent company can be considered as the inventors of Spread Betting as we know it. They had been operating for almost 20 years when their "Sports Child" was spawned in 1993.
They specialise with, "in-running" markets. If there’s live action of some kind going on, you can bet I. G. have an "in-running" market operating on it.
Their online tutorial is very easy to understand and ideal for "newbies". Take a look.
They offer almost identical facilities to their competitors.
Currencies of choice are The Euro and GBP. All the usual credit cards are accepted.
www.igsport.com
BETHILO
For me, the Jewel in the Crown.
To me this is a "lite" version of Sporting Index, it’s parent company.
Ideal for the newcome, but also a haven for the accomplished "SPREADER".
You don’t need to have a bulging bank account to bet here. £10.00 should open your account. Some markets start as low as a penny a point. As with it’s parent company, if there’s action going on, you’ll find a market for it here.
Six years old this month, (January), the youngster is growing into a strapping individual. It doesn’t have any pretentions of being the shy youngster either. It accepts The Euro, GBP, US Dollar and Australian Dollar, as well as the usual credit cards.
Like it’s parent, you can place bets on the Website, Telephone and Mobile.
Telephone and mobile betting can be accessed whenever there is a live event being covered. Access via the internet is 24/7.
Bethilo also runs some unique markets. Soccer Shootout and Cricket Roulette being quite popular. Fancy a flutter on the gee-gees, to get you thru’ the half-time break. Well there’s virtual racing waiting for you. They run nineteen virtual games as well as Poker and the Casino. Surely something for everybody.
Bethilo is very innovative in many ways. It’s new customer incentive is quite novel. Place five bets with the potential to win or lose at least five pounds each bet and receive £30.00 cashback. They’ll also refund your first losing stake up to a maximum of 10.
www.bethilo.com
That about sums it up for an intro’ into Spread Betting.
As a reference find the links here to the 5 previous parts of this series:
Spread Betting Markets – Shirt Numbers, Corners (part 2)
Spread Betting Markets 2 – Goal Minutes (part 3)
Spread Betting Markets 3 – Bookings (part 4)
Spread Betting Markets 4 – Win, Lose or Draw, Performance (part 5)
Be certain to read the rules for each firm and the rules for each market that you bet on.
Don’t bet blind. There’s bags of help online.
Do bet responsibly.
