With over 100 different betting sites, finding the best can be confusing. I'll guide you through the features that matter, so you can find the most suitable bookie for you.
Best Sports Spread Betting Sites
These are the best betting spread sites in the Irish based on data collected by our expert team from the Irish licensed bookmakers listed on OLBG. The list below contains the two reliable sports spread betting sites available to Irish customers. If you are looking for the best betting apps based on all factors then head to our main betting sites page to see all Ireland Bookies listed in order of user review.
18+ begambleaware.org. Spread betting losses can exceed deposit.
#ad. T&Cs Apply. 18+, gamblingcare.ie
Best Sports Spread Betting Sites and Why
When it comes to finding the best spread betting companies, there are two main options: Sporting Index and Spreadex.
In this article we will cover every aspect of spread betting, comparing these two providers to determine which is the best for which type of user, covering everything that you need for your sports spreads as an option to fixed-odds betting sites.
Below are the details of the welcome offers from both companies. Read on for more information.
| Sports Spread Betting Company | Welcome Offer | Full Review |
|---|---|---|
| Sporting Index | £75 to bet with for new accounts | Sporting Index Review |
| SpreadEx | iPad or £300 cashback in 1st 28 days | SpreadEx Review |
This article will take a look at the various things that you may be looking for in a sports spread betting platform and how the two companies compare head to head. If, however, you are looking for a new bookmaker account away from spread betting then take a look at our bookmaker's rating list on our main page for Irish betting sites.
If you are looking for somewhere to spread bet on sports, then one of the two featured platforms will have everything you need, whether you are starting to spread bet or have been sports spread betting on another platform for a time.
We wouldn't put anyone off opening an account with both as spreads can differ between the two platforms, so you will always have the choice, depending on your confidence in choosing one for your bet over the other.
1. SpreadEx
SpreadEx offers such ease of use and is brilliantly laid out. Spreadex is the market leader when it comes to spread betting.
SpreadEx make themselves a must-have with their platform offering both spread betting and fixed odds. On the same site you can choose which markets you bet with and compare and contrast those markets for value. No longer the need to flip between a bookmaker site and a spread betting site, SpreadEx has it all covered.
By having both spread betting accounts you can choose which firm has the best spread on a particular market, and ignore the one that has the poorer spread. Once you join one you will quickly see the benefit of opening the other sports spread betting account. Having both in your betting arsenal gives you more options to profit.
Pros
- Offer both spread betting and fixed odds, as well as financial trading.
- Incredibly easy platform to use.
- Market-leading Stats Centre
Cons
- Some smaller sports are quite limited
2. Sporting Index
Sporting Index offers unique markets in comparison to bookmakers or betting exchanges.
These markets are aimed at knowledgeable bettors who want to win more from their knowledge. Their spreads offers bettors with good sporting knowledge the chance to benefit more from this expertise.
With fixed odds betting with a bookmaker your return is, as it says, fixed. With spread betting you have the opportunity to win more when being shrewd. What's great about Sporting Index is that they offer a demonstration account where you can practice spread betting scenarios without losing money. If you are ready to sign up to this exciting way of betting, click any of the Sporting Index links.
Pros
- Market-leading odds.
- Fantastic in-play markets.
- Brillaint welcome offer.
Cons
- Event coverage a little limited sometimes.
What is Sports Spread Betting?
We'll dive into which is the best betting site for spread betting site imminently, but first a quick summary on what sports spread betting is. For our full, detailed explanation, head to our spread betting guide and find out more.
So, a ‘spread’ is a prediction within a specific market for a particular sports event. It is expressed in a SELL-BUY range. For example, the market could be Total Goals in a football match, with the spread set at 1.8 – 2.0.
If you think the outcome will is going to be higher than the set spread (so more than two goals scored), you would BUY. If you think less than 1.8 goals will be scored, then you would SELL.
The crucial difference in sports spread betting, as opposed to fixed odds betting, is that the more you are right, the more you win. If you BUY, and three goals are scored then you win, but you win more money if four goals are scored, and even more if five are, and so on. Likewise, get it wrong, and the more you're wrong, the more you're set to lose.
The amount you bet – your stake – is the amount you stand to win per goal.
Sporting Index v SpreadEx Comparison - What You Need To Know.
Sporting Index v SpreadEx Comparison Table
| Feature | Sporting Index | Spreadex |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 1992 | 1999 |
| Welcome Offer | Yes | Yes |
| Financial Spreads | No | Yes |
| Sports Spread | Yes | Yes |
| Number of Sports | 19 | 23 |
| Fixed Odds Betting | Yes | Yes |
| In Play Betting | Yes | Yes |
| Bet Builder | No | Yes |
| Casino | Yes | Yes |
| Live Streaming | No | Yes |
| Results Service | Yes | Yes |
| Spread Betting Blog | Yes | Yes |
By offering unique markets you can decide whether a spread bet will win you more cash than a traditional bet. We put our in-house sports spread betting expert, Nigel Skinner to work to provide his insight on how each compares. For him it is essential to have an account with both to take advantage of the better features each has over the other.
Both Sporting Index and Spreadex do a great job of explaining “How to get started” with their spread betting videos. Spreadex just edge the “How to get started” because their guide features voice, whereas Sporting Index is just visual.
| Sporting Index Preferences | Spreadex Preferences |
|---|---|
| A Large Selection of Events | Best 'How to" Video |
| More Specials Markets | Clear Unfussy Layout |
| Comprehensive Video Guides | Better Navigation |
| Excellent 10 Commandments of Spread Betting | Mega Boost markets |
| Better Sign up Offer [June 2019] | Quicker Settling |
| Classy Mobile App | Faster In Play Markets |
| Better FAQ Section | Better Bet Slip |
| Slick Live Casino | New Markets Added Quicker |
Pros and Cons of Sports Spread Betting
There are plenty of advantages to sports spread betting, and it's important to frame them, as well as the disadvantages, in comparison to regular fixed odds sports betting.
Pros
- There's a wide range of sports to spread bet on.
- You can bet against favourites and make large profits is they lose.
- Compared to fixed odds betting, there is larger potential and greater profit to be won.
- Bettors can jump off losses early. If your bet is losing then you can exit a spread bet to prevent your loss becoming bigger and bigger.
Cons
- Losses can multiply more and more if you're wrong.
- The high-reward nature of spread betting can make it more addictive as people try to chase bigger wins.
- The swings in, and between, profit and loss are large. This comes from the prices in spread betting moving quickly and significantly given the volatile nature of spread betting.
Sports Spread Betting Bonus Offers (Sign-up)
Make sure you understand your liabilities before spread betting
If you are looking for a spread betting bonus offer then there are plenty of opportunities to see the details of both Sporting Index Free Bets and SpreadEx Free Bets offers, or head to our general free bets page.
It is important to understand the full terms and conditions of the offers before committing to opening an account, but these two companies, have clearly set out the offer terms in a simple fashion so they can be easily understood.
Make sure you fully understand what you are doing before getting involved in spread betting, keep stakes and liabilities low, and have fun while you learn.
How Many Sports Can I Spread Bet On?
At the time the spread betting comparison table above was updated, the following sports were available with live markets to bet
| Sport | Spreadex | Sporting Index |
|---|---|---|
| American Football | Yes | Yes |
| Australia Rules | Yes | Yes |
| Baseball | Yes | Yes |
| Basketball | Yes | Yes |
| Beach Volleyball | Yes | No |
| Boxing | Yes | Yes |
| Cricket | Yes | Yes |
| Cycling | Yes | No |
| Darts | Yes | yes |
| Football | Yes | Yes |
| Golf | Yes | yes |
| Greyhounds | Yes | Yes |
| Horse Racing | Yes | Yes |
| Ice Hockey | Yes | Yes |
| Rugby League | Yes | Yes |
| Rugby Union | Yes | Yes |
| Snooker | Yes | Yes |
| Tennis | Yes | Yes |
| UFC | Yes | No |
| Volleyball | Yes | Yes |
| Specials | Yes | No |
| Virtual Sports | Yes | No |
| Politics | Yes | No |
| Motor Racing | No | Yes |
| Gaelic Football | No | Yes |
| Hurling | No | Yes |
| Handball | No | Yes |
In-Play Sports Spread Betting
Both spread betting platforms offer comprehensive in-play betting opportunities.
Spread betting in-play differs very little from normal spread betting, the main difference being that the spreads are updated and change much more quickly than pre-event.
In-play spread betting is much like exchange trading on Betfair, in that, whether you placed your initial spread pre-event, or in-play, you can assess your current position and either take another to guarantee a profit, or another to minimise loss based on your prediction for the remainder of the event.
You should wait a little while until you are confident in your ability to manage spread betting before getting involved with in-play spread betting, which can be much faster-moving, and create bigger winning and losing positions.
Tournament Sports Spread Betting
One of the most popular forms of spread betting is "tournament betting".
Both Sporting Index and Spreadex offer tournament betting.
The biggest football tournaments such as World Cups, Euro Championships, African Cup Of Nations and Copa America have markets created way before a ball is kicked, allowing you to secure a value spread price months in advance.
At a recent major tournament I checked the spread betting markets, including outright winner + all the group betting markets.
All the tournament markets go in play so you can buy and sell positions as the tournament unfolds. The "Outright" market receives a lot of early interest and you can see below the Sporting Index 2020 European Championship Odds.
This market awards 100 Points for the winner, 75 points for the runner up, 50 points for losing semi-finalists, 25 points for losing quarter-finalists and 10 points for making the last 16. Out in group stages 0 points.
Country | Sell | Buy |
|---|---|---|
| Spain | 38 | 41 |
| France | 37 | 40 |
| Germany | 37 | 40 |
| England | 35 | 38 |
| Belgium | 35 | 38 |
| Italy | 32 | 35 |
| Netherlands | 28 | 31 |
| Portugal | 27 | 30 |
| Croatia | 20 | 23 |
| Denmark | 18 | 21 |
It is interesting to note that England are not the favourites, whereas with the bookmakers England are clear favourites (at the time of writing).
Were you to BUY England and they won the tournament you would win (100-38=62) x your stake.
A £2 buy of England would return £124.
However, were you to BUY England and they never made it out of the group you would lose (38-0=38) x your stake.
A £2 buy of England would cost you £76.
All of the above prices are updated each time a game is played, so you can follow how you are doing and make a profit at the new prices if your selection starts well.
Alternatively, you can decide to close your bet if the bet is looking in trouble, this will cut some of your losses, although not all of them.
This is why you need to understand that your losses can exceed your initial stake.
How To Choose The Best Sports Spread Betting Site For You
If you're on the hunt for a new spread betting site, there are several crucial elements you should consider to ensure a top-notch betting experience:
Key Factors to Evaluate:
- Trustworthy
- Reliable
- Low Risk
- Reputable
- Player Friendly With Their Terms and Conditions
- Everything Else You Want!
🔒 Trustworthy
With over 80 online bookmakers licensed in Ireland, we only list those vetted by the Ireland Gambling Commission and good for spread betting in our bookmakers guide. Betting with non-licensed bookmakers offering spread betting can be risky and may lead to complications in case of disputes. For your peace of mind, always check if a betting site holds a valid license through the Gambling Commission website. Source: Trustpilot Betting Agencies
✅ Reliable
Not all licensed spread betting bookmakers meet our reliability criteria. We exclude those with a track record of pending payments, shifting terms and conditions, and poor customer service. While we highlight these issues in our reviews, the worst offenders don’t make our list.
🟢 Low Risk
Small, new companies in the Irish market may pose higher risks due to potential cash flow issues. However, if they are Irish Gambling Commission-registered, they must meet financial solvency criteria. Larger, more established companies typically present lower risks. While it's rare for bookmakers to close without honouring bets, choosing established operators for long-term (ante-post) wagers is advisable. Diversifying your bets across multiple bookmakers can also mitigate risk.
🌟 Reputable
Reputation is best gauged through user experiences. We gather over 500 user reviews from the OLBG community to offer detailed insights into various Irish betting sites. These reviews cover customer service experiences and how disputes were resolved.
👥 Player-Friendly Terms and Conditions
We meticulously analyse each betting site's terms and conditions, withdrawal policies, and deposit terms. Some sites may impose charges for certain transactions or inactivity, so it's crucial to be well-informed. Our community reviews and research highlight these details to ensure you get fair terms.
Tips for Choosing Your Next Spread Betting Site:
- Minimum Deposit Requirements: Always check the minimum amount you need to deposit to activate your account.
- Deposit and Withdrawal Methods: Ensure the site supports convenient payment methods for you.
- Withdrawal Policies: Look for any fees associated with withdrawals.
- Betting Rules: Understand the minimum bet amount, maximum winnings, and specific rules for voided bets.
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Spread Betting FAQs
FAQ
Betting Guide FAQs - Spread Betting
Is spread betting legal in the UK?
Yes, absolutely. Spread betting is legal in the UK and is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) as a trading activity.
What are the downsides of spread betting?
The main downside is that with spread betting larger amounts quickly. You can lose 200%, 300%, 1000% in a matter of minutes, all as a consequence of leverage, thus the risks involved in spread betting are comparatively much larger than with other trading styles and can result in problems far beyond the consumption of your trading capital.
Is spread betting profitable?
Yes, it can be very profitable if your prediction of whether the market will rise or fall is correct, you'll profit and if it's incorrect, you'll lose.
Is spread betting the same as trading?
Spread betting is a form of derivatives trading that involves placing a bet on whether a market will rise or fall in price. You'd put up a certain amount of capital per point of movement, and your profit and loss is determined by the extent of the market movement multiplied by this bet.
