SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
Smarkets has announced a 30% increase in football trading volume across the biggest leagues in 2016/17, with £600 million traded on Europe’s top five leagues and two major cup competitions.
Having accounted for £300 million of the football volume, the Premier League was by far the most popular league for trading on Smarkets. The rest was traded on La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga and Ligue 1, as well as the Champions League and Europa League.
Meanwhile, the betting exchange has predicted an even Champions League final between defending champions Real Madrid, and a Juventus side chasing a first European triumph in 21 years. More than £1.6 million has already been traded on the European season’s curtain-closing showpiece in Cardiff.
The chart below shows implied probabilities from the start of the 2016-17 Champions League for the two finalists. Throughout the group stage, the implied chance for Juventus was half of Real Madrid’s, but now the Italian champions trail their Spanish counterparts by just 4% (48-52).
Smarkets gives Massimiliano Allegri’s Juventus a 33% chance of winning in 90 minutes (2/1), with a 36% chance for the 11-time champions Real Madrid. A draw after 90 minutes is given a 31% chance.
CEO Jason Trost said: “It’s been fantastic to see excellent volume, liquidity and growth across our top football markets this season, as more and more traders choose Smarkets as their exchange of choice.”
