Betdaq is an exchange as opposed to a standard bookmaker although they have recently introduced "1bet" on the same site, where they act as a traditional bookie. The business was founded in 2000 by Dermot Desmond and began trading a year later. They are based in Dublin, Ireland, and Betdaq is actually the trading name of the business Global Betting Exchange, which has a London office.

They now handle 50 million (GBP) in bets every single week and draw clients from over 100 countries to the exchange, multiples, poker and games suites they offer. Although they are always going to be compared (usually unfavourably) to exchange giants Betfair, Betdaq are happy to go about their business and continue to grow steadily.

As mentioned, Betdaq are not as big as their main rivals Betfair and they do not offer the range of markets. Even more so than at Betfair, they also suffer from a big problem with liquidity on several of the events they do cover. Away from the big events you will struggle to find great liquidity on sports other than football or horse racing and this can cause obvious problems, although golf and tennis tend to be fine.

Having said that, if you are patient and prepared to put up an offer for odds you may well have a good chance of having your price taken, often at higher odds than on Betfair. The odds, naturally, are very good. Like Betfair they remove the bookmakers' margin from the equation and given their frequent promotions offering reduced commission they can often have better odds than Betfair and certainly other bookmakers.

Betdaq tend to offer a wide array of promotions that change frequently. At the time of writing their standard offer was a 3% commission deal, valid for 12 months, and the possibility of up to 200 GBP in free bets. The free bets are based on the commission you pay to Betdaq and the 200 GBP would only really be feasible for a very high stakes player. On paying 25 GBP in commission you will earn a 25 GBP bet and then for each additional 100 GBP commission paid you will earn a further 25 GBP free bet up to the 200 GBP total.

They also offer a raft of other promotions, although these are mainly "commission back" deals if a particular event happens, such as a red card in a big match. They also offer a reward scheme, a loyalty system offering prizes for points!

Just like Betfair, the in-play betting is a big strength of Betdaq. Having said that, the problem of liquidity is magnified on the in-play markets. The markets currently in running can easily be seen from the homepage and are clearly marked, although the fact they are not totally separate from pre-match markets does leave the slight risk of confusion. The system is quick and intuitive, although there are no real stats or scores provided alongside the console.

Betdaq's mobile betting system is only available to iPhone or Android users. There isn't too much information on the site, nor is there a specific bonus. Android users can go to android.betdaq.com or scan the QR code on site, whilst for the iPhone posse the app is available in the App Store.

Telephone: 0870 178 1021 (UK), 1800 765 865 (Ireland), +353 1 673 3360 (international)
Email: helpdesk@betdaq.co.uk
Address: IFSC House, Custom House Quay, Dublin 1, Ireland
Other contact methods: Live chat

Betdaq do offer live chat but it's pretty well hidden on the site! It is also only available between 10am and 6pm, although email and telephone enquiries are answered between 9am and 10pm each day. Based on our research the staff were all very friendly and efficient, but the lack of 24/7 assistance counts against Betdaq, as does the limited availability of the live chat (we couldn't get onto the system despite attempting on several occasions).

Betdaq are well worth joining as they are one of the few places you will regularly see prices bigger than their rivals Betfair. As stated, liquidity can be an issue but if you're looking to bet on the big events at the best odds and pay the least commission, this is the place to do it.

They may not cover as many sports or offer as many markets and specials as the top bookmakers but there is no escaping those odds. Betdaq also ring-fence customer money and have a £10m bond held against them so they are totally secure as well. The website is simple and efficient and so all in all they get the thumbs up, despite some minor negatives. One thing worth considering is that whilst the current free bet is generous to high rollers, for smaller punters it might be worth waiting for a more suitable offer.