Bet builder tools are available at practically every UK sportsbook, from talkSPORT BET to bet365 UK.
Betting app operators have realised the vast potential of offering fully customisable markets to punters via on-site automated bet builders.
Here, British Gambler looks at how popular bet builders actually are among UK bettors and hears from some industry experts about growing trends related to this hugely prevalent sports betting method.
How Popular Are Bet Builders in the UK Right Now?
Statistics show that as many as 40% of UK-based punters have used a bet builder tool to place a wager.
One of the main reasons for the growth of bet builders is the element of control they afford to punters. Rather than having limited access to restricted markets offered by sportsbooks, punters can put together their own bets, including markets that put their research to good use.
Bettors can use bet builders in numerous sports, including golf, American football, and tennis. But it’s in football markets that bet builders truly come into their own.
Andrew Bramley, Commercial Director of Sports for FairPlay Sports Media, said: “As a general trend, we are seeing bet builder growth across the board, with some operators now reporting a contribution of over 30% of all football bets.1”
The attraction to football fans is evident.
Rather than simply betting on Manchester United to beat Bournemouth in a Premier League game at pretty low odds, numerous possibilities abound.
Using a bet builder, it’s possible to bet on Manchester United to win, Bruno Fernandes to score anytime, Bournemouth to concede 5+ corners, and Harry Maguire to be booked. The result is a much higher payout for the punter if the wager comes off, plus added excitement throughout the match.
Also, though luck still plays a big part in the football betting experience, the arrival of bet builders means that research can pay off big time.
For example, via your research, you might notice that Bournemouth concede most of their goals in the first half of their Premier League matches. Therefore, in your bet builder, you could bet on over 1.5 goals scored in the first half and under 1.5 in the second.
In other words, the more research a punter does, the more chances they have of landing bigger wins using the bet builder feature.
Request A Bet Feature Paved the Way for Things to Come
In 2015, Sky introduced its RequestABet option to followers on X (previously Twitter). It was launched because countless people requested specific markets that weren’t available via Sky Bet, the company’s betting platform.
This was one of the first examples of an early bet builder in the UK market. Though the process wasn’t automated, Sky would receive Tweets requesting multiple lines in the same wager before offering a price to the punter making the request.
In this respect, Sky’s RequestABet feature was very similar to DraftKings’ Same-Game-Parlays, which have become a mainstay of sports betting slips in the United States.
This is no coincidence, as the industry-leading Flutter Entertainment operates both platforms.
And despite the availability of a bet builder tool at practically every leading bookmaker in the UK market, the RequestABet feature was active at Sky Bet until October 31st, 2024, with more than 71,000 followers and daily requests from sports fans.
Sky Bet published one of the most popular RequestABet wagers in recent times in May 2023. At the start of the season, a customer had requested a price on Ipswich to score 100+ league goals at 150/1.
As the season’s final day approached, the Tractor Boys had bagged 99 league goals. Their final-day 2-2 draw at Fleetwood secured the lucky Sky Bet punter £755 from his wager, highlighting the huge potential returns when bet builders come off.
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