Betfair expands Predicts service with new website

Betfair has launched a new website for its Betfair Predicts service as the operator continues to push into the fast-growing field of special bets.

The new site, betfairpredicts.com, collects a number of markets across politics, entertainment and sports, presenting a percentage likelihood prediction based on exchange odds on markets ranging from the next US president to the winner of The X Factor.

Users can click through on each market, where they are taken to the relevant section of Betfair’s exchange.

A Betfair spokesperson told eGaming Review the new site was a way of bringing a number of special and political markets together in one place.

“Betfair’s Exchange odds have provided useful insight into a wide variety of events over the years, and we hope to build on their profile with the launch of Betfair Predicts,” the spokesperson said.

The new site expands upon Betfair’s previous specials offer, which included a dedicated Betfair Predicts native application.

Novelty and political betting has become big business in recent years. More than £20m was estimated to have been wagered on the UK General Election this year, while almost £2m has so far been traded on Betfair’s exchange on the winner of this year’s The X Factor.

Meanwhile operators including Betfair and Ladbrokes enjoyed widespread media coverage in the run-up to the UK General Election by using exchange odds to predict the outcome.

Although the technique had proved successful on events including Scotland’s independence referendum and the 2012’s US presidential race, it failed to accurately gauge May’s election result.