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Matchbook buys BETDAQ and the old exchange is closing
Matchbook announced on 14 October 2026 that it has acquired BETDAQ, one of the longest-running betting exchanges in Britain and Ireland. The price was not disclosed. The deal brings two exchange brands under one owner and, for BETDAQ customers, it comes with a deadline: the current BETDAQ service will stop taking bets soon.
BETDAQ trading stays open until 21 October 2026. After that, customer accounts remain open for withdrawals until 4 November 2026. The existing BETDAQ service is run by Exchange Platform Solutions Limited (EPS), and it is that operation which is being wound down in an orderly way while Matchbook takes over the brand.
Matchbook says customer money is protected through the transition. Its chief executive, Ronan McDonagh, said the first priority is BETDAQ's customers, adding that "their funds are safe, their options are clear." If you hold a BETDAQ balance, the practical point is simple: you have until 4 November to take it out.
The dates BETDAQ customers need to know
- 14 October 2026: Matchbook announces the acquisition.
- 21 October 2026: last day of trading on the current BETDAQ exchange.
- 4 November 2026: last day to withdraw funds from a BETDAQ account.
Open bets are the part to plan around. Anything you have running on BETDAQ should be settled or closed out before trading ends, because you cannot place or trade a bet once the exchange has closed. If you back and lay the same event to lock in a position, finish that before 21 October rather than leaving one side open.
BETDAQ's own website lists the key dates and the steps for withdrawing. Use the official site and the contact details on your account rather than any link sent to you by message or email. A company closing an exchange and asking customers to move money is exactly the situation scammers copy, and a genuine notice will never ask for your password or card details.
What Matchbook says the deal is for
Matchbook describes the logic as pooling liquidity. In its announcement it says combining the two exchanges creates a single, deeper pool, which it expects to mean tighter spreads, bigger fills and better prices for customers. On an exchange, liquidity is the amount of money waiting to be matched at each price. More of it in one place usually makes it easier to place a large bet without moving the price against yourself.
Those benefits are Matchbook's own claim, and no independent figures on combined volumes or prices have been published. Whether bettors see tighter spreads will depend on how many BETDAQ customers actually move across, and that will only become clear after the closing dates pass.
McDonagh framed the deal as a statement of intent: "Everything we are doing, this deal included, is about making the exchange first choice." He also argues that bettors get a better deal when prices are set by a market rather than a margin, which is the core pitch of any exchange against a traditional bookmaker.
Who owned BETDAQ, and where it came from
BETDAQ was founded in 2000 by Dermot Desmond, making it one of the first betting exchanges anywhere. Ladbrokes bought it in 2013 for 30 million euros, about 25 million pounds. Eight years later Desmond bought it back from Entain, the parent company of Ladbrokes, and it has been operated by EPS since then.
Matchbook has run exchange markets for more than twenty years. It was founded in 2004. In recent months it has widened its range with easyBet, a partnership with easyGroup, and ADI PredictStreet, its move into prediction markets around the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The deal reportedly also covers Racecourse Data Technologies, the business that supplies hardware, betting software and technical support to on-course bookmakers so they can hedge into the BETDAQ exchange. Racing Post describes that as understood to be part of the transaction rather than confirmed in the announcement. McDonagh told on-course bookmakers, through the United Council of Racecourse Bookmakers, that the deal would strengthen the on-course market through improved liquidity and pricing.
What it means for UK exchange betting
Fewer exchanges is the first effect. Betfair and Smarkets remain the other big names for UK users, and BETDAQ's customers now have to choose where to go: Matchbook, which says it wants them, or a rival exchange. The more an exchange concentrates liquidity, the harder it becomes for a small one to offer prices that compete.
Exchanges also differ from bookmakers in ways worth remembering. You bet against other customers, not against the operator, so prices come from what other people are willing to offer. Commission is charged on winnings, and the rate varies by exchange. Anyone choosing a new home for their exchange betting should compare commission rates and how much money is available at the prices they actually use, rather than assume the biggest name has the best deal.
For anyone moving, check the basics: the operator holds a Gambling Commission licence, the Commission's public register lists it, and the site offers deposit limits and other safer gambling tools. Our guide to checking a casino is UKGC licensed covers the register step by step, and the same check applies to a betting exchange.
As with any gambling product, exchanges are for adults only, and betting is not a way to make money. If gambling stops being fun, tools such as GamStop and the operator's own limits are there to use.
What to watch next
The next dates are the closures on 21 October and 4 November. After that, the questions are how Matchbook brings BETDAQ's customers and on-course bookmakers across, whether liquidity on Matchbook visibly improves, and what the combined business does with the BETDAQ brand and its technology.
We will update this page if Matchbook or BETDAQ publish further details on how customers are moved or how open positions are handled.
Sources
FAQs
Has Matchbook bought BETDAQ?
Yes. Matchbook announced the acquisition of BETDAQ on 14 October 2026 for an undisclosed sum. BETDAQ's current exchange, run by Exchange Platform Solutions Limited, is closing in an orderly way while Matchbook takes over the brand.
When does BETDAQ stop taking bets?
Trading on the current BETDAQ exchange stays open until 21 October 2026. After that date you cannot place or trade bets, so settle or close out any open positions before then.
How long do I have to withdraw my money from BETDAQ?
Customer accounts stay open for withdrawals until 4 November 2026. Matchbook says customer funds are safe, but you should withdraw your balance before that date using the official BETDAQ website.
Where can BETDAQ customers go instead?
Matchbook is inviting BETDAQ customers across, and other UK exchanges such as Betfair and Smarkets are alternatives. Compare commission rates and available liquidity, and check that the operator holds a Gambling Commission licence.
Will prices be better on Matchbook after the deal?
Matchbook says a combined, deeper liquidity pool should bring tighter spreads, bigger fills and better prices. That is the company's own claim, and no independent figures on the combined volumes have been published yet.
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