Exchange+ is the brand new version of the Betfair Exchange, which includes a host of enhanced features. We are pleased to announce that we have now rolled-out Exchange+ on horse racing markets to all Betfair customers…
You can now bet with Betfair using smartphones, tablets and APIs but we know that, for many of you, the desktop Exchange site is Betfair, the 'magic machine', the game changer that shook up the bookmaking establishment 14 years ago. It inspires passion, ownership and engagement so we understand the depth of feeling when even the smallest changes are introduced.
We recognise that the launch of a new desktop site and the integration of a traditional Sportsbook represented considerable change, and equally we recognise we haven't always got the changes right.
But the Exchange is at the heart of what we do. We have listened to your feedback and are focused on creating a fast and reliable Exchange betting interface, underpinned with the latest technology which will allow us to add great new features.
What's changed?
You told us you wanted us to focus on the Exchange, so we have removed Sportsbook integration from the Exchange market pages. We now have a dedicated area of the website for placing Sportsbook bets so we have removed both the multiples odds toggle and the multiples tab in the betslip.
As a result, we have also removed the functionality to retain selections in the betslip when navigating between different markets to support placing multiples. You will need to click the Sportsbook tab on the main site navigation to continue to place multiples bets.
You told us to make the site easier to use so page layout is now responsive and the website stretches to fill the entire browser window size. Depending on the size of the browser, price buttons are now larger and easier to select. More selections can now be viewed without scrolling in both the market and betslip sections.
You told us to make changes to races clearer so any non-runners are retained at the bottom of the market and we have added the time and reduction factor at point of withdrawal.
You told us to improve the betslip experience so:
- The ordering of selections now follows the order the selections appear in the market. - Payout/liability entry for dutching lay selections is now available for both potential and placed bets. - Matched bets can be hidden from the list of placed bets for customers that want to focus only on unmatched bets. - Live Video has been removed from the betslip area but is still accessible through a link in the market header.
We have also introduced a dutching calculator in the betslip for entry of back bets to a specified total stake. To activate this function first add the selections to the betslip then click on 'Stake' in the header above the selections to bring up the stake entry dialog box. Enter the total stake to be dutched across the selections and click ok. The betslip will then calculate the individual stakes required to achieve an equal return if any of the selections are successful.
In addition, Timeform in-play hints and individual runner comments are now available for UK, Ireland, Dubai and US races. These augment the already available Timeform View and 1-2-3 prediction. The in-play hints can give a great insight into potential in-play betting strategies based around the previous running styles of the horses in the race. To view the Timeform information for a race simply select the 'Timeform' checkbox in the market header.
Our Race Concept view, together our new left hand menu concertina, now provides easy access to all of the markets offered for any race, thus simplifying the navigation between markets. Each of the races at a meeting are listed in chronological order. On selecting a race the 'Win' market is automatically displayed and the menu unfurls to display the other markets available for the race.
A bet view slider is available at the top of the market page. It enables you to set the minimum odds available for the amount you want to bet. As the slider is moved the odds will adjust to reflect the minimum odds available for that value. To set a value permanently, simply open the Display Options in the top right of the screen and configure the bet view default value required.
Please use the Display Options menu to customise each of the elements of the market page to meet your requirements.
What's Next?
We would like to thank those customers who have provided feedback and helped us to improve the product throughout this process.
Our original "Classic" site will continue to be available as an option in the top right-hand corner of the site by clicking 'Old site'.
Please note you will still be able to place multiples bets by clicking the Sportsbook tab on the main site navigation or one of the 'multiples' links on the market page. Live Video can still be accessed by selecting the link in the market header.
We will continue to add new features, including:
- The ability to configure the in-play market prices refresh rate to values from the current default of 15 seconds down to one second.
- Faster notification of market status changes. As soon as markets are turned in-play, suspended or closed the status change will be reflected in the market screen. Currently these transitions can take up to 15 seconds to be displayed.
- Faster notification of bet status updates. As soon as unmatched bets are matched the status change will be reflected in the betslip.
- Customisation of the markets displayed in the Horse Racing Today's Card menu by providing the capability to filter the menu to only display markets from countries you are interested in.
The next Exchange section to be improved will be football, before we tackle pages for other sports later in the year.
We very much welcome your continued feedback so that we can improve the Exchange experience. If you have any comments about the new racing pages or questions for the Betfair Product team, then please add your comments to our ‘Feedback’ zone, accessible through the bottom left-hand side of the website.
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The Compatibility View tells your browser to use an old version of the rendering engine to be compatible with older websites that require IE9.
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Internet Explorer IssueIf you are using Internet Explorer 11, but you're being told that you need to update your browser, it is likely that your browser has the Compatibility View enabled.The Compatibility View tells your browser to use an old versio