Matchbook acquires Betdaq
Matchbook, the peer-to-peer betting exchange and market technology business, has completed the acquisition of Betdaq. Betdaq, founded by Dermot Desmond in 2000, was among the earliest betting exchanges in the world and has served exchange bettors for over a quarter of a century. The existing Betdaq…
Matchbook, the peer-to-peer betting exchange and market technology business, has completed the acquisition of Betdaq. Betdaq, founded by Dermot Desmond in 2000, was among the earliest betting exchanges in the world and has served exchange bettors for over a quarter of a century. The existing Betdaq service, operated by EPS Ltd, will remain open for trading until 21st October 2026 to allow an orderly transition, with customer accounts open for withdrawals until 4th November 2026. Customer funds remain protected in accordance with both operators’ regulatory obligations throughout. Betdaq customers can find key dates, a detailed FAQ and their options at betdaq.com. Bringing the two exchanges together combines Betdaq’s heritage with Matchbook’s pricing, liquidity and technology expertise in a single, deeper pool — meaning tighter spreads, bigger fills and better prices for customers of both. The acquisition comes as the peer-to-peer model enjoys renewed momentum worldwide, with exchange betting and prediction markets — particularly in the United States — bringing market-made pricing to new audiences. Matchbook has operated exchange markets for more than twenty years and has expanded in recent years through easyBet, its partnership with easyGroup, and ADI PredictStreet, its entry into prediction markets around the FIFA World Cup 2026. Ronan McDonagh, CEO of Matchbook, said: Betdaq and Matchbook grew up proving the same idea — that bettors get a better deal when prices are made by a market rather than a margin. A quarter of a century on, that idea is winning: exchanges and prediction markets are bringing peer-to-peer pricing to new audiences around the world, and this acquisition deepens the pool at the heart of everything we build. Our first priority through this transition is Betdaq’s customers: their funds are safe, their options are clear, and in one combined pool they should find better prices and deeper liquidity than either exchange could offer alone. Everything we are doing — this deal included — is about making the exchange first choice.