What Is In-Play Betting?
In-play betting (also called live betting) is placing wagers on an event after it has started, while it is still in progress. Bookmakers continuously recalculate odds in response to the unfolding action, so prices change second by second.
Because in-play odds move constantly, live betting products depend on low-latency data, typically a WebSocket stream that pushes odds and score updates as they change rather than relying on repeated polling.
In-play markets are where speed matters most for arbitrage and trading, which is why live-odds APIs emphasise latency (sub-second updates) and reliable streaming.
Frequently Asked Questions
What data do you need for live betting?
Live betting needs a low-latency feed of continuously updating odds and scores, usually delivered over WebSocket so updates are pushed in real time rather than polled.
Related terms
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