Betfair Exchange November Newsletter: No delays on passive bets for basketball and darts

• Basketball and Darts passive bet delay update

• Line market testing for cricket as Ashes begins in November

• Football bet delays testing down to three seconds

Expanding the no delay tool to more sports 

Our Passive Bet Delay tool - which removes waiting time for certain unmatched in-play bets - continues to go from strength to strength in 2025.  

After successfully covering 100% of Tennis, Baseball, and American Football, we've now rolled it out to Darts and Basketball as well. In October, the Darts European Championships and all NBA regular season games will be the first events to benefit. Going forward, all darts and NBA markets will have this enhancement. 

The volatile nature of both sports makes them a good fit for the tool, with a view to boost in-play liquidity in both as the chances of getting matched improve considerably.

Bet delays are currently five seconds for basketball and three for darts, so bets that aren't going to be instantly matched will skip these bet delay periods. 

All markets subject to the passive bet delay tool will be flagged by API Signposting.

New cricket line markets

The Australia v England Ashes series begins in Perth on 21 November. Injury doubts and outlandish 5-0 predictions have built anticipation for what's set to be another fiercely fought contest Down Under.

In November, there will be a trial for new line markets offered on the Betfair Exchange to enhance the current offering. A few games throughout the month will include Batter Runs Lines for the first time in several years, with the intention to offer them for top selections on high profile international and domestic T20 matches.

A Fall of Wicket Runs Line market offfering will also be testing in similar fixtures, again on a trial basis to see how they perform. Further communication about which matches and tournaments will have these line markets on offer will be provided closer to the relevant fixtures.

You can check out The Ashes Ultimate Guide on Betting.Betfair, along with other great cricket content, the latest Stick To Cricket Podcast, and expert tips and predictions.

Watch Stick to Cricket with special guest Chris Woakes

Reduction in bet delays for football

A trial to reduce the bet delays in football has been underway for Championship games which sees the delay reduced from five to three seconds.

Testing has taken place just for selected Championship games in October, with the intention to roll out further matches and competitions at a three second bet delay later in the year.

We have also seen a continued reduction across the board in the number of football matches that are subject to a bet delay of over five seconds.

Latest figures show that 91% of markets had a bet delay of five seconds or less in September and October which is the highest rate since February 2023.

Now read the latest Betting.Betfair previews and get our experts' tips