Nowadays, the sports betting industry features a wide range of markets with competitive odds. However, while bookmakers try to cover as many markets as possible, there are times when punters won’t find their desired bet type. That is why some sportsbooks introduced the request-a-bet service, which allows bettors to customize their wagers.
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Every experienced punter would have undoubtedly, at one time or the other, had a great idea for a wager on a specific sports match only to discover it is not available at their favorite betting site. You may feel that Mohammed Salah will score a goal from outside the box in an upcoming Liverpool game or that Mostahdaf will win any race during the Cheltenham Festival. Whatever the angle, it is always disappointing not to find the market you are interested in at your favorite sportsbooks. That is what the request-a-bet feature tries to remedy. By requesting bets at your favorite sportsbook, you can cover the markets you are interested in.
Not all sportsbooks offer this service to their punters, but most major ones do. Also, it is important to note that while bookmakers allow punters to request odds for a bet and often provide the market, they sometimes won’t offer odds on some requests.
So, how do you request a bet? After all, it is unlike the standard betting market, where you can pick what you want from the list of available options.
The answer to this question is to directly contact your favorite sportsbook, as long as they provide the service. It can be through customer support communication channels, but most sites today use Twitter.
While the request a-bet rules may slightly vary from one bookie to the others, here is the standard step-by-step process:
Choose a site: The first step to using this service is to join a sportsbook that allows customers to customize their wagers. Not all sports betting sites offer the feature, so you need to find one that does and register an account there.
Join Twitter: Create a Twitter account if you don’t already have one, as this is the easiest way to request bets from most bookmakers. From there, you should follow your preferred bookie’s official Twitter account.
Send your request: Whenever you have a custom wager, message the bookmaker using the correct hashtag (this varies for each operator, such as #BetYourWay, #PickYourPunt, #GetAPrice, etc.).
Wait for the price: Once you successfully send your tweet, the bookmaker will review the request and get back to you with the odds.
If you find the price agreeable, you can place a customized bet. An important detail when you want to create a request for a bet market is to do so well in advance before the sports event happens. This way, the sports betting site will have enough time to process your wager request. It is especially important to ask early during popular sports matches, which typically have a high volume of requests made by punters.
Now, let’s look at a typical example of how to request odds on a bet at William Hill. Like most betting sites, the easiest way to ask for customized odds on this sportsbook is via Twitter with its unique hashtag “#YourOdds.”
For example, let’s say you want to get some customized odds from William Hill for an upcoming UEFA Champions League game between Real Madrid and Manchester United. It can include Real Madrid winning, over 2 cards issued, over 2.5 goals scored, and over 11 corners taken.
To request-a-bet special on William Hill, in this case, all you need do is create a tweet like this: “@William Hill Real Madrid vs. Liverpool (UEFA Champions League game): Real Madrid to win, over 2 cards, over 3.5 goals scores, and under 13 corners #YourOdds.”
In some cases, request-a-bet betting sites allow their punters to cash out their customized wager early, just as they typically would with normal markets. By initiating the cashout function, you can close your wager early for a guaranteed payout, whose value will be determined by the sportsbook.
Many sportsbooks offer this extra feature to punters, but not all. So, this can be an important factor you look out for when considering requesting a bet online.
An exciting feature is widely available across many sports betting sites. Most major bookies offer their punters the request-a-bet tool. But you should note that each brand has specific names and guiding rules for the feature, so checking out what a bookie offers is vital before engaging it.
Now, let’s check out the quick overview of the top requesting bet sportsbooks available online.
Bet365 has a customizable feature called Bet Builder, unlike the typical request-a-bet service. The bet builder allows punters to create the specific wager they want by combining the most popular markets from some of the biggest football games and that of several sports, including basketball, baseball, hockey, etc.
To create a custom bet builder, you only need to navigate to the preferred fixture or event and select the “Bet Builder” feature. Once there, you will find all the available markets you can pick from, with the odds being calculated automatically. You can add the wager amount once you have all your preferred selections.
That said, Bet365 also accepts custom wagers unavailable on its normal markets. To request a bet on the Bet365 bookmaker, you must message customer service via Twitter, phone, or mail.
Betway is undeniably one of the leading bookmakers in the world with widespread popularity, so, unsurprisingly, it offers the request a bet feature on a wide range of sports and events. The #BetYourWay hashtag is one of the most active ones used to customize wagers.
With the Betway request-a-bet tool, you can easily ask for odds on whatever wager idea catches your fancy. All you need to do is contact Betway via Twitter @BetwaySupport with your desired predictions using the #BetYourWay hashtag. After that, the bookmaker will review the request and decide whether to approve it. If approved, Betway will respond with a tweet with the odds and a link to the custom wager.
betway.com
Interestingly, the #BetYourWay is also the name of the bookmaker’s in-built wager builder function, where punters can customize bets from a list of predetermined markets on sporting events.
Ladbrokes’ request-a-bet feature is called GetAPrice, and it also allows punters to customize wagers to their taste. Although football is the primary market for requesting a wager here, Ladbrokes also allows punters to customize markets for Cricket matches, NFL games, darts, snooker, and others.
One of the unique things about the Ladbrokes GetAPrice feature is that the site provides access to other punters’ free bet request selections through the “#getaprice” tab on any match market. To request your custom wager on Ladbrokes, you need to tweet @ Ladbrokes with the market you are interested in using the #GetAPrice hashtag. If the bet doesn’t already exist, the bookie will review the request and try creating a custom one for you. Once approved, the sportsbook’s social media team will get back to you with the odds and a link to place the wager.
ladbrokes.com
Like the others, Ladbrokes also has an in-built Bet Builder where you can customize wagers from predetermined selections.
As another major well-known player in the sports betting industry with a long history, William Hill is another major request-a-bet bookmaker. The site received well over 2 million #YourOdds shouts during the 2018 World Cup, offering customized markets on every game.
The sportsbook’s YourOdds feature allows punters to customize the wagers they are interested in by messaging their Twitter account. Although initially restricted to football, William Hill has opened up the feature to almost any sport they cover.
williamhill.com
To request a bet on William Hill, tweet about the market you want to create and include the unique #YourOdds hashtag directly to the William Hill official Twitter handle @WilliamHill. Shortly after making the request, you will get a response as to whether it was accepted or rejected. If accepted, the Twitter handle will send you the odds and link to the newly created custom wager.
As one of the top bookies in the sports betting scene, Paddy Power also has a great bet-requesting service. Punters can create their market from scratch and combine different outcomes on several sports and events at the sportsbook.
One of the best parts of this bookie’s custom bet feature is that it has a #WhatOddsPaddy market where you will find what other punters have conjured up and requested. Many punters find value bets from here or inspiration for their customized wagers.
paddypower.com
To request a bet on Paddy Power, you must tweet @PaddyPower with the markets you are interested in using the #WhatOddsPaddy hashtag. You will then receive the odds price and a link to the wager once the hardworking folks behind the scenes have approved the request and added it to the site.
Although Betfair has recently become more famous for its innovative betting exchange, the sportsbook side is also amazing, featuring bet request services. Here, punters can easily get good odds for whatever catches their fancy and is unavailable in the typical sports market.
Like the other platforms, you can easily request a bet with Betfair via Twitter. You only need to tweet the wager you wish to place directly to @betfair while mentioning the unique #OdssOnThat hashtag. Once they approve the custom wager, Betfair will reach back to you with the odds and directions to place the bet.
betfair.com
Another exciting part of this bookmaker’s feature is that it displays wagers requested by other punters on its official website. You can also find a list of already priced customized selections that you can place with the Betfair bet builder.
As another major player in the sports betting scene, it is no surprise that Betfred offers the PickYourPunt request-a-bet service.
With the Betfred PickYourPunt feature, you are in control, and you can freely create and customize your unique bets. Like others, the bookmaker has a builder function that allows you to go to qualifying events to find the current selections of available wagers when you click the #PickYourPunt tab.
👊 #Pick Your Punt – Bet Builder Offer!!
📲 Build your own #PickYourPunt bet on Dortmund v Bayern, stake £5 and get £5 in Free Bets if it loses.
🔞 18+ Please Gamble Responsibly.#BVBFCB
— Betfred (@Betfred) November 7, 2020
If you can’t find something that catches your fancy, you can create your custom bet by tweeting it to @Betfred with the #PickYourPunt hashtag. If the bookie approves the request, you will receive the odds price and access to the wager.
BetVictor is an innovative betting site that keeps up with the latest trends and allows punters to get odds for their unique bets through its PriceItUp request-a-bet specials.
BetVictor doesn’t reinvent the wheel when making the actual request. To create your custom market, you must go to Twitter and tweet whatever outcome you fancy while mentioning @ BetVictor and the #PriceItUp hashtag. Once the traders approve and price your request, they will contact you. The best part about this feature is that Betfred gives access to other #PriceItUp markets like the other bookmakers.
betvictor.com
You can also create custom bets from a list of predetermined selections on Betvictor.
Like its partner brand Ladbrokes, Coral offers the request odds for a bet feature. You can easily create your custom wager by combining outcomes in sports games in most major football leagues, the NBA, and many other sports. Like the bookmaker boasts, with #YourCall, you call the shots!
sports.coral.co.uk
To create your custom wager, you follow the same typical steps by tweeting what you want while mentioning @Coral and attaching the #YourCall hashtag. If the bookmaker approves the bet request, you get the special link to place the wager. Alternatively, you can look up other punters’ requests on the website via the #YourCall specials tab to see if there are any good markets.
BoyleSports is also not excluded from the customizing betting scene, featuring its InventABet service. Here, you can also make any request you want, and the bookmaker will respond accordingly by pricing it up.
To make the request, you must Tweet the preferred wager to the bookmaker’s official Twitter page @BoyleSPorts using the unique #InventABet hashtag. Once the custom wager gets approved, you will get a response with the price and access to the bet.
Tweet us using #InventABet with your #Masters bet request & we’ll price it up!#MastersWeek
👇
— BoyleSports (@BoyleSports) April 6, 2022
The BoyleSports’ Bet Builder also allows punters to make custom wagers from various selections.
Unibet is the last bookmaker on our list of request-a-bet betting sites, another big player in the industry. This platform allows users to create bets that catch their fancy across diverse markets and sports.
Unlike most sportsbooks, Twitter is not the go-to platform for requesting a bet at Unibet. Instead, the platform uses its interactive Unibet Community forum, which serves as a kind of blog where punters can interact with each other. To form your unique wager, create a new forum thread asking for the market you want to place. Once that’s done, the moderator will review your request and decide whether to price it up or not. You will get a notification under the same post if it gets approved.
You should also note that Unibet has its own Bet Builder for more predetermined custom wagers.
Another noteworthy fact about requesting bets is that, like the standard markets, getting the most out of your wagers is important. It will help you maximize your potential profits and, in some cases, your winning chances. Experienced punters consider some factors to do just that, from comparing multiple price requests to the allowed limits. Let’s check out a few of them.
An undeniable fact regarding the regular sports betting market is that sportsbooks don’t offer the same odds – some have better prices than others. The same is true for when you request odds for a bet. The price one sportsbook will offer you for the custom wager you want won’t be the same as that of another. And since you are not obligated to place a bet you requested, don’t limit yourself to a single bookie.
Instead, why not shop around for lines from multiple bookmakers to find the one that will offer the best price for your bet before staking on it? This way, you can find the offer to give you the maximum potential payout. Some experienced request-a-bet specials punters typically get a price from up to 10 betting platforms before going for the best offer.
Every sports betting site will usually limit how much a punter can wager on a bet and how much they can win. It is the same for the request-a-bet sportsbooks’ markets. The stake and payout limits here may not be as high as that of traditional markets, depending on your preferred request-a-bet bookmaker. So, before finalizing your custom wager, it is worth asking what limits you will be subject to when you wager.
One of the biggest advantages of the request-a-bet feature is that it covers contingencies you would usually not find at sports betting sites’ standard markets. Due to related contingencies, punters usually cannot combine some markets in a straight multiple at sportsbooks. It refers to betting markets with related outcomes (e.g., goal scorer and correct score wager on the same game).
But this is not so with the request-a-bet rules, as the feature offers prices on a huge range of related contingencies. For example, in a Manchester United game, you can ask for a custom wager like “game to have over 2.5 goals, Casemiro to be booked, Rashford to score, 12+ corners.” When done right, these related contingencies markets can give good value, something you will not find with normal sportsbook markets.
One mistake many players new to the bet-request feature sometimes make is customizing all their bets without checking the existing market. Most major sportsbooks offer hundreds of betting options on most games they cover. Many also cover linked events with existing betting opportunities, especially football matches. As such, punters will sometimes find the wager they want from within the sportsbooks’ standard markets.
The advantage of placing already existing bets over custom wagers on the same market is that the latter tend to have significantly worse odds prices. For example, a standard wager on a game’s total goal and a player-to-score outcome priced at 40/1 could be priced at 25/1 when a punter requests the same wager from their bookie.
A noteworthy sports betting fact is that bookmakers frown on wagering using inside information. For example, a maintenance staff at Old Trafford may come across information they can use to wager directly or request odds for a bet at their favorite sportsbook. If the wager pays off, such a person may get paid. It is because when bookies suspect that you win a payout on their platform from exploiting insider information, they tend to avoid the wager and limit or ban your account.
Therefore, it’s often best to bet using general information that could give insight into what scenario may play out during a game. For example, let’s say you heard that a key player is going through a messy life situation, and you think he might play too aggressively or won’t perform well during a match. In such a case, you can request a wager for the player to be booked or not score any goal. By doing this, you can find value bets that can yield significant payouts.
When requesting bets, it’s often best to rely on your data. A common mistake many punters make is relying solely on intuition when making their predictions. While gut feelings can sometimes be right, it’s better to base your selections on quantifiable data to reveal the viability of a bet.
So, when creating a bet request, do the necessary research and rely on your data. It will help you stand a chance of beating the odds, especially when you go for obscure custom wagers that rarely occur.
Bonuses and promotional offers are all-time favorites of betting enthusiasts. Many sportsbooks provide generous free bets, enhanced odds, insurance, and other exciting offers that punters can use for their custom wagers, some of which can turn in your favor.
While the request betting strategy can be a good way to get value bets, you can also consider alternative options like exchange betting. It involves wagering on betting exchanges where punters can become their bookies and bet against each other. Aside from the typical back bets, where you wager on an outcome happening, betting exchanges allow punters to lay the opposite.
For example, instead of backing a team to cover a -6.5 point spread during a game, you can lay the wager (i.e., the team will not cover the -6.5 point spread disadvantage). In this case, you will win the lay bet if the team cannot beat the opponent by 7 points or more.
Another advantage here is that, unlike normal request-a-bet betting sites that earn commissions from all stakes, prices are more valuable in exchanges.
On paper, the Ask for a Bet feature applies to virtually every sport and market you can think of, as long as a sportsbook’s oddsmaker can price it. However, this is not so in reality, as most sportsbooks only provide the service for a few sports and events.
As the most popular sport worldwide with a global fanbase, football is widely covered by almost every request-a-bet bookmaker.
Most of these platforms allow their punters to create custom wagers in events on all matches in the Premier League, Champions League, Europa League, La Liga, Serie A, and other major football leagues.
Aside from football, many sites offer request-a-bet special odds pricing on other major sports, including basketball, baseball, American football, hockey, boxing, and many others. However, the availability of certain sports and events can vary from one sportsbook to the other.
Even if you have heard about the request-a-bet feature for the first time, if you have been in the betting scene for a while, chances are you have encountered a bet builder. Both features revolve around the principle of allowing punters to create unique bets. However, the two differ in how to request a put bet on each.
The bet builder is an automated feature that provides a wide list of selections punters can pick from to create custom bets for different outcomes in the same game. It automatically calculates odds for your picks by multiplying the individual odds and making them into a single custom accumulator bet. On the other hand, you will need to directly reach out to a sportsbook’s customer support via Twitter to request a bet that doesn’t exist yet. The bookmaker will then provide a price for the custom wager if approved.
The table below itemizes the differences between the two features.
| Request a Bet | Bet Builder |
|---|---|
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There is no denying that creating your custom wagers through bet requests can be an exciting way to enjoy sports betting. However, like all forms of betting, it’s important to approach it with caution and be strategic. Here are some request-a-bet tips you should always remember when customizing wagers. While they won’t guarantee that you get a profit, they will improve your chances of success.
As you might have already inferred, the requesting bets feature is a great innovation in the sports betting industry that many punters are taking advantage of today. It is because the feature has many benefits bettors may otherwise not get from the typical bet market. It lets you back what you want when you want it, including obscure bets that you won’t find within a typical sportsbook’s wager market. There are a few restrictions to what you can dream up with this feature.
For example, you may want to create a wager on Lewandowski to score the first and last goal and for Barcelona to win its game with a 4-1 score. These selections are closely related and affect one another, making it a wager that sportsbooks won’t typically offer in an accumulator. But with the request-a-bet feature, you can easily get odds for this market.
Other pros of this feature include:
A good betting strategy’s mark is consistent successful wagers. And the world of sports betting has witnessed many incredible success stories with the request odds for a bet feature. In 2016, Liam Fitzpatrick stuck gold with his custom wager on Skybet when he predicted Everton would win 3-0 at Sunderland and Lukaku secured a hat-trick. It seemed like an almost impossible outcome, resulting in Skybet offering 300/1, a decision that ended up costing them in the region of £450,000 as punters from all over joined the wager.
In February of the next year, another punter, Max Reid, took to Twitter to engage the Skybet request-a-bet feature for a match between Bayern Munich and Arsenal. He predicted that Lewandowski would score a header and Arsenal would miss a penalty, and the sportsbook, seeing it as an unlikely outcome, the bookie assigned odds of 400/1 to it. Although Max Reid only won a little over £2,000, many other punters joined the action, and the request cost Skybet £350,000.
The request-a-bet feature is an innovative and engaging addition to the sports betting scene and a worthwhile strategy many bettors use today. Thanks to this feature, you can wager on pretty much everything today on many different sports and major events, including related contingencies within a single game.
Punters can easily request a bet on Paddy Power, William Hill, and many other betting sites via Twitter by tweeting the desired wager using the appropriate hashtags, such as #WhatOddsPaddy, “#YourOdds, #BetYourWay, #PickYourPunt, #GetAPrice, etc.
If you are in the market for something different yet engaging and exciting, the request-a-bet feature may be just what you need to take your betting experience to a whole new level. So, don’t hesitate to give it a go. Who knows? Maybe you will be the next big request-a-bet specials winner!
