How to Use Orbit Exchange: a Complete Tutorial for 2026
Orbit Exchange (OrbitX) uses the same peer-to-peer engine as Betfair, but without Premium Charges and with access only via authorised betting brokers. This tutorial walks you through every step: from your first login to placing complex trading positions, managing your wallet, and getting the most from the interface.
Before You Log In: Getting Your OrbitX Credentials
Unlike Betfair, you cannot register directly on the Orbit Exchange website. OrbitX is a white-label exchange, meaning access is provided exclusively through authorised betting brokers. The broker acts as your account manager: they handle KYC verification, deposits and withdrawals, and forward your credentials to the exchange.
If you do not yet have access, the process starts with your broker. Our guide on how to get access to Orbit Exchange covers the full journey from broker selection to first login. The most common choice is AsianConnect88 ↗, which also connects your account to PS3838, SBObet, BetISN, MaxBet, and other sharp bookmakers alongside OrbitX, all through a single wallet.
Once your broker has verified your account and you have made your first deposit, they will send you an OrbitX username and temporary password. This typically takes 24 to 48 hours after your documents are approved.
Change your OrbitX password on first login, but keep it different from your broker portal password. The two systems are separate: your broker login controls your wallet and deposits, while your OrbitX credentials control the exchange interface. Losing either one independently does not lock you out of funds.
Understanding the Orbit Exchange Interface
The OrbitX interface is built on the same architecture as Betfair's exchange view. If you have used Betfair, the layout will feel immediately familiar. If you are new to exchanges, here is what you need to know:
The Market View
Each market is displayed as a list of runners (teams, players, horses) with two columns of prices: Back (blue, on the left) and Lay (pink, on the right).
- Back prices are what the market is offering you to back that selection. The number next to the price shows how much money is available at that price.
- Lay prices are what layers are asking you to pay to lay a selection. If you want to lay (bet against) something, you click the pink price.
- The prices shown are the best available. Three prices are usually visible per side, showing the depth of the order book at slightly different levels.
The Ladder View
More experienced users prefer the Ladder view, which shows the full order book for a single runner as a vertical grid. Each rung of the ladder is a price increment, with the volume available at back and lay shown side by side. This view is especially useful for trading in fast-moving markets like horse racing and tennis, where prices move rapidly and you want to see the full range of available liquidity at a glance.
The Bet Slip
Clicking any price opens the bet slip on the right-hand side of the screen. Enter your stake (or liability for a lay bet) and confirm. The slip shows your potential profit before you submit. You can queue multiple bets from different markets before confirming them all at once.
Placing Your First Back Bet
A back bet on an exchange works just like a standard bookmaker bet: you are predicting that something will happen, and you win if it does. The difference is that your counterparty is another exchange user, not a bookmaker, and the odds are set by market supply and demand rather than a pricing team.
- Navigate to your market. Use the left-hand sports menu to find your sport, then drill into the league and event you want.
- Click the blue back price. Select the price you want for your runner. If you want a better price than currently available, you can type a higher price in the bet slip and your bet will sit unmatched in the queue until a layer accepts it.
- Enter your stake. The stake is the amount you stand to lose if your selection loses. The profit shown is after the 3% commission is deducted.
- Check in-play settings. If the event has not started, decide whether you want your bet to stay active once it goes in-play. If you do, toggle the in-play keep option before confirming.
- Confirm the bet. Once matched, the bet appears in your "My Bets" section. Unmatched bets appear separately and can be cancelled at any time.
On Orbit Exchange, the commission is charged on net market profit, not on each bet individually. This means if you back and then lay the same selection in the same market (a standard trading position), your commission is based on the net result across both bets, not each one separately. Traders who hedge frequently benefit significantly from this structure versus paying commission on every leg.
Placing a Lay Bet: Betting Against an Outcome
Laying is unique to exchanges. When you lay a selection, you are acting as the bookmaker: you are betting that the selection will NOT win. If the selection loses (or any outcome other than the one you laid occurs), you win. If the selection wins, you pay the backer their profit.
The key concept to understand is liability. When you lay a selection at odds of 5.0, for every £10 you stake (from the backer's perspective), your liability is £40 (the backer's potential £40 profit). The lay stake and liability are shown clearly in the bet slip before you confirm.
Lay Bet Example
| Parameter | Your Lay Position | Counterparty (Back) |
|---|---|---|
| Selection | Team A to win | Team A to win |
| Lay odds | 3.50 | 3.50 |
| Backer's stake | £20 | |
| Your liability (Team A wins) | £50 (£20 x 2.50) | Wins £50 |
| Your profit (Team A does not win) | £20 minus 3% commission | Loses £20 |
Laying is particularly powerful in football and horse racing, where you are more confident something will NOT happen than you are about what will. It is also the foundation of strategies like back and lay trading, where you take both sides of a position to lock in a profit regardless of the outcome.
In-Play Betting on Orbit Exchange
Orbit Exchange supports in-play (live) betting on most major sports. Markets stay open during the event, and prices move continuously in response to what is happening on the pitch or court. In-play betting on an exchange is fundamentally different from in-play with a bookmaker:
- No deliberate delays: Exchange prices update in near real-time based on order flow, whereas bookmakers introduce artificial delays to protect themselves from sharp bettors.
- You set your own price: You can submit a back or lay order at any price you choose. If you think the market is overreacting to an event, you can offer a better price and wait for a counterparty to match you.
- Liquidity varies by sport: Premier League football and major horse racing meetings have deep in-play markets. Lower-league football and niche sports may have limited in-play liquidity, especially late in the event.
For a deeper exploration of in-play tactics, see our guide to in-play betting strategy on exchanges.
When a market turns in-play, there is a brief suspension during which no bets are matched. This suspension window (typically a few seconds for football goal events, longer for horse racing starts) protects all parties. Never rely on cancelling a stale bet during this window: always manage your positions before key events rather than reacting to them.
Commission, Settlements, and Withdrawals
Understanding the commission structure is essential for calculating your real profitability on Orbit Exchange.
How Commission Is Calculated
OrbitX charges 3% on net winnings per market. If you win £100 gross in a market, you pay £3 in commission and net £97. If you lose in a market, you pay nothing. Critically, if you trade both sides of a position (back and lay in the same market), only your net profit is commissionable.
For full detail on how this compares to Betfair's tiered commission and Premium Charge, see our dedicated Orbit Exchange commission guide.
Settlements
Markets are settled immediately after the official result is confirmed. Winnings appear in your exchange balance, which is then reflected in your broker wallet. Void bets (abandoned events, suspended markets) are returned to your balance with no commission charged.
Withdrawing Funds
Withdrawals are processed through your broker, not directly through OrbitX. Log into your broker portal, submit a withdrawal request, and funds are typically processed within 24 hours. USDT (TRC-20) withdrawals are the fastest and carry the lowest fees. For a full breakdown of deposit and withdrawal options and processing times, see our Orbit Exchange deposits and withdrawals guide.
Using the Orbit Exchange Mobile Interface
Most bettors access OrbitX via the mobile interface provided by their broker. AsianConnect88 ↗, for example, offers a dedicated iOS and Android app with a streamlined version of the full exchange interface, as well as access to the sharp Asian bookmakers on the same account.
The mobile interface supports all main bet types and markets, with a simplified layout optimised for smaller screens. The ladder view is available on mobile but works best in landscape orientation on a larger phone. For fast in-play trading where precise price selection matters, most serious traders prefer the desktop interface. Our Orbit Exchange app guide covers the full range of mobile options by broker.
Advanced Features: Trading Positions and Order Management
Once you are comfortable with basic back and lay bets, the exchange's real power comes from active position management. Here are the features most used by intermediate and advanced bettors:
Cash Out and Partial Cash Out
OrbitX allows you to cash out an open position by placing a countervailing bet (lay if you backed, back if you laid) at the current market price. This is sometimes called "greening up" because it turns a position where one runner wins into a position where you profit regardless of outcome, by booking a guaranteed return on all runners. There is no automatic cash-out button like some bookmaker apps offer: you manage this manually by placing the opposing bet.
Unmatched Bets and Price Queuing
One of the most underused features for value bettors is the ability to place orders at prices that do not currently exist in the market. If you believe a selection is underpriced and will drift, place your back order at a higher price and let it sit in the queue. If the market moves to your price, you get matched at odds better than what was available when you placed the order. This is similar to a limit order in financial trading.
For context on how Orbit Exchange strategies compare to traditional bookmaker betting, our exchange vs bookmaker comparison covers the structural advantages in depth.
Market Depth and Liquidity
Before placing a large stake, always check the volume available at your price. A market may show an attractive price with only £200 available: your £500 stake would only get £200 matched at that price, with the remainder sitting in the queue or being matched at the next available (less favourable) price level. For large-stake betting, understanding Orbit Exchange liquidity is essential to getting fully matched at your target price.
Your First Week on OrbitX: a Practical Checklist
Rather than diving into complex strategies immediately, most bettors benefit from a structured approach to their first week on the exchange:
- Day 1: Explore 3-4 markets without placing any bets. Observe how prices move, how the order book depth changes, and how in-play suspensions work.
- Day 2-3: Place 5-10 small back bets (1-2% of your bank) in markets you understand well. Focus on getting matched at your target price rather than just clicking the best available.
- Day 4-5: Try your first lay bet in a small-stakes market. Ensure you understand the liability before confirming.
- Day 6-7: Review your commission paid and net P&L by market. This gives you a baseline for measuring your edge over time.
If you are transitioning from Betfair, much of this will be familiar. The main operational difference is that your deposits and withdrawals go through your broker rather than directly through the exchange. To understand the full onboarding flow, read our Orbit Exchange registration guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Orbit Exchange shares the same interface and liquidity engine as Betfair, so anyone familiar with Betfair will feel at home immediately. For complete beginners to betting exchanges, the main learning curve is understanding back and lay markets, how the commission model works, and how to read the ladder view. Most users are comfortable placing their first bets within 30 minutes of logging in.
To place a back bet on Orbit Exchange, navigate to the sport and market you want, click the blue price in the "Back" column next to your selection, enter your stake in the bet slip that appears on the right side of the screen, and confirm the bet. Your potential profit is shown before you submit. If no matching lay offer is available at your chosen price, the bet will sit in the unmatched bets queue until a layer accepts it or you cancel it.
A matched bet is one where a counterparty (a layer) has accepted your wager at the price you requested. An unmatched bet sits in the order book waiting for a matching layer. Unmatched bets are not at risk until matched, and you can cancel them at any time. Bets placed at the current best available price are usually matched instantly; bets placed at better-than-available prices enter the queue and may take time to fill, especially in less liquid markets.
Orbit Exchange charges a flat 3% commission on net winnings on each market, not on each individual bet. This means if you back and lay in the same market (a trading position), you pay commission only on your overall net profit from that market. There is no losing commission and no Premium Charge mechanism like Betfair applies to consistently profitable bettors. Brokers such as AsianConnect88 may offer a reduced commission rate, so it is worth checking your broker agreement.
Yes. Orbit Exchange has a mobile-optimised web interface accessible via any smartphone browser, plus dedicated apps available through AsianConnect88 and other authorised brokers. The mobile interface supports all the same markets and bet types as the desktop version, though the ladder view works best on larger screens. Full details are covered in our Orbit Exchange app guide.
By default, unmatched pre-match bets are cancelled automatically when a market turns in-play, unless you explicitly enable "Keep" for in-play on your bet slip before submission. This is a safety feature that prevents stale pre-match prices from being matched mid-event. If you want your pre-match price to remain active in-play, toggle the in-play option before confirming.