Games API Implementation 

The implementation of the web service uses a framework known as Representational State Transfer (or REST). This enables developers to interact with the Betfair Games system using URLs (or resources) and the standard HTTP methods GET (reading state) and POST (modifying state).

Supported API requests and responses are published in the form of an XML Schema and therefore state is represented and transferred between client developers and the API as XML.

Games API Overview

Using read-only services you can create programs that:

• Retrieve reference information for a games market
• Retrieve the market prices
• Retrieve your current bets on an event
• Retrieve information on settled bets
• Retrieve your account statement information
• Use this information to calculate and display your own data
  

For example, you can:

• Build a spreadsheet that monitors your position on a specific market, calculating the average effective price achieved on each selection taking into account offsetting back and lay bets
• Build a program which will record games data as history in to a local database
  

Using transactional services:

• Place bets on a games market
• Cancel existing unmatched bets
• Modify existing unmatched bets
• Transfer money from/to your Exchange Games account
  

For example, you can:

• Build an application that places bets when certain market conditions are met
• Build an application that can place offsetting bets conditional on other bets getting matched
• Build an application to automate your betting strategy