Betfair Historical Data & Backtesting Strategies!

Back in time future

Where can you get Betfair historical data? What’s the best way to backtest your strategies?

Both valid questions that deserve a thorough answer. Submitted for the YouTube Q & A recently, it was time to get some answers…

How to View Betfair Historical Data:

Your video answer:

Referenced links:

Trading Time Machine:

Analysis and data is power. Google and Facebook have taught the whole world this, no question.

Delving into Betfair’s historical data is a logical place to start if you should have the programming skills. Unfortunately, most of the people reading this won’t. I certainly haven’t.

The main barrier is stuff like this:

Betfair historical data comment
From the YouTube comments

The only cost-effective workaround that I’m aware of (that is publically accessible) is via Market Feeder Pro. They have a feature called ‘time machine’. An innovative bit of kit on their behalf. However, you will need your own historical data license.

Previous Data the Answer?

Aside from recognising the problems around collecting, sorting and refining data, it’s important to remember there are some things you can’t see by looking at historic data. In fact, there’s quite a lot.

I mean, historic data doesn’t show you the impact of a commentator’s remarks. it can’t.

Technology just isn’t there yet, leaving lots of gaps for knuckleheads like me to exploit!

Over time, it’s quite possible we’ll see high-frequency traders scraping the televised coverage, doing all manner of fancy things. How long that’ll take, I don’t know, probably a very long time. In reality, it’s probably last on their list. Writing cross-matching style algorithms and re-running Betfair data that’s already available is far easier. Not to mention in-play trading strategies.

In my opinion, Betfair’s in-running markets are likely to be the ones Betfair automation kills first. Catching a favourable spike, irrational click or emotional trade is easy money for data analysts. Probably the most fruitful in terms of profit too, given the market gaps…

For these reasons, I think it’s a good idea to look at Betfair’s historical data if you have the skills and avoid investing too much time to the in-running markets.

Got a question you’d like to put forward? Ask it in the video comments or at the bottom of this post!

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