Sir Stelios’ easyBet pivots into World Cup prediction markets powered by Matchbook

Backed by Matchbook’s UK Gambling licence via Triplebet, easyBet’s prediction pivot leans on Stelios Haji-Ioannou’s experience building brands that win on value, trust and scale

Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, the easyJet founder, has launched easyBet Predictions, a new sports prediction market powered by Matchbook’s exchange technology, in a move that marks a clear pivot away from traditional sportsbook betting and towards market-priced wagers. The launch comes as football fans turn their attention to the the World Cup, with the new product built around simple yes-or-no questions.

The easyBet.net pitch is straightforward. Instead of betting against a bookmaker who sets the odds and keeps the margin, easyBet users bet against each other. Matchbook’s exchange model takes a small commission on matched bets, while the rest of the money goes to the winner. That, the company argues, means better value for customers and a cleaner way to price sporting outcomes. easyBet says it is targeting the millions of Britons who already bet on sport but may not realise they are paying more than they need to.

Sir Stelios told GamblingIQ: “When the easyGroup decided to move into the betting industry, we searched for a partner which shared our principles of value, integrity and user experience. Year on year Matchbook demonstrates that it offers customers the best value in the betting industry, and operates under the highest integrity standards.”

+ Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou conducts business via his private investment vehicle easyGroup, which owns the 'Easy' brand and licenses it to the various 'Easy'-branded ventures, including easyBet

“A betting exchange will always be the best indicator of market sentiment, and with the launch of easyBet Predictions, the sport betting experience just got even easier!,” he said.

Matchbook, which is the trading name of Triplebet Limited, is the regulated operator behind the launch. The Gambling Commission public register shows Triplebet Limited with a head office in Alderney and lists easyBet as a white-label domain alongside Matchbook. The joint venture is operating under Matchbook’s UK licence, with Alderney also part of the regulatory picture.

Ronan McDonagh, Matchbook CEO: “Exchange technology produces better prices than any bookmaker can offer, because the house doesn’t set the price, the public does.The problem has always been complexity. Easybet Predictions solves that: the same engine, a front door that anyone can walk through.”

The launch comes at a time when prediction markets are becoming one of the hottest talking points in betting and financial regulation, with US platforms such as Polymarket drawing huge attention. easyBet is now trying to bring that model to mainstream UK sports fans — with the World Cup providing the perfect springboard for a product that hopes to make exchange betting feel less niche and far more ordinary.

The licence-led route matters because prediction markets are already running into a wall in multiple jurisdictions: Spain’s Consumer Rights Ministry has temporarily banned Polymarket and Kalshi for operating without a gambling licence, while Nevada courts have also moved to block Kalshi from offering event contracts without a gaming licence, with Arizona and Massachusetts among the other US states pressing their own enforcement actions.  By launching through Matchbook’s regulated Triplebet Limited vehicle in the UK, the experienced Stelios is not taking any chances and is effectively piggy-backing on an existing licence, which could prove decisive as regulators tighten the screws.

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