If you're building a sportsbook platform or expanding your iGaming business, integrating odds feeds is one of the most important steps you'll take. Odds are the heartbeat of any sportsbook. They tell your bettors what's at stake, reflect real-time market conditions, and ultimately determine your profitability.

In this post, we'll walk you through how to integrate odds feeds into your sportsbook platform, breaking it down in plain language. Whether you're a developer, entrepreneur, or product manager, you'll leave with a clear idea of what to expect, what tools to use, and what pitfalls to avoid.

What Is an Odds Feed?

Let’s start with the basics. An odds feed is a stream of data that delivers the latest betting odds for various sports events — in real time. These feeds are provided by data companies and sportsbooks, covering everything from soccer and basketball to esports and niche sports.

Odds feeds can include:

  • Pre-match odds (e.g., before the game starts)

  • Live/in-play odds (e.g., during the match)

  • Market types (match winner, over/under, handicaps, etc.)

  • Event information (time, location, teams)

  • Outcomes and results

Without a reliable odds feed, your platform is essentially flying blind.

Step 1: Choose a Reliable Odds Feed Provider

Before you can integrate anything, you need to choose the right data partner. Odds providers vary in terms of:

  • Sports coverage

  • Data latency (speed)

  • Update frequency

  • API formats

  • Costs and licensing

Some of the major odds feed providers in the industry include:

  • Sportradar

  • BetRadar

  • OddsAPI

  • BetConstruct

  • Betradar (part of Sportradar)

  • DataFeedWatch

  • Smaller niche/local data providers (if you’re targeting regional markets)

Choose a provider based on:

  • The sports your audience bets on

  • Your budget

  • The required update frequency (live betting requires faster feeds)

  • Integration support and documentation

If you're working with a White Label Sportsbook provider, chances are they already have partnerships with several odds providers and can help you integrate quickly.

Step 2: Understand the Odds Feed Format

Odds feeds are delivered in different formats — typically REST APIs, WebSocket APIs, or XML/JSON feeds.

Here’s what each type means:

  • REST API: You make HTTP requests to pull data. Good for scheduled updates (e.g., every 5 seconds).

  • WebSocket API: Real-time, continuous data stream. Essential for in-play/live betting.

  • XML/JSON Feeds: Bulk data files delivered at intervals (e.g., every minute). Used more for pre-match data.

Each format has pros and cons, but for live betting, WebSocket is the gold standard due to low latency.

Step 3: Build or Adapt Your Data Infrastructure

Odds data moves quickly — especially during live matches — and your backend needs to handle it.

Here’s what your infrastructure needs to do:

  1. Pull or subscribe to the data feed (via API/WebSocket)

  2. Parse the incoming data

  3. Match it to your internal event IDs or third-party IDs

  4. Update your frontend UI in real time

  5. Store historical odds data if needed

  6. Trigger alerts or trading rules (e.g., suspend a market)

If you're starting from scratch, consider using microservices to isolate odds processing, caching layers like Redis for fast access, and a queue system (like Kafka or RabbitMQ) to manage load.

If you’re using a ready-made platform, odds feed modules are often plug-and-play. But even then, custom mapping and front-end integration are needed.

Step 4: Map Events and Markets Accurately

One of the more complex tasks in odds feed integration is event and market mapping. This means matching the external data (from the odds provider) to your internal data structure.

Here’s why it’s tricky:

  • Different providers may use different IDs or naming conventions

  • Markets might be labeled differently (e.g., “1X2” vs. “Match Result”)

  • Event time zones, statuses, and team names might not match your platform

To solve this:

  • Use a universal event ID system when possible (e.g., SportRadar’s IDs)

  • Create mapping tables between provider data and your internal schema

  • Normalize team names and market labels

Mapping is critical to avoid offering incorrect odds or showing broken markets on your front end.

Step 5: Display Odds on Your Frontend

Once your backend is processing the odds, the next step is to display them cleanly and efficiently on your front end.

Tips for good odds display:

  • Group markets logically (e.g., “Main Markets,” “Player Specials”)

  • Highlight odds changes (e.g., arrows, flashing odds)

  • Make in-play odds easy to read and react to

  • Show time remaining and status updates for live games

  • Ensure mobile responsiveness for small screens

Your frontend should also handle:

  • Odds suspensions (when a market is paused)

  • Automatic refreshes (or real-time updates if using WebSockets)

  • Responsiveness for fast bet placements

User experience is critical — clunky odds display means lost bets.

Step 6: Manage Odds Changes and Suspensions

Odds can change every second during a live game, and you’ll need to manage these updates carefully to avoid errors or liability.

Here’s what your system should do:

  • Track every odds change

  • Suspend markets when odds are unstable or events (like goals) occur

  • Alert your traders (or use automated risk rules)

  • Ensure bet slips are re-validated before bet placement

  • Offer “cash out” options based on real-time odds

Some platforms offer odds change tolerances — allowing bets to proceed if odds haven’t changed beyond a certain threshold. This helps avoid user frustration when odds change just before clicking “Place Bet.”

Step 7: Testing & Compliance

Once integrated, your odds feed must undergo extensive testing:

  • Are all markets displaying correctly?

  • Are odds updating as expected?

  • Is live betting latency acceptable?

  • Are mismatches between events, markets, or timezones resolved?

Also, depending on your jurisdiction, regulators may require you to log and archive odds data for compliance purposes. Make sure you meet all local requirements before going live.

Step 8: Monitor, Optimize, and Scale

Odds feed integration isn’t a “set it and forget it” process.

Ongoing monitoring is crucial:

  • Check for feed downtime or delays

  • Monitor latency between provider and your UI

  • Optimize your caching and event-driven updates

  • Scale infrastructure during peak sports seasons or events (e.g., World Cup)

You can also consider integrating multiple feeds for redundancy or arbitrage opportunities, though this adds complexity.

Final Thoughts

Integrating odds feeds into your sportsbook platform is a technical, strategic, and operational challenge — but it’s absolutely essential for delivering a world-class betting experience.

Start with a solid provider, build smart infrastructure, test rigorously, and keep optimizing. Whether you're building from scratch or working with a White Label Sportsbook provider, the principles stay the same: fast, accurate, and reliable odds make all the difference.

Odds feeds are also a core component of effective sportsbook API integration. Together, they enable real-time data, dynamic pricing, and seamless betting experiences that bettors expect in 2025.