Many betting platforms in Asia run on what’s commonly known as the Asian betting system — a structure built around hedging, back-lay models, and real-time balancing across markets like fancy, session runs, and book betting.

While this system looks smart on the outside, it often fails to make strong profits for the platform. And in the world of cricket betting — a major vertical for many sports betting software development companies — the cracks are even deeper.

Let’s break it down — in plain terms.

 

1. The Hedging Problem – Back and Lay Looks Safe, But It’s Not Profitable

Asian systems are heavily dependent on hedging using back and lay bets. The platform (or “bookie”) tries to balance bets by:

• Taking “Back” bets from one side (users betting something will happen)

• Taking “Lay” bets from the other (users betting it won’t happen)

What’s the platform’s goal? To stay in the middle and earn a cut regardless of the outcome.

The problem? Real markets don’t move that cleanly.

In cricket, odds can flip fast — especially in formats like T20. If your lay side doesn’t fill, or your back bets flood in too fast, you’re overexposed. You end up:

• Hedging in panic at worse odds

• Booking a loss just to cover the spread

• Competing with global exchanges where sharps can front-run your odds

This makes it hard to lock consistent profit, especially if you’re offering fancy/session betting every few balls. Platforms without real-time software for sports betting often struggle to keep up.

 

2. Fancy Market and Session Runs Are Risk Magnets

In cricket, fancy markets (like “will the next over have a boundary?”) and session markets (like “will the team score 50 in the first 6 overs?”) are high-frequency and very short-term.

Here’s where the Asian system fails:

• Odds shift every ball

• Players keep placing live bets

• You can’t hedge fast enough without automation

• If one side gets overloaded, the lay side becomes unmatchable

And because most of these markets run on credit or at fixed limits, one bad session wipes out multiple hours of profit.

Platforms using traditional Asian-style risk control often get stuck in a trap:

Either they don’t hedge and take huge losses, or they hedge and lose margins — which even the best sports betting solution providers struggle to recover from without automation.

 

3. Low Margin, High Volume Sounds Smart – Until It Doesn’t

The idea behind the Asian model is “small profit on many trades.” But this only works if:

• Your odds are always sharper than your competitors

• You have instant hedging tools and access to global liquidity

• Your platform doesn’t get dominated by smart bettors who only enter when the odds swing in their favor

Let’s be real — most small to mid-size platforms don’t have that setup.

Instead, they:

• Copy odds from somewhere else

• Run manual or semi-automatic hedging

• Operate in markets with limited or delayed liquidity

This leads to mispriced markets and negative returns in the long run — especially during big matches when bet volumes explode and risk is harder to manage. That’s where using a reliable sportsbook development company or online betting software becomes crucial.

 

4. Session/Over Market Traders Are Too Sharp

Many bettors in cricket fancy and session markets are not casual. They’re traders. They:

• Enter at favorable odds

• Exit within minutes

• Hedge across multiple platforms

• Exploit delayed odds and unbalanced books

So when your platform runs on a back-lay model, you’re often hedging against people who know more than you do. You’re trying to balance odds while they’re trying to exploit your imbalance.

The result?

You’re the one getting hedged out — not them. For platforms running on outdated sport bet software, this becomes a losing game.

 

5. Asian System Is Not Built for Cricket’s Speed

Unlike football, where you can hedge during a 45-minute half, cricket changes every ball. Session markets can swing wildly in just one over. Fancy bets shift with a single boundary or a dot ball.

That means:

• Hedging delays = real losses

• Lay bets get unmatched during momentum shifts

• Traders chase odds faster than your software can update

Unless you’ve got an auto-balancing engine with sub-second delay and deep liquidity — features top sports betting software developers can build — you’re constantly on the back foot.

 

What’s the Better Approach?

If you’re running a betting platform, especially focused on cricket:

• Use a fixed odds model for session/fancy markets

• Predefine spreads and don’t offer live odds where you can’t hedge fast

• Focus on volume in safe markets (like outright winner or series score)

• Limit exposure in volatile in-play markets unless you have risk automation

Asian systems may look flexible and pro-level, but for most operators — especially in cricket — they’re a margin killer. That’s why working with a top sports betting app development company or sports gambling software provider makes a difference.