There is a big difference in philosophy between Asian bookmakers and European/American bookmakers in the way they operate. Back in the past, there wouldn't be any Asian bookmakers accepting open registrations. To bet with an Asian bookie, punters could only register via an invitation, which was offered by a betting agent in exchange for a commission. As things evolved, some of the online Asian bookmakers like Sbobet opened up for the masses and nowadays accept open registrations for players in the markets they operate. However, this is not a common approach for a typical Asian bookie and even today, most of them are only available via a betting brokerage firm.

An Overview Of Betting Agents

Back in the times when online betting was just taking shape and the next few years that followed (end of 90's and the start of 2000's), a betting agent was someone that had connections in Asia. Betting agents were operating as individuals and facilitated the relationship between the punter and the bookie. Players were granted access to some of the top online bookmakers and some of them were even offered betting credits, while the betting agents made money out of commissions and sometimes from taking sides. While this type of business was very popular in Asia and works well even today, the increasing popularity of the Asian handicap betting and high-limits bookies, resulted in an exodus of European & American punters that were also interested in betting online with Asian bookmakers. This high demand was good for the business in general but it also made way for unfair practices (not to say scams!) both from betting agents and from punters too. While betting agents had a tendency to simply disappear overnight with all the money, players received betting credits they could no longer pay when losing. Numerous such cases happened and many times it was about big amounts of money. 

And This Is When Sports Betting Brokerage Firms Came Into Scene...

The 2000s saw the launch of the first officially licensed sports betting brokerage agencies. Although a betting agent is basically the same thing as a betting broker, the latter is the common term used for a betting agent that operates legally and represents a company. Just like online bookmakers, sports betting brokers of today are licensed by different jurisdictions and are no longer the one-man show as in the past. More than often, they don't just provide you access to a wide range of Asian bookmakers like typical betting agents used to do in the past, they also offer trading platforms, multi-account features or Skype betting. 

How Betting Brokers Work

A modern betting broker will naturally provide access to a wide range of online bookmakers normally you don't have access to. Some of them might be also available via open registration but betting limits will typically be higher when betting via a broker, which is extremely important for professional or even semi-professional punters. Some of the online bookmakers typically offered by sports betting brokerage firms include Pinnacle Sports, Sbobet, MAXBET (known as BetIBC in the past), GA288, Matchbook, SingBet, BETISN, Foobet, Betfair, Betdaq, CITIbet, CMD368 or WinningFT. Some bet brokers even offer private bookmakers.  

The process of signing up for a bet broker account is very simple. Just create an account with a broker you trust and you'll get access to their service. In most cases their service is free and just like betting agents in the past, they make money out of commissions from bookies. Most of them offer some of the most common payment methods and deposits/withdrawals go safely and usually fast.

Why Use A Betting Broker

So why use a betting broker account at all if you can have access to a wide range of online bookmakers? Well, if you are a part-time gambler or wager small stakes, probably you don't need one. But if betting limits are a problem for you or if you simply don't have access to Asian bookies because of the country you come from, then signing up for a bet broker account should be the right choice. Not only you get access to some of the best high-limits bookies in the world, but you will also be provided with a betting platform for using one account for multiple bookies. Some brokers also offer trading software, which works well for traders and sports betting arbitrage fans. Skype betting is also offered by most betting brokerage agencies.