AK Bets Trading Team Navigates Non-Stop World Cup Schedule Amid Packed Summer of Sport
2026-07-22
Source: iGaming Future
AK Bets' head of trading details how the expanded World Cup schedule created a relentless 24/7 trading cycle, forcing the team to juggle football with concurrent events like Royal Ascot, Wimbledon, and the US Open while managing overnight kick-offs and rapid in-play responses.
The expanded FIFA World Cup schedule, combined with a slate of major sporting events, created an around-the-clock trading environment for AK Bets. According to David Murray, the operator's Head of Risk and Trading, the tournament's longer format forced traders into a continuous cycle of pre-match pricing, in-play management, and risk assessment that stretched across multiple sports.
The 2022 World Cup overlapped with Royal Ascot, Wimbledon, the US Open golf championship, and the football transfer window, requiring AK Bets' team to monitor disparate events simultaneously while handling hundreds of betting markets. Murray described the workload as "completely and utterly non-stop," with three or four World Cup matches per day running well into the night and early morning hours.
Overnight kick-off times, which placed many fixtures outside peak UK viewing hours, posed particular operational challenges. AK Bets maintained dedicated overnight trading coverage to ensure every match received full attention. "The overnight games are naturally quieter because fewer people are watching them live," Murray noted, "but from a trading perspective they still require exactly the same level of focus."
In-play trading demanded rapid reactions to goals, VAR reviews, and even hydration breaks, while pre-match preparations included pricing matches, reviewing outright markets, and creating additional betting options. Murray explained that traders had to constantly shift attention between football and other customer bets on racing, tennis, and more. "You're constantly shifting your attention depending on what's happening," he said, adding that squad rotation and team news heavily influenced outright and player markets such as Golden Boot betting.
Murray emphasised the value of experience in handling unfamiliar scenarios. "Every tournament throws up situations you've never seen before," he remarked, while noting that back-office decisions—like temporarily suspending markets during a red card or VAR check—must balance customer access with risk control. The commentary offers a window into the operational realities for sportsbooks juggling high-volume international tournaments against a crowded calendar of elite sport.