Many professionals work alongside trading teams, manage sportsbook products or rely on sports data every day, yet never fully understand how markets are priced, probabilities are calculated and odds are created.
Contrary to popular belief, successful sportsbook trading is much more than simply recognising Arsenal have a 60% chance of winning the league and assigning odds of 1.67.
Success is taking into account market movements, sporting developments, betting trends and player behaviour.
It’s part statistics, part psychology, part finance and, of course, part sport.
It’s this knowledge gap that SBC Summit’s Sportsbook Trading Masterclass has been designed to close.
Part of Education+ (SBC Summit’s premium educational add-on), this hands-on learning experience will see Jonathan Smith, Founder of Sportsbook Training Services, lead three specialist sessions, equipping attendees with the practical skills to truly make a sportsbook competitive, from compiling odds and evaluating pricing to building sportsbook models of their own.
In this guide, we’ll explore everything the Sportsbook Trading Masterclass has to offer, including who it’s for, the practical skills you’ll develop and why it delivers a learning experience that goes far beyond a traditional conference.
The Masterclass Format: More Than Just a Panel
The sessions taking place across SBC Summit’s conference agenda are designed to spark new ideas, explore emerging trends and showcase how industry leaders are tackling today’s biggest challenges.
The Sportsbook Trading Masterclass takes a different approach.
They say the best way to learn is to do it yourself, which is why you won’t just hear how others have solved problems; you’ll actually get the chance to develop the practical skills to solve them yourself!
This means less passive listening and more interactive workshops, live demonstrations and asking questions to an industry-leading trading expert.
Throughout the academy, attendees will benefit from:
- A progressive learning journey: Each session builds on the last, taking you from the fundamentals of sportsbook trading and odds compiling all the way through to creating your own pricing models.
- Interactively learning: Work through practical trading exercises, build your own sportsbook models in Excel and Python, and apply the techniques used by professional trading teams.
- Direct access to a leading sportsbook expert: Learn alongside Jonathan Smith, drawing on more than 35 years of sportsbook trading experience, with opportunities to ask questions, receive feedback and discuss real trading challenges throughout the sessions.
- Skills you apply instantly: Leave with techniques for compiling odds, evaluating market prices and understanding sportsbook modelling that can be applied directly to your sportsbook.
The Skills Up For Grabs
Every pricing decision matters.
A successful sportsbook relies on accurate pricing, effective liability management and the ability to react quickly to changing markets. But get those decisions wrong? Well, the consequences can be devastating, ranging from reduced margins to uncompetitive odds that drive customers elsewhere.
That’s why the real value of the Sportsbook Trading Masterclasses isn’t limited to what you’ll learn on the day, but what you’ll be able to do when you return back to work.
Whether you’re taking your first steps into sportsbook trading or looking to refine a current model, you’ll leave with the skills designed to actually make a difference every day. This includes:
- Understanding the mechanics of sportsbook trading, including how probability, pricing, data and market creation come together to shape sportsbook performance.
- Compiling more accurate odds by converting probability into commercially competitive prices.
- Managing trading exposure more effectively, identifying market liabilities before they impact performance.
- Confidently interpreting sportsbook models and data: understanding the numbers behind pricing and how models are built and refined to support competitive odds.
- Making better pricing decisions under pressure, reacting to market movements, team news and changing customer behaviour.
- Work more effectively alongside automation, knowing when technology adds value and when human judgement should take the lead, saving your time, money and peace of mind.
Who Should Invest in the Sportsbook Trading Masterclasses?
Whether you’re compiling odds, managing trading operations or building the technology that powers modern sportsbooks, the Sportsbook Trading Masterclasses have been designed for professionals across the sportsbook ecosystem.
As a premium addition to SBC Summit’s conference, it does mean an additional investment, but you’re not just investing in better pricing models, you’re investing in your company, your customers and, most importantly, yourself.
Who will benefit from attending:
- Aspiring & Junior Sportsbook Traders: Build a strong foundation in odds compiling, sportsbook modelling and pricing strategy, setting you up for future success.
- Sportsbook Traders & Trading Managers: Refine your approach to market pricing, liability management and trading operations while exploring how modern modelling techniques support faster, more informed decisions.
- Product, Data & Analytics Teams: Gain a deeper understanding of how trading models influence pricing, customer experience and sportsbook performance, enabling stronger product and commercial decisions.
- Sportsbook Operators & Leadership Teams: Better understand the trading principles that drive profitable sportsbook performance, helping you make smarter decisions around strategy, investment and in-house capabilities.
- Platform Providers & Technology Suppliers: Develop a clearer understanding of the operational challenges trading teams face, helping you build products and services that better support modern sportsbook operations.
Meet Your Sportsbook Trading Instructor
Instructing attendees throughout the Sportsbook Trading Masterclass is Jonathan Smith, Founder of Sportsbook Training Services and one of the betting industry’s leading experts in sportsbook trading and odds compiling.
With more than 35 years of experience spanning bookmaker trading floors, wholesale pricing services and professional education, Smith has built a career helping sportsbooks price markets more effectively, manage risk and develop the next generation of trading talent.
Before founding Sportsbook Training Services, Smith held senior trading and odds compiling roles at IG Sport, Ladbrokes and Sporting Index Group, where he excelled in both fixed-odds and spread betting. Career highlights include introducing in-play betting at the 2002 World Snooker Championship, managing Sporting Solutions’ wholesale pricing service for the London 2012 Olympic Games, and delivering trading expertise across multiple global sporting events.
Today, Smith specialises in developing sportsbook professionals through bespoke training programmes and industry-recognised qualifications. His clients include Sky Bet, Kaizen Gaming, Kambi and Sporting Group, giving attendees the opportunity to learn from someone who continues to work with some of the industry’s leading sportsbook businesses.
The Sessions Taking Place
The best learning experiences are when you get to see the entire picture laid out in front of you.
It’s why the Sportsbook Trading Masterclass is structured as a progressive learning experience, where each session builds on the knowledge gained in the previous one.
This means you won’t simply attend a session on pricing markets; you’ll understand how pricing decisions influence your own odds-compiling strategy, liability management and overall sportsbook competitiveness.
Session 1: What is sports betting and how does it work?
This opening session is all about laying the groundwork for sportsbook success, delving into how markets are priced, how data influences decision-making and how sportsbooks generate profit.
Attendees will learn how to:
- Understand odds and probability.
- Predict sporting outcomes.
- Explore how odds are created and supplied.
- Learn how sportsbooks make money.
- Understand why data is essential throughout the trading process.
- Identify the betting products most attractive to customers.
Suitable for: All, but especially newcomers.
Session 2: Odds-making fundamentals
With the foundations in place, the second session moves into the practical process of compiling odds. Attendees will learn how traders assess pricing, evaluate existing markets and begin creating their own odds using real trading data.
Attendees will learn how to:
- Apply core odds-compiling techniques.
- Assess whether existing market prices accurately reflect probability.
- Create their own odds using existing data feeds and pricing information.
Suitable for: Junior traders, newcomers to sports betting, and sportsbook and product managers.
Session 3: Predicting outcomes in the NBA
The final session puts everything into practice, demonstrating how the principles covered throughout the masterclass can be applied to a real sporting market. Using NBA data, attendees will build pricing models for a range of betting markets while gaining hands-on experience in modelling tournament outcomes.
Attendees will learn how to:
- Create odds for moneyline, spread, totals and player prop markets.
- Build a robust tournament winner model using real-world data and modelling techniques.
Suitable for: Intermediate sports traders, trading managers, product managers and data analysts.
Please note: Due to the interactive nature of the Sportsbook Trading Masterclasses, attendees should bring a laptop with both Microsoft Excel and Python installed.
Unlock the Full Education+ Experience
The Sportsbook Trading Masterclass forms part of Education+, SBC Summit’s premium learning programme designed for delegates who want to move beyond traditional conference sessions through interactive, classroom-style training.
Alongside dedicated Tech Academies covering AI, Web3, Marketing and Gamification, Education+ also includes specialist Masterclasses in player experience and marketing. With each programme serving as a stand-alone Education+ experience, delegates can choose the session most relevant to their role.
Due to the specialist nature of each programme, small class sizes and direct access to industry experts, the Education+ Upgrade is available as a €249 add-on and is not included with standard SBC Summit passes.
To upgrade, simply email [email protected] with your:
- First and last name
- Company name
- Existing SBC Summit pass type
- Chosen Education+ session
We’ll then send you a secure payment link to confirm your place.
Defy the Odds at SBC Summit’s Sportsbook Trading Masterclass
A stronger pricing model. Better risk management. More informed trading decisions. Sometimes, that’s all it takes to create a measurable impact.
Whether you’re launching a new sportsbook, refining an existing trading operation or taking your first steps into odds compiling, the Sportsbook Trading Masterclass is designed to give you practical skills to make that impact the second you return to work.
Because successful sportsbooks aren’t built by chance, they’re built with knowledge, skills and the confidence to make the right decision.
