The 30-second rule
The deadline to bet on an event is 30 seconds before the official start.
For a soccer match kicking off at 9:00 PM, you can bet until 8:59:30 PM. After that, the screen shows "Betting closed" and you can no longer commit KTK.
This rule applies uniformly to all events, regardless of sport, theme, or stake tier.
Why this limit exists
Three reasons:
1. Anti-cheating. If you could bet after the match started, you could watch the first few seconds (first corner, first yellow card, first score change) and use that information. That's information asymmetry compared to those who bet beforehand.
2. Fairness. All bettors must make their decision on the same information basis. At kickoff, nobody knows anything - that's fair.
3. Technical consistency. Our system needs to "close" betting at a precise moment T to handle matching, escrow, and resolution. 30 seconds before kickoff is a practical threshold for that.
The case of live betting (in-play bets)
Ktkarena does not offer live betting (bets during an event in progress).
That's a deliberate design decision. Live betting is highly addictive and hard to match dynamically. We prefer a model where you make your decision before the event and experience the match like a normal spectator once your bet is placed.
Other platforms offer live betting (Bet365, 1xBet). We chose a different approach, healthier for bettors.
What to do if you missed the deadline
If you forgot to bet before the deadline, you missed that match. But dozens of other events are available to bet on at any time.
Tip. If you follow an event regularly (for example your favorite team's matches), turn on event reminders in the app. You get a notification 1 hour before the deadline, which leaves you plenty of time to bet.
You can also set up a betting calendar in My settings → Notifications, which lists upcoming events in your favorite themes.
For reference, an event's lifecycle is: DRAFT → OPEN → POOL_PHASE → CLOSED → RESOLVED. Once in POOL_PHASE or beyond, no new bets can be placed.