Matched Betting – Comprehensive Beginners Guide
One of the most popular betting strategies in the past several years is, without any doubt, Matched Betting.
There is no person in the world, who started to bet on sports, that didn’t think that there is some bulletproof and magical betting scheme that will get them rich in a short time.
The truth is entirely different; there is a lot of articles and websites that claim to have a magic wand, and that will try to sell you the best betting strategy ever. But in reality, most of these “get rich quick” schemes are just plain lying.
Nowadays, the internet sky is full of dishonest people that will do anything for a click, and those step-by-step guides and articles can do more damage than good. One thing is sure, there is no easy money, especially in the sports betting industry.
Many people like to say that it is a legitimate and safe way to make a huge profit in just a few months. Is this betting strategy profitable? Is it legit? Or is it a scam? Continue to read our honest and comprehensive matched betting guide and see for yourself.
Definition of Matched Betting
It is a betting strategy that allows sports bettors to take advantage of bonuses and free bets that sportsbooks give to their customers. A person doesn’t need to know anything about sports, players, teams, or betting markets to take advantage of it.
All the players need to know is basic maths, have a stable internet connection, betting bank, and to understand the process of matched betting.
It isn’t illegal, it is not gambling; it´s not sports betting in the traditional sense either – it is a unique betting discipline that can make a safe and steady profit to the matched bettor. A bettor that practice matched betting use hedging strategy by placing two separate bets on the same game.
How does Matched Betting Work?
It is a pretty straightforward betting technique, and bettor just need to follow simple rules. In short, it allows you to act like the bettor and the bookmaker in one bet. That way, you eliminate the risk of losing the money betting on sports.
There are two kinds of bet that you need to place every time:
BACK BET
Is the most basic type of bet. As the names suggest, the bettor backs something to happen. In matched betting, bettors place the back bet are regular sportsbooks.
Example: In the basketball game between Dallas Mavericks and LA Lakers, you are backing Dallas to win. To win the bet, you will need Dallas Mavericks to win the game.
LAY BET
With this type of bet, you are acting as a bookmaker, and you are betting against a certain outcome. Lay bets can only be placed at betting exchanges, like Betfair, BetDaq, etc.
Example: In the basketball game between Dallas Mavericks and LA Lakers, you are laying Dallas. To win the bet, you will need LA Lakers to win the game.
Except for types of bet, you will need to know how much to bet on both ways, as usually, you will need to calculate your stake to make the safe bet. Nowadays, there are a lot of online free calculators that allow you to calculate your stakes and see your bet liability.
Once when you understand the basics of matched betting, it is time to start making money.
There are several steps that you need to cover before you make the profit from matched betting.
- STEP 1: A certain bookmaker offers to a customer’s bonus that needs to meet certain terms and conditions. This is the first step, and the first bet known as “qualifying bet.”
- STEP 2: With qualifying bet, you need to balance the stake and the odds to make a small profit or a minimal loss in the first qualifying bet.
- STEP 3: Once when you met the bonus requirements and received the free bet, you need to repeat the process, but this time you bet with sportsbooks money and you have the chance to make a real profit. Usually, you should be able to take 70-80% of the bonus amount.
Matched Betting vs. Arbitrage Betting
Matched betting is similar to the Arbitrage betting discipline, (inside link towards Arbing Article) with one major difference. Arbitrage betting is more complicated, as bettor needs to look for the odds differences between the sportsbooks. In contrast, in matched betting, players use free bets and other promotions to make a guaranteed profit from sports betting.
Conclusion – Great on paper, but…
As you may see, it isn’t so complicated to practice matched betting, but still, matched betting isn’t completely risk-free. First and foremost, there is always the risk of human error, as sometimes your bet can’t be taken by other players, or you miscalculate the stake you need to place. As the matched betting has low volatility, one bad decision can do significant damage to your betting bank.
Of course, there are some useful tools that you can find on the internet (some for free), that will help you with matched betting. Those tools calculate stake and liability, and help bettor decide the best possible staking strategy. Also, many paid services offer to the bettors information about bonuses and promotions at sportsbooks and that way help bettors maximize their profits.
In the end, if you feel that you have stellar nerves and army discipline, then matched betting is the perfect betting strategy for you.
FAQ
YES! There is no jurisdiction in the world (including the United States of America) where the matched betting is considered an illegal form of betting or a scam – maybe it seems too good to be true, but it is legit. Still, sportsbooks are not big fans of matched betting, and your account can be limited, suspended or frozen for life.
There is no limit when we talk about bankroll. You should always bet reasonably, and never wager more than you can afford to lose.
You can look manually, but also you can sign up for one of the paid services that will do the work for you.