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Aron Wright - May 29, 2024
Newcomers in Matched Betting often experience excitement and apprehension when they start their journey. The feeling is normal; and even after many years in the industry, experts sometimes get it wrong. But once you get a hang of it, you will execute different orders like a pro in no time.
To achieve this target, you need a few tips and tricks to get a head start in the right direction. In this text, we’ll briefly explain what it is, how to do matched betting and reveal strategies that can make you profit from a betting exchange. There is no rush; we recommend taking time to understand each part. Once understood, you can apply the process to any similar offer and make a profit no matter the outcome.
This section answers some of the common questions about Matched Betting, especially for those entirely new to the concept. We want to emphasize clearly that Matched Betting is about taking calculated risks.
Matched Betting works by using lay bets to cancel out any risk of a back bet. Back bets are the wagers available at an online bookmaker with free bet bonuses. Consider a hypothetical example: BetOnline gives you a free $10 bet when you place a $10 bet on any event.
Imagine this event as the 2024 Super Bowl LVIII final, where the only possible outcomes include a win for the San Francisco 49ers (NFC) or Kansas City Chiefs (AFC). The system involves laying and backing your wagers. Backing a wager involves betting on a win for the San Francisco 49ers, while laying the bet will be betting on a win for the Kansas City Chiefs.
A punter can use a $10 free bet to wager on a win for the San Francisco 49ers at -125 and back it with a $10 real-money bet on the Kansas City Chiefs. In the first outcome, the punter gets $18 as a reward, and in the second outcome, he earns $20.
In the first outcome, the punter gets $18 as a reward; in the second, he earns $20.
But is it really that simple? Well not so true, because the comparison gets tighter when you see traditional betting from a different light. That is not so true because the comparison gets tighter when you see traditional betting from a different perspective. Matched betting is safer than traditional betting because the punter hedges their wagers, so you can’t lose.
The profit you get comes from the promotions offered by the online bookmaker. On the other hand, a traditional bettor can slightly even the odds of a matched bettor if they use solid bankroll management and bet with a positive expected value. The table below shows the differences in principles between these two betting forms.
| Features | Matched Betting | Traditional Betting |
| Platforms | Betting exchanges and bookmakers | Bookmakers |
| Bet Types | Back and Lay Bets | Back Bets |
| Losing Amount | Commissions | Staked amount |
| Risk Amount | Free bets and promotions | Total stake |
Free bets and promotions are vital for matched betting because the essence of the activity hinges on exploiting offers from bookmakers. Over the years, the competition for the available offer at an online bookmaker has increased, especially with more people becoming aware of the lucrative venture.
The increase in completion leads to a decrease in the bonuses and promotions the bookmaker provides customers. These incentives determine the profitability of any event because higher bonuses will lead to faster and bigger rewards and earnings.
The best way to thrive in the present matched betting landscape is through early participation and strategic planning. To save time, here are some of the top bookmakers that offer lucrative bonuses you can take advantage of in matched betting:
Now that you’ve learned about matched betting, it’s time to get started, but you need to know the various resources for backing and laying wagers.
Betting exchanges act exactly like a bookmaker, but there are slight variations. Instead of wagering against the bookmaker in betting exchanges, you bet against other people. These exchanges allow users to propose the bet they want to wager on.
Your bet is accepted when you get another user willing to place an opposite bet. It often leads to competition. Betting in this manner allows you to wager on all the event outcomes only the two bets.
By now, you must be wondering what these betting exchanges get in return for their services. The betting exchanges get a commission in exchange for their services. The commissions are usually small and can range from 0-5% of the winnings of any event.
Before you start matched betting, you must open two accounts. The first account is at an online betting exchange, while the second is at a bookmaker offering lucrative bonuses. Remember to open with a bookmaker that offers suitable bonus terms. You can select from any of the options we’ve listed above.
The matched betting process might seem like a long shot, but once understood, you can go from selecting offers to placing free bets quickly. Once you start the process, it is important to track the progress of your bets at the bookmaker and betting exchange.
This activity involves important information like your PnL and ROI. It may also entail calculating the expected value of your wagers. Most matched bettors use the services of a bet tracker, which keeps them organized and focused.
Matched betting is a tricky process that requires resources, tools, and advice. To succeed, you need to ensure that you get these resources from credible sources.
With the help of BetZillion website, punters and newbies discover the best betting features, due to various rankings, detailed bookie reviews, competent recommendations, and current news. Bet experts use our platform for in-depth analysis, up-to-date sports news, and expertly crafted betting tips. Our site’s core function is producing informative and objective content for visitors.
Our experts at BetZillion propose some of the best-matched betting tips, which we’ve highlighted in this section. These tips include:
A mistake we see among matched bettors is using matched betting as a form of get-rich-quick scheme. Sticking to your goal and strategy is vital to succeeding in the game. Another common mistake in matched betting is to rush into matched betting because we all know that discovering matched betting can be stimulating.
Sometimes, you need to step back, though, and walk before you run. No need to rush; take things slowly because these signup offers will still be there till tomorrow.
Matched betting requires strategies to succeed, drawing from years of experience with our experts, some of the advanced strategies include:
Inplay betting has to do with placing your wagers while the event takes place. Most in-play bettors look for enhanced value in the market to try to optimize the ideal time to place bets. The strategy is fast-paced and risky, but it often leads to big wins. The strategy is suited to sports that take relatively longer time to complete. Arbitrage Betting has to do with using the differences in odds to guarantee profit. It uses the advantage of discrepancies to find opposite odds, allowing you to bet on both outcomes.
Hedge betting, on the other hand, uses movement in odds to ensure profit. Unlike arbing, this form involves with taking advantage of changes in odds, outright and in–play or other markets. It allows you to bet safely against yourself.
Succeeding at matched betting requires special tools and software. Some of these tools include:
This tool is often the most essential in matched betting. With the tool, you can set several variables like the type of bet, back stake and odds, and lay commission.
This software compares betting odds at 100+ bookies with the lay betting odds of the 4 betting exchanges. You instantly see the best opportunities available with this software.
This calendar allows you to record the best-matched betting reload offers in one tool. Most advanced calendars for matched betting are updated consistently daily.
Matched betting is about mitigating risks in sports betting, but punters still need to pay attention to their gambling to prevent losses. The aim is to always remain ahead of the curve in matched betting.
This sweet spot is as difficult as it sounds, and the effort of most operators may hamper its progress. As you already know, these operators set betting limits to prevent losses. For matched betting, these restrictions can reduce the earning potential of any offer at an online bookmaker.
Many matched betting experts scale up by striking a balance between these fronts. While managing risks is necessary, you need to ensure that you are making money from any offer.
Everyone knows that matched betting is a system that guarantees profits for matched bettors. With the rise of online ventures several operators are updating their terms and conditions to prevent bettors from taking advantage of these offers. It is a trend we’ve noticed recently. Most bookies now have some sort of database to identify punters participating in matched betting.
The online response from matched bettors is that the activity is legal, and these operators are making things harder for themselves by imposing these restrictions. On the other side of the story, matched betting involves exploiting the bonuses of an online bookmaker. Although these operators condemn matched betting, they also accept it as legal. The darker side is on people who use false identities to create accounts with the bookmakers offering these free bet bonuses.
