Arbitrage betting involves backing and laying against the same outcome of a sports event, thereby guaranteeing a profit either way.
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What is Arbitrage Betting?
Arbitrage betting, also known as arbing, arb exchanges, or matched betting, involves taking the price differentials between two or more bookmarkers to guarantee a profit regardless of the outcome. Simply, you bet on all outcomes in a match.
Sports arbing used to be done by secretly placing bets at multiple bookies. However, in the age of technology, you can essentially bet on all outcomes of an event openly. So, regardless of the outcome, you’d still make a profit.
Let me give you an example:
Suppose you’re betting on a Chelsea F.C. vs Manchester United F.C. game. Chelsea has a 1.9 odds on Chelsea, and 2.9 on Manchester winning. While Sportsbook B is offering a wider margin, with 1.6 on Chelsea and 3.9 on Manchester.
For the sake of this example, you place a £200 bet on Manchester on Sportsbook B. Then, you go back to Sportsbook A, calculate your stake by multiplying 200 by the result of 1.6/3.9, or your shorter odds divided by your longer odds. It’s here that you can use a certain arbitrage betting software or an arbitrage betting calculator to help compute the amount you need to bet if you don’t want to do the legwork and computing on your own.INow comes the fun part – winning guaranteed real money! Once you’ve placed your bets, you have the chance to have a secured profit of £ 98 or £37.80, depending on who wins.
Arbitrage and Betting Exchanges
Finding arbitrage opportunities is not easy since the odds on offer do not vary that much from one bookie to the next. Bookies tend to give the same odds as the competition in order to ensure a profit for themselves. Regular sportsbooks also don’t want arbitrage bettors to use their site, as these are profitable players.
All of this means that if you want to try arbitrage betting, it’s best to stick to betting exchanges rather than traditional sportsbooks.
A betting exchange serves both as a bookmaker and odds comparison service. The exchange does not set the odds, it only allows bettors to trade on the platform. And instead of relying on competitive odds, to make a profit, exchanges charge a 2 to 5% fixed commission to earn income.
Most of the popular exchanges, like Betfair and Smarkets, welcome arbitrage bettors, allowing them to either hedge their backed bets and lay a bet on the same outcome or lay a bet and then back a selection. Either way, profit is guaranteed, and there is no risk of getting banned or suspended from the site.
Arbitrage Betting Tips
The first step is to look for the right opportunities, which is usually easier said than done because bookies are making it increasingly difficult to do so. Look for bookmakers who differ enough on a game’s odds to make a profit, and bet on it as soon as possible. While you can do this manually, investing in betting software to track profitable arbing opportunities will save you a lot of time and effort.
The most common arbitrage bet is to take both positions in the market across a bookmaker and place separate bets on each. When calculating the arbitrage between two bookmakers, you can do it manually, but most people prefer to use an arbitrage calculator.
Conclusion
And there you have it! Arbing is very much alive and profitable, especially now that online betting is more popular and prevalent than ever.
Searching for information is an excellent way to get started in the world of arbitrage betting. It is best to understand how it works in order to maximise profits.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Is arb betting legal?
Yes, it certainly is legal. There are no laws in any country that ban arbing.
What is the best arb betting software?
There are a lot of betting calculators and softwares out there, and the important thing is to find one that is easiest for you to work with. Some great examples of arbitrage betting software include BetBurger, RebelBetting and ArbMate.
Is arbitrage betting worth it?
Yes! Arbing not only allows you to use skills that are beyond what you would need to make a regular bet, but it also allows you to make secure risk-free profits. Once you’ve mastered the art of arbitrage betting, you could make a lot of money.
Are there any risks to arbing?
Arbitrage bets are essentially ‘sure bets,’ your winnings would ideally be exponential. But that’s a loss to the bookmaker’s profits. And since it’s bad for business, bookies can have your accounts restricted, limiting your maximum stakes. Or they could either ban you on the website or from betting on sports entirely.