Matched Betting Explained Strategy Guide 2025 Update

This means you can “lay” a selection—betting that something won’t happen. Lay bets are the secret ingredient in matched betting because they let you cover all outcomes. The commissions taken by exchanges are small but should be factored into your calculations. A simple online search will help you find the resources to find the best-matched betting opportunities. This is why checking terms and conditions before using online sports betting sites is essential. Many of these platforms reserve the right to limit what you can do if they are on you and your matched betting strategy.

Do I need to know about sports or betting?

In real life, we can usually extract 80% of the free bet value. So, if your free bet is worth £10, you’ll make about £8 profit. Stop betting if you are angry, emotional or under the influence of alcohol.

Matched betting originated in the UK and has become popular among punters who want a more organised betting strategy. Over the years, the expansion of its acceptance increased as more people began to see it as a secure way to generate income without the dangers of gambling. Matched betting diminishes risk when set against traditional betting because the wagers are strategically created to keep losses to a minimum.

OddsMonkey Review

Gaining from free bets and bonuses lies at the heart of matched betting and changes bookmakers offer into avenues for guilt-free profits. Bookmakers attract new users through compelling incentives to join betting. Matched betting occurs with betting exchanges that help users counter traditional back bets by enabling a platform for this form of wagering. Offering the chance to bet redefines the landscape, allowing users to act as bookmakers and fix odds while collecting wagers from competing users.

But before placing any bets I just need to calculate how much to Lay on the exchange against the £25 back stake, to offset the risk. This is an ideal event for placing the qualifying bet at the Bookmaker, to Lay against on the Betting Exchange. Once you’ve signed up for an account at OddsMonkey, open up the Oddsmatcherto browse the upcoming sports events. Filter the list by your Bookmaker (in our example case it’d ‘Bookmaker X’, which does not really exist, of course). This means that players must take an initial risk of £25 to be granted the £25 free bet, where their stake is not returned in any winnings.

They also want to reduce fraud and other crimes by verifying players’ identities. KYC details include name and address, and you will need to verify these details when setting up most accounts. The money will be used to place your first bets, but you will make the money back and be able to withdraw it, typically within a few days. Be careful with trying to get around these issues as Bookmakers are likely to be aware of the tricks used.

Do existing users still get matched betting offers?

• The final but equally important factor is the number of accounts at each bookmaker.
• Your overall earnings can rise when you use these technologies to make the process easier and ensure you get favourable odds.
• Creating several accounts enhances your opportunities to take advantage of those promotions and increases your profits.
• Since your qualifying loss was £0.52, you’ve made at least £7.08 profit so far.
• Issues occur when one does not satisfy offer criteria or place bets driven by emotions, which can result in failures and lower profits.

Matched betting is not a complicated process and can be done without assistance. The closeness of any match is typically expressed as a percentage – if a match is 100%, the chances on the back and lay are equal. This way, you will be sure you have the best daily tips odds, and you won’t have to waste time searching for them. On the other hand, you will place an opposing bet at the other bookmaker on X2 at odds of 2.

Therefore, you do not need to declare any income you have earned through matched betting. In order to turn this into profit, you will need to place at least two matched bets. While deposits and withdrawals to multiple gambling sites is not seen in a favourable manner, there is no direct correlation between a worsening credit score and matched betting. Experian has stated that matched betting deposits and withdrawals will not appear on credit reference radars, so your credit score will not be affected. Try matched betting for free with an OddsMonkey Free Trial. Make your first matched betting profits as soon as you sign up.

Moreover, most calculators show decimal odds, and it’s best not to make things difficult for yourself by converting them back from decimal to fractional odds. As you can see in the picture above, the standard Coral bookmaker setting displays fractional odds. Simply go to the ‘Preferences’ tab, and switch to decimal odds. So now you go to the exchange and want to place a LAY bet, but it turns out that the odds have changed because the event is minutes away, and the odds have just gone crazy. Let’s assume that you’ve made your calculations, checked the markets, and have already placed a BACK bet with the bookmaker.

The second one is Odds Matcher, also known as the ‘matched betting automatcher’, which you can find online. While it may not be essential, it is highly advantageouаs. First, however, this is where access to a sports exchange will be required, as we will place a lay bet. In-play matched betting may seem similar to traditional matched betting. On the other hand, at the other bookmaker in the same promotion, you are placing a bet on X2 at odds of 2.1, and regardless of the final result, one of your bets will be a winner.

In this case, the stakes at the bookmakers will vary, so there are two separate calculators to show you how much and what amount you need to bet. For example, some offers are based on the return of the stake when placing a free bet, while others do not return the stake. The multiple-account strategy is based on taking advantage of promotions at several bookmakers simultaneously. Whether the stake is returned or not, it is worth using our calculators to correctly calculate your stake to generate a profit regardless of the outcome.