Match Betting Betting Term Meaning
Match betting is a relatively new term that has only come into existence since the birth of online bookmakers. The term refers to a betting method that takes advantage of free bets and bonuses from one bookmaker by betting on the other possible outcomes with a second bookie in order to secure a profit.
The idea behind matched betting is that you can make a profit from bookmakers that offer free bets to their customers. These are normally for newcomers signing up but you can also make smaller profits on reload bonuses as an existing customer.
Several different strategies are available for punters that want to try matched betting, which is basically risk-free, and not illegal. Here we will guide you through the basics so you fully understand the concept.
- To begin with, you need to find a good bookmaker welcome offer. We have chosen Bet365’s Bet £10 Get £30 new player bonus.
- You also need to join a second bookmaker or a betting exchange. It is more straightforward if you use an exchange as you are able to directly lay against your other bet.
- Back to Bet365. After making a deposit, you need to place a bet with your own money of £10 to claim the free bets. Let’s say you back Bournemouth to beat Brighton at 2.50. This will return £25 if it wins
- Go to the betting exchange and lay this same bet. In effect, you are cancelling the bet outs.
- Once that bet is settled, win or lose, Bet365 will credit your account with £30 in free bet tokens (3 x £10). Place a bet using one of your tokens. For instance, £10 on England to beat Wales by 13+ points in the Six Nations. The odds for this are 11.00. As the stake is not returned from a free bet, you only win £100 if correct.
- Back to the exchange and lay the same bet, covering the backer’s stake up to £9 (liability will be around £90). This is just for illustration purposes. We advise using a matched betting calculator to extract the maximum amount of profit.
- If England win by 13+ points, you get £100 from Bet365 but lose £90 on the other bet, so a profit of £10.
- If the bet doesn’t win, you get nothing from Bet365 (the free bet) but you get £9 from the exchange.
- Either way, you are in profit. Continue the same process with the other two bet tokens.
Matched betting really does work. The profits might not be as much as stated in our example but if you take the time to research and use the correct calculation tools, you are guaranteed to come away with more money than you deposited. Is it worth the hassle? That is up to you to decide.
Match Betting FAQ
What is Match Betting?
Match betting refers to a betting method that takes advantage of free bets and bonuses from one bookmaker by betting on the other possible outcomes with a second bookie in order to guarantee a profit.
