Searching for guides about arbitrage betting is the first step in learning this smart betting strategy.
You can find tons of information on blogs, forums, and Youtube videos.
This article won’t be the shortest one you will read today:
But I strongly believe that here you will find the answers to the majority of your questions about arbitrage betting.
Starting with such as:
- What is arbitrage betting?
- Is arbitrage betting still possible?
- Where can you find sure bets?
- How much can you make?
- Arb example
- Advantages and downsides of arbitrage betting
What is arbitrage betting?
Arbitrage betting is the technique of finding odds discrepancies between bookmakers that can offer a guaranteed profit if the bettor places bets on both outcomes with the right-sized stakes.
Arbitrage betting opportunities in sports betting are very similar to the ones in stock trading.
In the industry of sports betting, we are buying different outcomes on sports events.
The price in this case is the real probability of the outcome in odds format.
For example:
Often, bookmakers are making mistakes and offer lines, odds, or prices that are higher than the average odds compared to other bookmakers.
Smart/sure bettors take advantage of these wrong odds by placing bets on these overpriced markets.
After that, you need to cover the other outcome at another bookie or exchange.
This act is also called sure betting…
Below you can see a video of how to start arbitrage betting with the 3 simplest methods available at the moment.
In order to secure a profit while arbitrage betting:
-> Regardless of the outcome you not only need to find odds these odds discrepancies
-> But also use the right stakes with the help of a sports arbitrage bet calculator.
Arbitrage betting is possible because of the simple fact that bookmakers often have different odds for the same event.
These can create opportunities for arbitrage.
Arbitrage betting might seem a complex and time-consuming process.
Many bettors don’t believe in such free money opportunities but it is the most secure way to make a consistent profit if done correctly.
Arbitrage betting is the betting technique that involves placing bets on all possible outcomes of a market on sports at different bookmakers.
Things to know about arbitrage betting
Salary: How much can you make arbitrage betting?
The average profit you can make on arbitrage betting opportunities ranges between 0.5% to 8% of your total stakes placed by covering each outcome.
The monthly profit you can make with arbitrage betting is highly dependent on the bookmakers available in your country/state.
In my dedicated article on how much can you make arbitrage betting:
You can find a simulation based on the number of bets placed and average arb profit %.
As a general rule, arbitrage bettors with a small betting volume can make around $500-$800 a month easily, while full-time arbitrage bettors can earn over $3000 a month.
How to catch: How to catch arbitrage bets?
The simplest explanation of how to find arbitrage bets is as follows: you need to find significant odds differences between betting sites.
You can achieve this either by using scanner services or catching arbitrage bets manually.
I have a detailed article on how to find arbitrage bets.
Here you can learn about the advantages and downsides of the three main methods to spot sure bets.
How does arbitrage betting work?
Successful arbitrage betting works as follows:
- You spot a sure betting opportunity with one of the methods mentioned above
- Then calculate the right stakes for each possible outcome on the market.
- You place the bets on each outcome
- And when the event is finished, one of the wagers will be lost, while another one is the winner.
The total amount you win (stake + profits) will be higher than the losses at the other outcome.
Below you can find a more in-depth explanation of how arbitrage betting works.
Risks: what are the risks of sports arbitrage betting?
Unfortunately, even sure betting is not totally risk-free. Below are the main risks of arbitrage betting:
- Making mistakes while calculating the stakes
- Odds can drop before you cover every possible outcome, this way you will need to complete the arbitrage bet with a loss
- Bookies can void/cancel bets (the ones that were the winner’s leg…of course), which can generate a massive loss.
- Sure betting requires many deposits (bookies can ask for proof of income, which is not available for everyone etc.)
- Banks might not like your transactions to betting sites, and can reject you when asking for a loan/mortgage.
- You can experience issues with the internet connection while covering your initial bets (it’s not as rare as you would think). This situation might cause major losses.
- You need accounts at many betting sites and might experience issues or delays when asking for a withdrawal.
If you are willing to take more risks, a better way of making money from sports betting is value betting.
With this strategy, your accounts will last longer.
You will have to accept the risk that sometimes losing some bets is normal in the long run.
This phenomenon is called variance and it’s the biggest obstacle while you actively practice value betting.
Relying only on arbitrage betting as the main income source is very risky if you are not experienced enough.
But in the long run, it is worth learning this way of making money.
An interesting and useful article might be one of my recent ones about arbitrage betting vs value betting.
It will help bettors who are not sure which one to start with.
List of arbitrage betting types
- Pre-match arbitrage betting
- In-play sure betting
- Finding arbitrage bets manually
- Using a free/trial software
- Using a paid/premium service
- Parlay arbitrage betting
- Middles arbitrage betting
Arbitrage betting example
The bookies are not getting the same information about sports events as their competitors, or at least not all the time.
This difference is causing them to offer higher or lower odds than other bookies, like in the following example.
Simple arbitrage betting example:
- Tennis player A at the first bookie has an odds of 2
- Player B at the other bookmaker has 2.1 (which is not normal. Normally it should be around 1.80)
- You place a stake at the first bookie with 100 euros on odds of 2 and at the other bookmaker on the second player, you place a stake of 95 euros on an odd of 2.10
Regardless of who wins you will end up with a profit of approximately 4.5 euros. This kind of betting is called arbitrage betting.
Arbitrage betting example with bookmakers
This simple arbitrage betting opportunity was found then the stakes were calculated with the free sure bet finder of surebet.com.
It’s an excellent tool to start with because of its simplicity, beginner-friendliness in pricing and interface as well.
Is arbitrage betting still possible in 2023?
My short answer: arbitrage betting is still possible and it’s a very profitable income source.
Sure betting is worth trying and you still can make serious profits with it if you have access to a decent number of betting sites.
Below you can find my proof of using BetBurger (I think it is still the best arbitrage betting software in Europe since 2014).
If I’m able to still actively place sure bets, you can as well.
Bookmakers are making it harder and harder to make money from arbitrage betting.
If you are dedicated to learning, you can do sure betting even for a living.
I’ve been successfully and actively arbitrage betting (and value betting) since 2013.
Check my in-depth BetBurger review (best for bettors from the EU).
Bettors with the intention of finding arbitrage bets, or following other types of smart betting techniques for a living, have to dive deeper and learn/get experience in the betting industry.
If you want to be an arbitrage bettor for the long term, maybe even for a living as your main income source, you need to know all the pros and cons of arbitrage betting.
The more you read about smart betting the more feedback you will get about how hard it is these days.
And you will also find out how fast bookmakers are limiting bettors.
You may hear that no matter if you are placing obvious arbitrage or value bets if you are a winner, you will face the hammer of the bookmakers.
Some bookies like Pinnacle are exceptions.
They are welcoming arbitrage bettors, so you don’t have to be afraid of limitations, even if your stakes are above €2000.
Another great solution for sustainable sure betting is using Betting Brokers.
They are giving you instant access to many bookmakers on a single platform.
Arbing is welcome here!
Limiting stakes to 0 is the end of their arbitrage betting career in the long term at that bookmaker.
After hearing these negative opinions, you might ask yourself, is arbitrage betting still possible and profitable for the long run?
Or this smart betting technique is enough only for a side income?
I can assure you that from arbitrage betting it is still possible to make serious money.
You won’t find a lot of people bragging about their income from this.
Most of them don’t like to share any information.
How does arbitrage betting work?
#1. Check if sports betting is legal in your country/state or not
This is the first and the most important step of arbitrage betting to avoid problems down the road.
Using betting sites that don’t have a legal license in your country can cause issues with taxing, law, and even accessing your money.
#2. Find the best arbitrage betting software for bookies in your country
Check my country-specific table in my article about the best sure bet finders.
I have included both free and premium services with detailed descriptions of their settings, speed, user interface, and experience level they require.
Using the “best arbing software” in the market is the best solution for each of us.
For example, some might focus on bookies from the US while others scan mostly European betting sites.
#3. Pick arbitrage-friendly bookies or betting brokers
Finding your local soft/slow bookies with many wrong odds is the first and one of the most important steps.
But this technique can be practised the easiest if you can cover the other outcome of your initial bets at bookies that don’t limit and have high stake limits.
Check my article about arbitrage friendly bookmakers.
#4. Check some reviews about the bookies you want to use
Make sure your local bookies are not scamming players.
Having a license in a country does not mean they are trustworthy.
I know from experience that in many countries you can’t wait for the help of legislative organs.
Your money blocked at bookies means that the country gets more taxes and the case is closed.
This is why using only trustworthy betting sites for arbitrage is an important step even if you might miss out on some betting opportunities.
#5. Deposit money to more bookies
The more betting sites you have funds at, the fewer bets you need to place at each of them.
This tactic will help your accounts last longer.
For success in arbitrage betting, you need to have as many healthy betting accounts as long as possible.
I have a dedicated article on how to not get banned while arbitrage betting.
#6. Watch video tutorials:
While reading blogs, forums, comments, and different social media groups, you can learn many new things about sure betting.
But the most valuable information comes from video tutorials.
Check my article about how to find arbitrage bets with a video included.
Is arbitrage betting worth it?
Yes, arbitrage betting is still worth it, but the complete answer is more complex than a simple yes or no. In my experience arbitrage betting is not possible for everyone but it is the surest way to beat the bookmakers.
Your earnings from arbitrage betting can be very different from those saying that it is very profitable.
They can manage to make thousands each month.
It’s a big mistake not to practice arbitrage betting for a side income, and you would simply let free money on the table.
Arbitrage betting combined with matched betting is a perfect income source for anyone.
Generally speaking, arbitrage betting is worth your time if you learn enough.
The main influencing factor of your possibilities is the country you are from.
A lot of countries have very strict regulations about gambling and sports betting.
Those regulations can have a big impact on your possibilities.
In some countries, only a few bookmakers have a license to operate.
In a situation like this, your possibilities are very limited to making a healthy profit from arbitrage betting.
Many people are risking penalties and fines by registering at other bookmakers too.
In my experience, if you can’t make sure that your money or identity is untrackable, you should avoid arbitrage betting from your country.
I already wrote an article about the profitability of arbitrage betting, but in this one, I would like you to think a little bit about the following questions:
What are your main goals with arbitrage betting?
For a side income, you can start it right now. If you have a job and you just want to make more money in your free time, do it.
If you have more serious goals with arbitrage betting you might need to think about the following questions.
How much time do you have for learning arbitrage betting and researching it on a daily basis?
Do you have enough friends who could help you get new accounts if all of yours are limited?
Do you have access to a lot of bookmakers?
If the answer is yes to all three of these questions, arbitrage betting can be a good way of making money.
Steps to learn arbitrage betting
I have several articles about techniques and solutions to find sure bets.
But there are two main routes you can choose from:
- finding them manually
- finding sure bets with the help of an arbitrage scanner/odds comparison tool
This list is an addition to my other arbitrage betting tips article.
1. Use the right arbitrage betting tools & bookies
You can check my article about free arbitrage betting software, and start practising without risking purchasing a service that is not suitable for your needs.
Check my RebelBetting Review:
- They are one of the best tools for beginners because of their 14-day free trial
- guides
- and beginner friendly/focused pricing plan.
Don’t know which bookies are the best for covering the other outcome of your sure bets?
Check this article: arbitrage friendly bookies.
Having the right betting site to hedge your sure bets can mean a significant difference in the long run.
Covering your bets on the highest odds possible will guarantee you the most optimal/highest profits.
At the end of the month, it can generate an additional profit even above $150.
2. Always learn new arbitrage betting strategies
Everyone wants to keep their arbitrage betting strategy a secret to make it viable even in the long run.
The more unique the betting strategy you have the harder it is for bookmakers to flag your account for this kind of activity.
Most sure bettors follow arbitrage betting software because they don’t know how to find arbitrage betting opportunities manually.
Using a tool is the easiest way to take advantage of those wrong odds.
But finding overpriced outcomes manually can open new and many times more profitable ways of sure betting.
Bookmakers have a lot of algorithms and tactics to find those smart bettors.
If you are using those arbitrage scanning services for pre-match you probably will meet those limitations faster than you would think.
However, in live betting bookmakers are not so fast in adjusting odds.
They are making mistakes more often, this way creating arbitrage bet opportunities without realizing it fast enough.
3. Don’t get greedy while arbitrage betting
How can you make sure bookies won’t limit you too early?
In this article about how to not get banned for arbitrage betting, you can find a more detailed description with a lot of basic and more advanced tips.
But here, I want to focus on more unique arbitrage betting strategies.
Any betting style or market choice that is different from those simple arbitrage bettor actions will increase your chances to do arbitrage betting for a longer period.
In this betting industry, there are a lot of bettors who are placing arbitrage bets and value bets for long years.
The experience they gain in these years allows them to find new betting possibilities.
They can notice trends in sports or markets that a beginner can’t, and they are building social networks and sharing betting secrets.
This is the way I get some valuable information from time to time, which allows me to stay in business.
4. Arbitrage bettors should have many friends
The other thing that makes arbitrage betting still possible in the long term is increasing your social network.
This strategy is kind of a “grey hat” solution for getting new accounts from friends and family.
But each bettor who wants to make a decent profit from sports betting will face the sad truth that bookies don’t like winning players.
Help from friends and family is the only way to practice arbitrage betting in the long run.
Another way of arbitrage betting, in the long run, is a more advanced one.
Making money with the help of bots, scripts are getting a bigger and bigger role in the betting industry.
Arbitrage and value betting recurrent tasks can be automated with this software.
You would think that it needs a lot of knowledge about betting and coding to make software like this.
But to be honest, if you are interested in computer sciences and you have a basic knowledge of coding, you can start building a betting bot.
You won’t succeed too fast, but the internet is full of information, you just need to find what you need for your project.
For those just starting to learn arbitrage betting, I would suggest not taking it too seriously from the start.
Don’t bust all of the good bookmakers for arbing after arbitrage scanners.
The best you can do is to start small and make it your side income.
Do everything to delay limitations as much as possible.
Learn every day and everything about arbitrage betting by reading forums and trying to speak with others with more experience.
Will arbitrage betting still be possible in the future?
The competition between bookmakers is still quite high.
Almost all of them are offering good deposit bonuses or free bets, which offers a good income source for matched bettors.
This high competition is forcing them to offer better odds, faster stream, faster updating odds.
The competition is allowing us smart bettors to take advantage of these differences between bookmakers.
As long as there will be bookmakers with different odds providers and different ways of calculating odds, arbitrage betting will be possible among other smart betting techniques.
The only way to stop these differences and mistakes between bookmakers would be the unlikely case when all bookmakers would have the same provider.
Some relevant articles:
You might want to check my other useful article about arb-friendly bookies and the top betting brokers.
With their help you will always cover your initial bets at the highest odds possible.
By clicking on the following link, you can find out which are the best bookmakers for arbitrage betting.
These are the best options if you want to find arbitrage friendly bookmakers.
Before you start thinking about additional loopholes in arbitrage betting, you should read my article on arbitrage between sharp bookies and exchanges.
- Arbitrage betting software USA
- Arbitrage betting Canada
- Arbitrage betting software Australia
- Arbitrage betting software UK
- Arbitrage betting formula Excel
FAQ
The short answer is that arbitrage betting is still a very profitable income source. The majority of bookmakers want to limit arbitrage bettors. But sure betting is still possible when there is a significant odds difference between betting sites.
If you have access to at least 5 to 8 decent betting sites, arbitrage betting is worth it and can be an excellent side income source for a while. Your earnings from the arbitrage betting strategy can be very different compared to other bettors.
The competition between bookmakers is still very high. All of them are offering wrong odds a lot of times which creates many overpriced odds and makes arbitrage betting possible even in the future.
Arbitrage opportunities in sports betting are very similar to the ones in stock trading. In the industry of sports betting, we are buying different outcomes on sports events. When the price/odds are fairly different between bookies, we can take a guaranteed profit on these opportunities by placing bets on every outcome with the right stakes.
Only sharp bookmakers like Pinnacle Sports and Exchanges like Betfair allow arbitrage betting. They are capable of generating profits even when arbitrage bettors are looking for weak betting lines.
Related article: are you interested in crypto bookmakers or bitcoin bookmakers? Check my following article about the best crypto bookmakers and anonymous betting.
