Is matched betting legal or a scam?

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Matched betting is legal, and it is not a scam. This rule is true until you can meet the rules and circumstances mentioned in this article.

Sports betting, in general, can be a very controversial topic. Even today, bettors can face a negative attitude when speaking about sports betting or even smart ways of this activity, such as matched betting.

In many countries, gambling is still under strict regulations or not even allowed. However, in countries where sports betting is allowed, matched betting as a guaranteed way of making money has played a big role.

What is matched betting?

Matched betting is one of the most common smart betting techniques to make a guaranteed profit from sports betting. This betting strategy is based on getting welcome bonuses and free bets from bookmakers.

Smart sports bettors, like matched bettors, place a series of bets converting these bonuses to withdrawable guaranteed profit. For this, most of them use oddsmatchers to optimize the invested time.

Bookmakers are offering welcome bonuses, free bets, and free spins on slots to attract as many clients or bettors as possible. One of their best marketing strategies is offering these bonuses to keep bettors spending their money.

Is matched betting legal or illegal?

Matched betting is a guaranteed way of making money, and it is legal in every country/state where sports betting is allowed. No laws restrict this type of sports betting and probably matched regulations won’t restrict betting.

In matched betting, you simply take advantage of bookmakers’ bonus possibilities smartly. You are simply covering the other outcome of your bet at another bookmaker, thus generating a guaranteed profit.

You might think this betting strategy is unethical because you are causing financial damage to a company.

My point of view about this: as long as the bookmaker’s only intention is to get your money in every possible way, without making it possible to make sports betting a win-win situation like at exchanges, I don’t think that any smart betting strategy is unethical.

In some countries, sports betting and gambling, in general, are not allowed. Betting from these countries is not a wise decision, not even with smart betting strategies like arbitrage betting, matched betting, or value betting.

These betting techniques offer a great opportunity to make high sports betting returns. But if the country you are in is not allowing sports betting, then matched betting is illegal too.

Sending money from your bank account to betting sites can be tracked easily and will have serious consequences.

What part of matched betting can be illegal?

In most countries, winnings from betting and gambling, in general, are taxed. Depending on your country, you must pay taxes between 1% to 25% after your winnings.

On the other hand, there are countries like the United Kingdom where income from betting is tax-free. If you are not lucky enough to bet in a country like this, you should not avoid paying taxes after your profits from betting. Tax fraud is a serious crime with consequences that you want to avoid.

Matched betting UK law

There is no law in the UK that would prohibit matched betting in any way. Each bettor is legally allowed in the UK and every country for matched betting while they use licensed betting sites.

The only thing not legal with matched betting is creating more than one account with the same bookmaker or using different names to try to take advantage of their bonuses multiple times. This multi-accounting activity can easily get you in trouble for fraud if bookies can detect it.

Is matched betting a scam or a pyramid scheme?

Matched betting is based on taking advantage of bonuses offered by bookmakers. If you use legitimate bookmakers with a good reputation, their bonuses will be credited to your account if you meet every requirement.

Generally speaking, matched betting is not a scam at all, it’s a method for normal bettors to make a guaranteed profit from bonuses offered by bookmakers.

However, using bookmakers with shady backgrounds and bad reputations can lead you to lose your whole balance. Many bookmakers with no clear background are offering very good welcome bonuses.

Bettors without enough experience might become greedy from these opportunities for free money and they deposit their money to these bookmakers. Bonuses at these scam bookmakers are not worth the try.

You have a 99% chance of becoming a victim. Matched betting is a strategy that doesn’t require involving another person to make a profit.

Pyramid schemes, in general, are built up so that without inviting other people into the business, you can’t make good profits. Matched betting, on the other hand, is totally independent of this kind of business model.

So why do people think that matched betting is a pyramid scheme?

Most bookmakers offer an opportunity to invite your friend to them with a bonus reward for both of you. Some bettors are taking advantage of these opportunities to increase their winnings.

This is why people who have been invited can think that making money from bonuses is only a pyramid scheme. But remember that this method of getting bonuses is only a little part of matched betting. Inviting friends is not required at all to be successful.

The best way to spot these bonus offers is through matched betting software. These can give you access to bonuses that otherwise would be almost invisible for most bettors.

Is matched betting gambling?

I think gambling excludes any betting strategy that leads to a guaranteed profit in the long run. As long as you are following a proven, profitable betting strategy like arbitrage betting, matched betting or value betting, you are not a gambler.

Gamblers are making betting decisions based on intuition and a superficial experience, which is quickly leading to losing their money in the long run. On the other hand, matched betting is based on mathematics and is generating a guaranteed profit.

Any betting strategy based on statistics, mathematics, and deep knowledge of betting and sports in general, and generating profit in the long run, cannot be categorized as gambling.

For outsiders without knowledge about sports betting, it is very easy to think that matched bettors are only simple gamblers with little luck.

But after a period of time, knowing a bettor like such, they will notice this kind of success. It can’t be just a simple gambling activity in the long run.

For an in-depth analysis of matched betting in the US or arbitrage betting in the USA you can visit these articles.

How do bookmakers react to matched betting?

Matched betting itself, without arbitrage, betting is not easy for bookmakers to spot. If you are not abusing bonuses, for example, only placing bets when you have a bonus offer, your account will live longer.

For every matched bettor, 90 normal bettors lose money in the long run. If you do not have outstanding winnings on your account, you will face limitations late enough to make good profits from sports betting.

Bookmakers, in general, are restricting and limiting smart bettors. Their goal is to make a profit on every client, so when you are flagged as a winner, you will face limitations on your maximum stake in the long run.

For more information about how to avoid limitations, you can read the following article.

Relevant smart betting strategies are sports arbitrage betting and the value betting technique.

Check my articles on how to find arbitrage betting opportunities and earn almost risk-free money from sports betting.

Relevant articles:

• Matched betting Canada
• Matched betting Australia

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