The Student Room Group

Matched Betting Thread #2

Previous thread was nearing 10k limit. I've updated the original guide with some more recent information.

TL;DR: Signup for the free trial with Profit Accumulator. Follow their guides to make the first £45 then subscribe and continue with the rest. Signup offers alone should make several hundred pounds!


Hi All,

Welcome to the Matched Betting thread - the new trend for students in making some money!

This thread is intended to be a reference guide with tips and links to various way in which you can take advantage of this lucrative method of making money.

Matched betting can be done automatically or manually - this thread covers both automatic methods and manual methods. Manual methods involve users researching, calculating and carrying out the matched bet. Automatic methods are usually websites or software that automates this.

The following is a comprehensive guide from Wolvarium that covers the basics of both automatic and manual methods with some very useful reference links.


What is Matched Betting?

Matched Betting is where you take advantage of a bookmaker's special offers by covering all outcomes when you place your bets, ensuring that you make a profit regardless of outcome.

Is it risk free?

Most offers are entirely risk free. Some have a small element of risk but are mathematically favourable to give you profit.
Of course there is always human error or unforeseeable events that are out of your control but it is “risk-free” in the truest sense of the word.
There are offers you can decide to do that are “low-risk” but it is entirely your choice whether you want to do them or not.

How much can I make?

This really depends on how much time you commit to it. If you complete a lot of the sign-up offers available then you can easily make around £1000.
There are other ways of making money, revolving around the same principle, which I will explain in greater detail below. After doing the sign-up offers, you can utilise these methods and make large amounts of money.

Most people make around £300-£500 per month putting in a couple of hours each week. Those who do it alot or commit to it full time can make anywhere between £2000 - £5000 reliably every month.

This Blog has been going for years now and keeps a running total of profit, averaging about £2k every month.

Where can I learn?


Profit Accumulator
The biggest Matched Betting guide site. Has an excellent tutorial for new users and offers a free trial which you will make about £45 from. Large and active forums and good customer support.


What types of offers are there?

Well there are several types of offers.

SNR and SR: Firstly you'll come across the letters SNR and SR.
SNR means a stake not returned freebet. These mean that the actual £25 stake of the freebet is not returned with the winnings. So if you bet £25 of your own money on odds of 2.0 (evens) then you'd expect to get £50 back (£25 of your own money and £25 “profit”). With a SNR freebet you would only get £25 back. For SNR bets as the stake is not returned with the winnings, to get the best profits you need to bet on high odds e.g. around 4 or 5 and higher.

SR means the opposite. This is a stake returned freebet. This means that with the example above you would get £50 back, the £25 freebet stake would be returned with the winnings.

Minimum Odds: There are almost always minimum odds you need to bet on for your bet to count towards the sign-up offer. Say it is a bet £25 get £25 freebet offer, bookies will normally state that e.g. Bets must be placed on odds of evens (2.0) or greater. If your bet is placed on lower odds it won't count for the offer and you won't get the freebet. You can, however, place your bet on odds higher than this requirement.

The standard bet x amount and get x amount as a freebet: These offers are the simplest where you bet e.g. £25 and you get given a £25 freebet that you can bet and withdraw once the bet is settled.

Deposit x, get x straight away: Another common offer is one where you deposit e.g. £30 and get £30 credited instantly into your balance. Then your whole balance (£60) has to be wagered e.g. 5 times. This just means you have to wager £300 worth (60x5). You can normally do this any way you like, and in any number of bets, unless the terms and conditions state otherwise. The freebet is often SR with these kinds of offers.

No-lose freebets: These are generally e.g. bet £20 and if it loses you'll be given a £20 freebet. You can get guaranteed profit from these types of offers by laying less than you usually do. If you treat both bets as SNR then you can usually guarantee e.g. £15 out of the £20.
This can be quite a complicated offer to understand and it is best to ask if you don't fully understand or don't feel confident doing it.

Wager x amount and unlock x bonus to withdraw: There are offer that only give a bonus once you have wagered a set amount e.g. wagering £800 to unlock £100. The wagering can generally be done any way you like and once the bonus money is unlocked you can normally withdraw it straight away.

There are other types of offers but my aim is to produce an overview of the most common ones, not an exhaustive list.


I've done all the sign-up offers I can find. What next?

Well chances are you haven't done every sign-up offer there is so it's worth having a thorough look around.
But if you're willing to carry on making money there are other branches of “Matched betting” that are very profitable. I will mention a few.


Arbitrage Betting: This is when you find back odds considerably higher than the lay odds and you place your own money on these odds to make a profit. It is common for arbers to underlay to ensure more profit if the bet wins in the bookmaker. There is big money to be made here, and there are usually plenty of arbs to be found on horse racing for the main UK bookies, and plenty on other events (depending on the bookie) such as football, darts, tennis, golf, formula one etc...

Casino Offers: These are not strictly risk free. They generally involve depositing a set amount, completing a certain amount of wagering to achieve the bonus money. The wagering is usually done on blackjack or similarly low-risk games such as casino hold-em. The wagering can then be completed with (hopefully) minimum losses and you can walk away with profit. Unfortunately these “profitable” casino offers are becoming more and more scarce. Best place to find these offers would be thegamblingtimes.

Reload Offers and offers for existing customers: There are often offers for existing customers that may give you e.g. a £10 bonus for depositing £10 or Deposit £300 get £100 and wager x amount of times to withdraw. Big reload offers don't come along often but they all add up!


Hints and advice


Use Smarkets as much as possible. It has a lower commission percentage (2%) compared to Betfair (5%)

The most importance piece of advice I can give is to read the terms and conditions. Always know what the bookie is asking of you so that you make the most of the offer and don't mess it up.

Research the less well-known bookmakers to see if they are respectable. There are too many cases of a bookmaker going bankrupt or simply closing down, taking people's money with them.
A simple search on the moneysavingexpert forum can help you with this.

Cashback: There are websites like Topcashback and Quidco that provide cashback (money) for joining a bookmaker through them and fulfilling set criteria. It is well worth having a look and seeing if you can make some extra cash.

Human Error: Everyone is vulnerable to human error. Whether starting out or having had years of practice, we all make mistakes. It's worth checking your bets and making sure you have done everything right.

Laying error: If you find you have layed too much , don't panic. By backing the same outcome that you layed you can cancel out the excess lay amount. Don't forget, most mistakes on betfair are rectifiable due to it being an exchange and the ability to back and lay to cancel out.

Moneybookers: If you don't like giving card details to places or are thinking of getting into arbing then I'd recommend moneybookers.
This is an e-wallet, like paypal, but widely accepted by bookmakers.
Warnings: Always check the terms and conditions for offers as some do NOT allow moneybookers and you will not get the freebet if you deposit via this method.
Moneybookers charge for deposits and withdrawals to and from your bank if you do it via card. You can deposit for free via a 3-5 day bank transfer but cannot get around the small fee for withdrawals.

Depositing and withdrawing to and from bookmakers is almost always free.
These charges are well worth the convenience of faster withdrawals from bookies and the convenience of re-using your profits.
You cannot realistically arb a lot without having a moneybookers account.
If you achieve VIP status on moneybookers then you are not charged.


Referals: Places like Betfair, moneybookers and Topcashback (as well as a select number of bookmakers) have referal programmes.
If you are referred to betfair then both you and the referrer will get £25.
For Moneybookers and Topcashback the referral programme only benefits the referer.

However it doesn't require much effort and is always worth letting yourself be referred by somebody. The good turn may be returned in future and you will most likely get the opportunity to refer others.

There is also referals board on moneysavingexpert for people that are interested.


Glossary

Underlaying: Underlaying is when you lay less than you would, doing a normal offer ( to get the same amount of profit either side). The result of this is that you'll get more profit if the bet wins in the bookie and less if it wins in betfair. This is a common tactic when dealing with large wagering requirements and arbs.
Overlaying: The opposite to underlaying. Laying more than normal. This will get you more profit in betfair but less in the bookie.
Dutching: This is where, instead of laying a bet on the exchange, you use another (or several) bookmakers to back the other outcomes, thus covering all eventualities. This is useful as it avoids the commission betfair charges yet is generally more effort, but can provide greater profit.
Liquidity: This term is usually used with regards to Betfair. Betfair is an exchange and not like a bookmaker. The numbers under each odds refers to the amount you can stake on those particular odds. If your stake exceeds the liquidity then your bet may get taken if more liquidity comes on the market, or you may have to cancel and put the rest on slightly higher odds that have liquidity.
Float: This is the amount of money you have to use. Your float doesn't refer to profits or money invested. It merely refers to the total amount of money you have at your disposal that you're using for matched betting.


Thanks for reading!

I'm sure I've missed stuff out that I may add later but generally I wanted this guide to be a simple explanation of what matched betting is, and to help newcomers to get to grips with the basics.

If anyone needs any help or has any questions then feel free to PM me, or ask on the forum where there are plenty of lovely people willing to help!

Enjoy watching the money roll in
(edited 2 years ago)

Scroll to see replies

Reply 1
Original post by monk1324

1. I've done the sign up offer on every major site and have since been a dormant user on all of them. I believe the only ones left for me to do are with the annoying 3x+ rollover requirements. Is placing mug bets worth it or should i just hit hard as many sites as I can till I get gubbed? Apparent requirement of mug betting that PA preached is what drove me away in the first place. I have £500 to start with.


I've stopped mug betting entirely and have seen absolutely no difference in rate of gubbings.

Original post by monk1324

2. I've asked this before but is PA still considered the best? I read a review saying OM is far better, especially considering the price. Also heard about alleged ddos attacks on PA, still a problem?


Personally I recommend PA for newbies as it has the best guides and support. PM for experienced people as it has the best advanced guides and community. OM is the middle ground but thus best at nothing.

Original post by monk1324

3. I'm not necessarily looking to make this a long term thing. Not even sure this is possible to a great extent as I read a few posts here of people saying they only make £300-500 a month. Is it still possible for me to make a couple k in 2017 and considering I've done most sign up offers?


I made £20k last year. And have made £1100 so far this month. The £300-£500 figure is per set of accounts, if you put in more time and help friends/family (while taking a % of their profits) then you can make alot more.
Reply 2
As an introduction to matched betting Save the Student's guide is still the most concise with the free oddsmatcher and list of bets etc.

http://www.savethestudent.org/make-money/what-is-matched-betting.html
Thanks a lot Reue
Can anyone point me to a resource that will help me figure out how to profit from the following bingo offer, if it's even possible?


Register with Gala Bingo now and get a £40 Bingo Bonus when you spend £10…

Allowing you to play £50 on our new & exclusive The Chase Bingo!

Register, deposit & spend £10 on Bingo tickets

Play with £50!


The Chase Bingo is exclusive to Gala Bingo and allows you to win big if you get to the Final Chase

We know you love the thrill of The Chase…

Terms and Condition (important part)
To withdraw their bonus winnings, players must play through the amount of their bonus four times only on bingo tickets. For example, with a £40 bonus you will need to spend £160 in bonus funds before any pending winnings are available as a withdrawable balance. Should your bonus funds run out before you finish wagering the bonus will be finished and you'll continue to play with your own cash.

Cheers
Reply 5
Original post by monk1324
Can anyone point me to a resource that will help me figure out how to profit from the following bingo offer, if it's even possible?


Register with Gala Bingo now and get a £40 Bingo Bonus when you spend £10…

Allowing you to play £50 on our new & exclusive The Chase Bingo!

Register, deposit & spend £10 on Bingo tickets

Play with £50!


The Chase Bingo is exclusive to Gala Bingo and allows you to win big if you get to the Final Chase

We know you love the thrill of The Chase…

Terms and Condition (important part)
To withdraw their bonus winnings, players must play through the amount of their bonus four times only on bingo tickets. For example, with a £40 bonus you will need to spend £160 in bonus funds before any pending winnings are available as a withdrawable balance. Should your bonus funds run out before you finish wagering the bonus will be finished and you'll continue to play with your own cash.

Cheers


Bingo RTP is about 40% I read, so from £50 you would expect to get back £20
Reply 6
I need to get back into this. Done it a few times a few years back but then kinda just stopped doing it....

is it really possible to make 2k per month consistently?
I always thought the point would come where you run out of bookies to sign up to...........


hi didnt know there is a new thread until i decided to post this.
Reply 8
Original post by ANM775

is it really possible to make 2k per month consistently?
I always thought the point would come where you run out of bookies to sign up to...........



By helping friends & family, yes.
hello people , anyone using and realise MC's arbitrage software is down? i click on the link and its blank..
Reply 10
Original post by HucktheForde
hello people , anyone using and realise MC's arbitrage software is down? i click on the link and its blank..


Godaddy hosting DNS issues all day, been affecting loads of UK websites
Original post by Reue
Godaddy hosting DNS issues all day, been affecting loads of UK websites


has it been fixed yet? i still cant get on lol.
Reply 13
Original post by HucktheForde
has it been fixed yet? i still cant get on lol.


Yup
Original post by Reue
Yup

apparently MC deleted my sub for the arb software without telling me. i relog and the arbitrage tab is no longer there.

I have no idea why!! i didnt break any rules.
Reply 15
Reue
Salary, gambling, side businesses. For instance I made over 25k from matched betting last year which is all tax free.


Didn't wanna take the other thread off topic. I've exhausted most of the common betting sites and probably only made about 2-3k in matched betting. How have you made 25k from matched betting? Cheers :smile:
Reply 16
Original post by UWS
Didn't wanna take the other thread off topic. I've exhausted most of the common betting sites and probably only made about 2-3k in matched betting. How have you made 25k from matched betting? Cheers :smile:


Reload offers
Reply 17
Original post by Reue
Reload offers


But all of them (the ones I used) are for new customers only. What other offers would there be? What do you mean by reload?
superboom yesterday, 2 CL with 4 goals and above.
Reply 19
Original post by Reue
I've stopped mug betting entirely and have seen absolutely no difference in rate of gubbings.



Personally I recommend PA for newbies as it has the best guides and support. PM for experienced people as it has the best advanced guides and community. OM is the middle ground but thus best at nothing.



I made £20k last year. And have made £1100 so far this month. The £300-£500 figure is per set of accounts, if you put in more time and help friends/family (while taking a % of their profits) then you can make alot more.


How many hours per week would you say you out into matched betting to get these returns? Also are the profits generally fairly steady from day to day or does it go up and down quite a bit within the week?

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