Matched Betting Basics - Sports Offers
This post will explore the fundamentals of matched betting sports offers, the first step for matched betting getting started.
We won’t go into too much detail on the types of offers, but rather the process for how we exploit the offers. With matched betting sports offers, we start with back and lay bets.
Matched Betting Getting started - Backing and Laying
A Back bet is essentially the same as s standard bet at a bookmaker. For example, online at Ladbrokes you bet £10 on Man United beating Liverpool.
A lay bet is an opposing bet that we carry out for matched betting sports (to ‘match’ our bets!). Normally to do this, we use a betting exchange such as Betfair or Smarkets. It is possible to place the opposing bet at a bookmaker too in some useful scenarios, a practice known as dutching.
In matched betting these ‘matched’ or ‘opposite’ bets offset the majority of the risk and result in only a marginal loss of money (which is entirely offset with profit later!).
When we back and lay an event the actual result becomes irrelevant, this is why we confidently assert the truth in that no gambling is taking place (and that you also need no sporting knowledge to complete the offers!).
Matched Betting Getting Started - Qualifying Bets
As mentioned, the first bets we make are to qualify for an offer such as our free offer step-by-step guide with Coral (bet £5, get £20 in free bets).
When you bet your £5 in your trigger bet and dependent upon how the fixture or race goes, you will either make money at the bookmaker (and lose at the exchange) or make money at the betting exchange (and lose at the bookmaker).
By using a matched betting calculator (normal mode) we ensure minimal qualifying loss. Expect a ‘loss’ of a few pennies, but as a result, you have gained free bets (a normal punter would do this and accept the full £5 loss which is often the case).
Matched Betting Getting Started - Free Bets
When we receive the free bets from the bookmakers, we apply the same basic matched betting techniques (find more specific steps in the free first offer here).
Always follow the matched betting technique, don’t gamble and risk getting nothing from the offer!
With matched betting, we guarantee profit from every offer like this (the multiple offers combined is why we can make £500/£1000 in even our first month).
With our free bets, we follow the same process as we did for the qualifying bet and use the calculator (free bet mode) to adjust our lay stake at the exchange) and for any free bets we receive from a bookmaker, we can expect to retain at least 70-80% of the value.
Different matched betting offers have other ways to trigger your free bets, but we match the bets the same way (and adjust our lay stakes accordingly). This is also the case for continuing profit after welcome offers, with reload offers.
