Arbitrage Betting Guide For UK Punters

In simple terms, sports arbitrage betting is a system that involves covering all possible outcomes of an event to guarantee a profit regardless of the outcome.

Arbitrage betting has existed since bookmakers first started offering odds, but online betting exchanges and odds comparison sites have made it much easier to do.

However, the new technology has also made it easier for bookmakers to avoid making mistakes with their prices, meaning you must be highly-skilled and disciplined to implement arbitrage betting successfully.

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What is Sports Arbitrage Betting?

Also known as ‘arbing’, the strategy requires you to bet on a result on one site before betting against (laying) that outcome on a betting exchange at a lower price.
The difference between the odds being offered allows you to make a profit, regardless of the final outcome of your chosen event.

For instance, let’s say that a bookmaker offers enhanced odds of 11/1 on Chelsea, Manchester United and Sheffield United to win on a particular weekend in the Premier League.
Over on a betting exchange, you can lay this bet off at 9.5/1 thus guaranteeing yourself a profit (based on a £1 stake) of around £2.50 less a small percentage commission.

By using a higher unit stake you can increase your returns and as these price boosts are available on each round of matches you can end up with significant profits from arbitrage betting.

Is It Safe to Use Arbitrage Betting Strategy? 

While arbitrage betting is a perfectly safe and legal practice, many online bookmakers dislike the practice as they are not keen on losing money.

Some operators have been known to close accounts or put limits in place to prevent people from successfully implementing the system.
However, there are some arbitrage betting sites that are happy for people to arb as they have total confidence in their oddsmakers.

If you are planning on using an arbitrage betting strategy, it is advisable to keep your stakes low, focus on niche sports and spread your activities across many different betting sites.

Can I Win and Earn Money Using Arbitrage Betting?

Yes, if you are looking to guarantee yourself a profit then sports betting arbitrage is the answer to your prayers.

By identifying discrepancies between the odds offered on one site and laying off that bet on another, you put yourself in a winning position whatever the outcome.

While it takes time and self-discipline to be successful, the practice can return healthy profits to the point where arbitrage betting for dummies would even be possible.
Although the margins can be quite low, it is perfectly feasible to win and earn money using arbitrage betting on an ongoing basis.

How to Find Arbitrage Bets?

Speed tends to be of the essence when it comes to finding opportunities for arbitrage bets, with bookmakers generally reacting very quickly to market fluctuations.

Odds comparison websites are an invaluable tool for this system, giving you the opportunity to compare prices against your chosen betting exchange in an efficient manner.

For instance, you may see that a horse in a particular race is priced at 4/1 with a bookmaker and just 4.00 (3/1) on an exchange – this is a great spot!
By backing the horse with the bookie and laying off the bet on the exchange, you would guarantee yourself a profit regardless of the outcome.

It is the ultimate ‘win-win’ situation and one which makes sports betting such as football a far more enjoyable pastime.
Subscribing to arbitrage betting software is also well worth considering, as this takes much of the leg-work out of the process.

Although there are costs involved with this, you are likely to uncover far more opportunities for arbing and thus increase the profits you make.
Dependent on your stake levels, it is certainly feasible to make serious amounts of money from arbitrage betting if you are prepared to implement the strategy properly.