Matched betting FAQ

What is a lay bet?

A lay bet can be placed on a betting exchange to bet against an outcome as opposed to a back bet placed at a traditional bookmaker. If the bet is successful (i.e. the outcome was not a winner) the gambler keeps the lay-stake. If the bet is not successful (i.e. the outcome was a winner) the gambler pays out the liability of the lay-bet. When placing a lay bet you can think of it as being a bookmaker taking a bet from a punter. When a bet is layed at an exchange, your lay bet is taken by another user wanting to back the outcome. You keep their back stake (your lay stake) if the outcome does not happen otherwise pay out their winnings (your liability). This is all controlled by the exchange (who take a % of the winnings) so their is no direct contact between the backer and the layer.

Is my money at risk?

There is no risk to your money when you use the matched betting system as all outcomes are covered. You place a back bet with the bookmaker and a lay bet with the exchange, e.g:

BACK: £10 at odds of 2.00 at the bookmaker. (Win £10 profit, otherwise lose your £10 stake).
LAY: £10 at odds of 2.00 at the exchange. (Win £10 profit otherwise pay out £10 liability).

As you can see, the profit in one site covers the losses in the other. Now if both sites gave you £10 cash for signing up and placing your first bet, you will have made £10 profit.

This is a simplied explanation but outlines the basic theory behind matched betting. The only thing that can go wrong is human error. For example backing and forgetting to lay a bet. By following our instructioins to the letter and not being in a rush you can erradicate this risk.

How much do I need to invest?

You can start with as much or as little investment as you like. The profit you make is limited by the free bet or bonus offer (e.g. £50 free bet) so you cannot make more money by staking more.

However if you have a large investment to play with, you can get through the bookmakers more quickly without having to wait for the funds to go to and from your bank account. On the other hand, you can start with as little as £10 and build up a steady profit from there.

How much money can I make?

In total, you can make approximately £700 from all the bookmakers on our list but new bookmakers and new offers spring up all the time, giving you a long term profit opportunity.

How do I know what to bet on?

To begin with, we reccommend that you place bets from our Today's Bet section, using the AutoMatch (automatic matched bet search), or by contacting us for a tailor made bet each time. The best way to learn the system is by following the clear instructions we provide, building up your knowledge until you are confident enough to find your own bets. Two key things to remember are any minimum qualifying odds imposed in the terms of the free bet offer and finding an event where the BACK odds are close to the LAY odds, minimising the acceptable loss incurred to obtain or cash our the bonus.