What is Matched Betting & why has it become so popular?
Everyone knows that gambling is a risk, and everyone knows that the house almost always wins. People have been looking for some “secret” to overcoming the odds ever since the practice of gambling first began. Well, as many gamblers have figured out, there is no secret method of beating the house. However, there is a way that you can make reasonable amounts of money over a period of time. The secret is known as matched betting, and it has been used by people in the past two years to earn some profits on gambling consistently – something that has never been seen before.
The Legality of Matched Betting
You may be wondering if this method of betting is actually legal. The truth is, this is a perfectly legal and reasonable way to make money. In fact, even the betting industry itself said publicly that they have no objections to the use of free bets in order to make money. You have probably heard of card counting. While card counting is not technically illegal, it is against casino policy, and so someone that is found to be counting cards is going to get thrown out of the casino. Matched betting as a method of gambling, is similar to card counting in that it gives you an advantage over the house and allows you to make money, but the difference with matched betting is that the house isn’t going to throw you out of the casino when you use it.
Why isn’t everyone using it?
So, if matched betting is totally legal and even allowed by the betting industry, then why isn’t everyone using? The reason is fairly simple. Matched betting is complex and you have to follow it carefully if you want to make money. With this in mind, let’s go over exactly how to use matched betting in this guide so that you have everything you need to start making money using this method.
What exactly is Matched Betting?
What exactly is matched betting? Matched betting is a technique that allows you to guarantee yourself a profit by using the free bet promotions that are offered by bookmakers. All the bookmakers currently in the market offer free bets, and even more so during big sporting events. They do this to get new customers to come and place bets in the hope that they will become interested in betting with them and continue doing so even after the free bets are over. It’s likely you will have seen free bet advertised at the bookies and social media. The adverts are usually along the lines of ‘bet £25 and we’ll give you £25 in betting for free!’
Understanding betting
There are a few things that you should know before you attempt matched betting. For example, the terminology can be a bit confusing. A “back bet”, or “backing” is when you bet for a specific outcome; for example, betting on a sports team to win. If they win, then you get your winnings. If they lose or tie, then you lose your bet. There is also what is referred to as a “lay bet”. That’s when you bet against a specific outcome; for example, when you bet against a sports team winning. The way that matched betting works is by placing a bet against both outcomes. For instance, you can place a back bet on your team to win, as well as a lay bet on your team to lose. You do this by betting at the same odds that you got for the original bet. You do this at a betting exchange. So, when you place your bet, and your team wins, then you lose the money that you placed on the opposite outcome. However, you win the money that you placed on the original outcome. Let’s look at an example to see how this works.
You are betting on Sports Team A to win the game against Sports Team B. The odds are 2:1 which means that you will double your money. So, if the team wins, and you bet £25 on a 2:1 odds, then you win £50 when the team wins. When the team loses, then you lose your £25 and are left with nothing.
But with matched betting, if you were to bet on the team to win and lose at the same odds, then no matter which outcome happens, you will win £50. But you also lose your original bet on both bets which is also £50. That means that if people placed bets like this all the time, they would simply break even every time (if the odds were the same on both outcomes).
However, with matched betting, you’re benefiting by receiving your free bet. For example, a bookmaker is offering a £20 free bet if you place a £20 bet. You would place a £20 bet for Team A to win at the bookmaker (back bet)– then place a bet for £20 for Team A to lose at the exchange (lay bet). Whatever outcome, you’re guaranteed a win. The added bonus is that by doing this you will also receive a £20 free bet to use at the bookmaker. You’ve just made yourself £20. If you’re still struggling to grasp the concept of matched betting check out the video below:
Matched Betting providers
The process is fairly complicated once you get deeper into it, but now you have the basic understanding. There are companies that provide matched betting services and reduce the learning curve dramatically. These companies will locate the best bookmaker offers, which saves you a great deal of time. The services do charge monthly subscription fees; however, these fees are far outweighed by the amount of money you can earn from matched betting.
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