MATCHED BETTING: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW

With the word 'betting' in its title, no one would blame you for assuming matched betting was a form of gambling. But you might be surprised.

Matched bets are not a form of gambling. The matched betting process covers every potential outcome of a sporting event, cancelling out the risk associated with the bet, and ensuring the bettor doesn't gamble any of their cash.  

An online sportsbook is a digital platform that allows individuals to bet on various sporting events. Different sportsbooks are managed by different betting companies.

To attract new customers and retain existing ones, online sportsbook bookmakers offer free bet promotions and signup offers. For example: bet $10 and get a $100 free bet.

From free bets and risk free bets to depiost matches, a wide range of sportsbook promo offers can be converted into risk-free cash using the matched betting process in the US. 

Here cover five of the most common, how they work, and how you can begin converting them into guaranteed profits with matched betting. 

A free bet is a type of promotional offer offered by sportsbooks, usually to encourage new users to create an account. Free bets allow users to place bets without risking any of their own money, and can range from $5 to $5,000 in value.

In matched betting, free bets play a crucial role, as they are one of the main promo types that can be converted into guaranteed cash. 

It's easy to get mixed up with free bets and risk free bets and think they're the same thing. But they're actually quite different.

While free bets offer bet credits for signing up/depositing, risk-free bets act more as insurance. For example, a $200 risk-free bet means you can bet $200, and if the bet loses, the sportsbook gives you $200 back. But that's not all there is to it. 

Free bet conversion is simply another term for matched betting. It involves converting sportsbook promotions (such as free bets) into guaranteed, withdrawable cash using a clever process. 

While it's named free bet conversion, it's not just free bets that can be converted into cash using this process. Other promos such as risk-free bets, deposit matches and reload offers can also be converted. 

A qualifying bet is the initial wager required to unlock sportsbook free bets from online bookmakers. This can be achieved by placing two bets on opposing outcomes of a sporting event. These are known as a "back" bet and a "lay" bet.

After the event, you will receive a free bet which can be converted into withdrawable cash.

In both matched and traditional sports betting, a hedge bet is placed after your original bet (A.K.A back bet) to cover every outcome of an event. Think the phrase "hedging your bets" and you get the idea. 

In matched betting, placing a hedge bet on an event allows you to cancel out bet risk (having already bet on the other potential outcome) and still receive your free bet promo. 

A betting exchange pairs up individual bettors, enabling peer-to-peer (P2P) betting. This means, unlike a sportsbook which is based on fixed odds, a betting exchange allows more fluctuation in odds.

This makes betting exchanges an incredibly useful tool for matched bettors, allowing them to hedge bets at better odds to increase overall profits. However, not every state has a betting exchange. 

In matched betting, your bankroll refers to the amount of money you need to complete an offer. Different offers will require different bankrolls depending on their minimum deposits. 

Also known as a 'float' your bankroll is a deposit rather than a cost.  As a rule of thumb, the higher the bankroll you have, the more generous matched betting opportunities you can unlock.  

The process for depositing funds into sportsbooks can vary from company to company, however, these five methods are generally accepted: online banking, Trustly, debit card, credit card and Paypal.

Withdrawing funds, though simple, can involve a few more steps and considerations. We cover all of those and more in this piece.

Different odds types are used in betting around the world, such as American odds,  decimal odds and fractional odds. These all measure probability, but which variation you see can vary depending on your location or the sport/market you're betting on.

Here we offer a simple overview of how these different odds types work, and how you can convert them quickly and easily.

To find the best odds for matched betting, two tools are essential: the Dutch Matcher and the Dutch Calculator. 

The Dutch Matcher automatically scans all events in your area and shows the ones with the perfect balance of odds for matched betting. Once you've picked an event, the Dutch Calculator tells you how much to place on each side to guarantee a profit. 

Having helped more than 450,000 users across the US and Europe earn $1,000s per month, grown its presence to 26 states (and counting) and been covered by some of the globe's most trusted media, matched betting has cemented itself as a totally legit (and profitable) side hustle in the last two decades.

In this piece, we delve into those numbers and why it's become such a popular money-making method.

Matched betting does not impact your credit score. In the eyes of banks matched betting falls under gambling, and as quoted by credit experts Experian "Gambling activity does not show up on your credit report, nor does it directly impact your credit history."

Regardless, it can be beneficial to keep all of your matched betting activity in a separate account for profit handling and organisational purposes. 

Heard of the phrase "The house always wins"? Well, that's not the case with online casino matched betting.

While typically linked with sports betting, matched betting can also be applied to online casino offers. By using a clever process to take advantage of RTP (return-to-player) variances, users can make added risk-free profits with online casino matched betting.

Reload offers, also known as ongoing offers, are promotional offers provided by sportsbooks for existing users to encourage them to continue betting with the sportsbook.

These are unlike welcome bonuses, which are only provided when a user first signs up to the sportsbook. Still, many reload offers can be converted into guaranteed cash through matched betting. 

Dutching is a betting technique that involves betting on every outcome of a sporting event to ensure a profit no matter the result.

In matched betting, this technique is used to remove risk when placing your qualifying bet and free bet - a process which is made simple using the Dutch Matcher and Dutch Calculator.

Several different matched betting sites now exist in the US, ranging from ProfitDuel to Oddsjam to DarkHorse Odds.

While different sites can appeal to different members, ProfitDuel's easy-to-use software, library of walkthrough guides, expert one-to-one support and super-affordable subscription position it as the best overall matched betting site in the US. 

You can apply a range of tips and strategies when matched betting to help streamline your experience and increase profits.

Whether it's starting with the lowest or most profitable offers first, making use of casino offers or joining a matched betting affiliate program to take your earnings up a level, we cover tips and strategies to suit every matched bettor. 

One rule of thumb for whether you can matched bet on a sport in the US is: if it regularly produces ties or it has a wide range of possible outcomes, it's a no.

This means matched betting is possible on sports like football, basketball, baseball and tennis, but is not on sports like soccer, horse racing and golf. However, there's a little more to it which we cover in this article. 

Though it is possible to combine/stack sportsbook promotional offers when matched betting, we don't recommend it.

Stacking offers (combining two or more offers on one matched betting opportunity) can considerably reduce the overall profit you're able to extract from converting offers in your state. Instead, work through each promo one by one for maximum profit. 

The secondary sportsbook (or betting exchange) you choose will play a crucial role in how much profit you make on a matched betting opportunity. After all, your profit hinges on the odds offered by your secondary sportsbook being right.

In this piece we look at what to consider when when choosing your secondary sportsbook and the powerful tool you can use to find the perfect one every time. 

Getting limited or restricted by a sportsbook is the worst thing that can happen to you as a matched bettor. It severely hampers your earning potential.

But by following 10 simple tips, such as rounding your bets and sticking to large markets, you can give your accounts the best chance of avoiding being "gubbed" and continue building risk-free profits. 

There are several key differences between regulated and offshore sportsbooks. The most significant is the presence of a safety net with regulated sportsbooks (in the form of state-by-state gaming commissions).

These commissions offer legal backing to bettors should issues arise such as a sportsbook's failure to payout winnings or honor offers.

Matched betting is classified as a win win betting strategy. How? Because regardless of which team wins with this process, you guarantee yourself a profit.

Though other win win betting strategies like arbitrage betting and Dutch betting exist, of the three matched betting offers the most significant profits with minimum effort. 

Multi accounting, or "gnoming",  is the process of setting up multiple accounts with one sportsbook in order to benefit from the same promo several times. Like in traditional sports betting, this process is frowned upon in matched betting.

In this piece, we'll show you exactly why multi account matched betting should be avoided, and how - following a few tips - you can make just as much profit with risk-free matched betting.

If you're new to Matched Betting, understanding the key terms and jargon can be a game changer. But with so many terms used in the space, it's not always easy to understand what they mean.

From arbitrage betting to reload offers, in this A to Z we cover off some of the most important the terms to help you get started making money online with matched betting.