Arbitrage Betting Explained in 2021
Arbitrage betting is a very popular method for profiting from sports betting. It is used by people all over the world to take advantage of price mismatches between different sports betting sites.
It effectively allows people to guarantee that they are going to be profitable, as they are removing the risk of loss due to the way that the odds are set. While this is a great strategy to employ, it does have its pitfalls and takes a lot of work. This guide looks at all of the different aspects associated with betting arbitrage or ‘arbing’.
How does Arbitrage Betting work?
Arbitrage betting allows you to guarantee that you are going to profit from a given event. This usually involves taking advantage of the odds set by different bookmakers. You are betting on all of the outcomes of a given event and still being guaranteed success due to the way the odds are set.
There are countless sports betting sites that want your business, so their odds are going to vary for certain games. The mission is to find an operator that is offering odds for one team to win a rugby match that is higher than the market average and then finding another operator that has priced the other team in the game at odds higher than the average market.
The reason why there are mismatches is that a site may be offering enhanced odds to attract new customers or they are slow to react to changing circumstances that will affect the outcome of a game.
How do I place & win Arbitrage Betting?
If you are interested in getting started with arbitrage betting, there are a few important steps that you will need to follow. By making sure that you have a repeatable process in place, you can set yourself up over time by taking a consistent approach that is well-thought out when engaging in arbitrage betting.
- Step 1: Use an odds comparison platform. These sites allow you to see the odds being offered by a wide range of different sports betting sites for a certain event. It gives you an idea of a sporting event that might have two likely outcomes, as those games that are closely matched are going to be your best bet for doing an arbitrage betting opportunity.
- Step 2: Find the largest odds you can from two different sports betting sites. You can do so by using an odds comparison site. You can then calculate if there is an arbitrage betting opportunity on offer. Figure out what stakes you will need to place on both markets in order to guarantee a return.
- Step 3: If you do not already have an account with these sports betting sites that offer the best odds for that given event, you will need to sign up for one. This will usually only take a few minutes to complete. As soon as you have registered and made your first deposit, you can then place your bets with the relevant stakes to lock in your arbitrage betting opportunity. You can then sit back and watch the match in a relaxed state.
What sports offer Arbitrage Betting?
There are many different sports that offer arbitrage betting opportunities. Once you have two opponents that are tightly matched, you can find potential opportunities. This allows you to then take advantage of the two different sets of odds that are being offered. Here are the most popular sports for arbitrage betting:
- Rugby: As there is a lot of rugby matches that are set to be tightly contested, you will come across potential arbitrage betting opportunities. It may be a game in a World Cup between South Africa and the All Blacks for example. For the bigger games, there will also often be promotions that enhance the price for one of both of these teams, making it easier for arbitrage betting.
- Cricket: With cricket betting, there are different types of events you can look at. There are the traditional five-day Test games or the shorter one-day games. Generally, it is preferable to focus on the shorter length games. You can find two closely matched teams, whether it is South Africa playing England, and then look at the respective odds across the board.
- Soccer: Perhaps the most popular sport for arbitrage betting is soccer. This is because there are tons of soccer games taking place every day, increasing the chances that you will come across an arbitrage betting opportunity. You also come across a lot of promotions especially for soccer betting that can boost the odds that are placing your bets at.
Examples for Arbitrage Betting?
If you want to get a clear look at what exactly arbitrage betting looks like, here are two relevant examples:
Winning example of Arbitrage Betting?
There are many online calculators you can use to calculate arbitrage betting opportunities. You can use one of these tools for a closely matched rugby match that you come across. Initially, you look to see if the total percentage of outcome adds up to less than 100% and thus representing an opportunity.
You then need to consider what stakes you need to place for this bet. Then you calculate what level of profit you are looking to make and the calculator you are using will tell you how much you need to stake on each team at the given odds.
If Bookmaker A offers 1.30 odds for South Africa and 3.93 on Argentina to win a game and Bookmaker B offers 1.44 for South Africa to win and 2.90 for Argentina, this is a viable arbitrage opportunity. By wagering $50 on Argentina at 3.93 and $140 on South Africa at odds of 1.44, this will guarantee a profit no matter who is the winner. If Argentina is victorious, there will be a $196.50 win and a $201.60 win if South Africa wins.
Losing Example of Arbitrage Betting?
Arbitrage betting guarantees that your overall bets on a given game are going to make you a profit, assuming that you can place these bets at your preferred stakes.
Therefore, if you place your bets there will be no losing example of a bet unless some massive circumstance happens, such as the entire game being canceled. Even in this case, a lot of bookmakers will refund your bets.
Is Arbitrage Betting a Good Bet?
Arbitrage betting is definitely a very effective strategy as you are guaranteeing that you will profit from your wagers. However, it does take a lot of work, and not too many opportunities present themselves. A lot of online bookmakers are fully aware of these arbers and actively take steps to avoid this type of betting from happening. However, it certainly is worth consideration.
5 Tips for your next bets
If you are looking to get started with arbitrage betting and looking for a few tips, here is some advice to keep in mind:
- Tip 1: Get help: The first tip is that you should make the entire process of dining arbitrage betting opportunities easier by using the likes of odds comparison platforms and calculators to help you identify a potentially profitable opportunity. While you can do all of this work manually, you will save yourself a lot of time by automating the process. You can then focus your attention elsewhere.
- Tip 2: Diversify your betting: While there is certainly a big attraction to only focus on finding arbitrage betting opportunities, it is a good idea to always diversify your betting. This type of betting can take some of the enjoyment out of sports betting and it can also become somewhat dull and boring over time. It is a good idea, as a result, to use different betting types as part of your overall strategy. This will keep everything fresh and keep you interested in the long run.
- Tip 3: Check out offers: A lot of sports betting sites regularly run a variety of promotions for different events. This includes enhanced prices for certain games, which is a great way to spot an easy arbitrage opportunity. There will usually be limits on how much money you can wager at these enhanced odds, but it is a good tool to have.
- Tp 4: Use exchanges: As well as using traditional fixed-odds sports betting sites, it is also a good idea to use sports betting exchanges when you are taking part in arbitrage betting. This is because you often find better odds as the people setting the odds for the different markets are everyday people.
- Tip 5: Do your homework: There are a lot of resources out there today that teach people the most current strategies for arbitrage betting. These can be a good way to keep up to date with the latest developments, with forums and social media groups also being useful tools.
Which betting site is the best to bet on?
You found everything you wanted to know about arbitrage betting, so what is the next step? You should apply this knowledge into practice, of course. And for that, you need a reputable operator for the best wagering experience. We highly recommend you to head to bet.co.za right away and create an online account. Put some money to it, and start applying all tips and tricks you found in this guide!
Yes, arbitrage betting is a legal form of betting once you are using a licensed sports betting site in order to place your bets. However, most sports betting sites do not look at people who are using arbitrage betting as this undermines their bottom line. This is why they will often limit the accounts or close the accounts of people who they suspect are taking part in arbitrage betting.
Most forms of arbitrage betting these days take place online. You have access to hundreds of sporting events every day and many different sites. While there is the possibility of placing arbitrage bets in real life at bookmaker stores, it is not going to be as effective as using online betting platforms instead.
As there is a guarantee of profit with arbitrage betting, it is surprising that more people do not get involved in it. However, a lot of people aren’t aware of these types of opportunities. It also takes a lot of hard work and research in order to come across these arbitrage betting opportunities, which some people are not willing to do.
With arbitrage betting, you are guaranteed to win if you find a relevant opportunity. This can suck some of the enjoyment out of the betting experience, but oftentimes the profit from the situation will more than make up for this feeling. You can also place additional bets as you please that does not relate to arbitrage betting.
