Аrbitrage bettor: what is he like?

Who are arbitrage bettors in the eyes of people far from sports betting? Mostly, opinions range from 'they need treatment' to 'they should go work at a factory like all normal people.' But we know that arbitrage betting is work, and sometimes quite hard work.

So, who is a successful arbitrage bettor? What qualities should they possess to successfully earn from arbitrage bets and appear as a well-rounded individual in the eyes of others, rather than a gambling addict? We will try to answer these questions in the article.

Treat betting as a business

You won't be able to consistently earn from arbitrage betting if you treat it as a form of entertainment or a way to quickly "grab" easy money. This is systematic work, not a reliance on luck. Just like in business, you invest money and expect a certain return on investment (ROI). You have to put in a lot of analytical and mechanical effort, and you need to approach it as serious work.

Be patient and rational

Sometimes, a good arbitrage opportunity doesn't appear for a long time, or you might miss out on a profitable position. Such situations can recur and accumulate. This can lead to the bettor getting involved in marginal situations. They might simply be bored or trying to make up for what they perceive as "missed" profit. In severe cases, this can lead to tilt – a state where the bettor acts on emotions rather than rational thinking.

You must resist these impulses. Your task is to patiently wait for the right opportunity to place bets. If you follow the previous advice (treating arbitrage as work), it will make your task much easier.

Set a goal

99% of successful businesses are not built on a "wow" idea or millions raining from the sky. They are built on goal-setting, planning, and working toward achieving those goals.

Therefore, your challenging endeavor should also have clear goals. It might seem simple to set a goal, right? "I want to lie on the beach, do nothing, and withdraw money accumulated in my accounts a couple of times a month." No, that doesn’t work—that’s a dream, not a goal. A goal would look something like this:

• Double the number of bookmakers used within a year (from 6 to 12);

• Increase annual income to $100,000;

• Reinvest 30% of the income into projects (increasing the number of bookmaker accounts, betting budgets, etc.);

• Allocate 30% of the income to investments (stocks, bonds);

• Reinvest all investment profits into the same instruments or new ones;

• In 10 years, the investment sum (including compound interest from reinvestment) will reach a level that allows living off passive income in a beachside house in a country with no winter.

Of course, the numbers will vary for everyone, but this is an example of a detailed plan. Note that this is only a long-term outline. You still need to clarify goals for the year, month, week, etc. But that’s a topic for another discussion.

Follow Bankroll Management

You need to understand how much money you are willing to allocate to each arbitrage situation and stick to that plan, regardless of circumstances. Typically, this is a certain percentage of your bankroll.

Even though arbitrage is a risk-free situation, there are many external factors that can interfere with making a profit. For example, you might miss placing one leg of the bet, or the bookmaker might delay payouts while verifying documents. For some, this is a "signal" to bet more on other situations to "recoup losses." Under no circumstances should you give in to this impulse—always bet according to a pre-planned strategy. Violating bankroll management (BRM) is a path to bankruptcy.

By the way, to avoid unpleasant situations and place arbitrage bets more efficiently, use helpful tools like SureBetSlip.

Improve Your Knowledge of Sports

Arbitrage betting does not require an understanding of sports rules. However, if you at least grasp the basics of the rules and spend half an hour a day following sports news, it will make your activities easier. For example, you will be able to distinguish between solid arbs and obvious mistakes made by bookmakers. After all, in the case of errors, the bet is canceled – this is stated in the rules of any bookmaker. This way, you can protect yourself from situations that are guaranteed to result in losses.

Stay Focused

Missed opportunities and even losses are often the result of a lack of concentration. If you are not focused, do not be surprised if you miss profitable situations or even click on the wrong outcome. Think only about what you are doing at the moment. To improve your level of concentration, try applying the following techniques.

• Before starting work, "warm up" your brain with related topics: read materials on betting (or watch videos), catch up on sports news.
• Some people find music helpful (both before and during work). Preferably, it should be neutral (not something you love too much, but not something you dislike either).
• No social media, videos, or unrelated sources of information during work.
• Turn off your phone if you're not expecting urgent messages. The world will manage without you for a while. Smartphones are black holes for your time.

Be persistent

You probably understand that if arbitrage betting were the simplest way to earn money without effort, half the planet would be doing it. Describing all the difficulties in an arber's work is a topic for separate materials. But know that nothing is insurmountable. Yes, you will need to acquire some knowledge before starting (as with any job) and gain experience (and where doesn’t that happen?).

Nevertheless, some people give up at the initial stages. There’s nothing wrong with that: in any activity, a certain percentage of people drop out at the start. Perhaps it’s just not their path. And if you’re determined to make money from arbitrage betting, show some persistence – difficulties exist in any type of earning.

Brush up on your math

Let’s be honest: few of us are math geniuses. During school, it seemed like this would never be useful. Don’t be scared – you don’t need advanced mathematics to place arbitrage bets. But you will need to perform basic calculations with fractions (in which odds are presented). In fact, after a few days of practice, you’ll notice that you do these calculations automatically, without even thinking. It’s best to practice before starting work so that there are no delays during it.

You will also need to calculate quickly when determining the profit from a particular arbitrage opportunity. Software, of course, will show you the numbers, but the exact amount depends on the size of your bets.

Know your opponent from within

To not just mechanically place arbitrage bets but to understand what and why things happen, you need to know how bookmakers operate:

• How odds are set;

• Why the line moves;

• How arbitrage situations arise.

This small step will help you transform, figuratively speaking, from a simple worker into a betting engineer.

Don’t count on a jackpot

Arbitrage betting is not about instant wins. It’s about meticulous daily work for the long haul. If you’re hoping to hit the jackpot, arbitrage betting is not for you. It’s better to look into other types of sports arbitrage. In that case, value betting might suit you better.

But even value bets shouldn’t be treated like a slot machine or roulette.

Keep learning constantly

Everything in this world changes, and the online world changes incredibly fast. Bookmakers change, their anti-fraud systems change, systems to prevent arbitrage opportunities change, and so does the software for tracking them. That’s why every 1.5–2 years, there’s panic with slogans like “arbitrage is dead.” It’s not dead; it’s evolving. But many players simply don’t want to adapt to new realities and continue using old methods, resulting in losses.

To avoid joining such people, always stay updated on what’s happening in the betting world. Follow the news, explore new software, and read reviews from active arbitrage bettors. If you stay informed and aren’t afraid of change, arbitrage will never die for you.

Connect with like-minded people

Try to communicate more often with people who share your beliefs and aspirations. It’s unlikely that close relatives or even friends will support your desire to engage in arbitrage betting. They’ll try to dissuade you with a million arguments, and many start believing them.

To maintain the right mindset and avoid constant psychological pressure, communicate with other arbitrage bettors. And not with forum whiners, but with successful arbitrage bettors. There are groups, chats (including paid and closed ones), where you’ll find support and fresh information from the world of arbitrage.

Think positively

This is advice that applies to any field and any situation. But how do you do it? How do you train yourself to notice only the good and leave the bad behind? Let’s be honest – it’s not easy. It takes months of constant practice until it becomes a habit. You can speed up the process by seeking help from a professional psychologist. By the way, we have an article with advice from a psychologist for arbitrage bettors. Be sure to read the article "Psychologist’s Tips" on our website.

Love your work

All those who have achieved success in any field were truly passionate about their work. You can earn money without this passion, but if you aim for exceptional results, ask yourself: do you really love what you do? If not, is it worth pursuing something you don’t enjoy? If you’re involved in arbitrage betting solely for the money and constantly have to force yourself to do it, it’s better to direct your efforts elsewhere and achieve results while enjoying your work.

Learn from Mistakes

You’ll rarely get the chance to learn from others’ mistakes. Therefore, use your own mistakes as lessons. It’s astonishing how often people refuse to acknowledge their errors and repeat the same actions, hoping for a different outcome. For example, if you get banned by a bookmaker almost immediately and you try to prove to who-knows-who that you’ll “beat them” by creating new accounts and depositing money, you’re on the path to bankruptcy.

Analyze your mistakes, admit them, and never repeat them.

Take Care of Your Health

Sitting at a computer for long hours negatively impacts your health. Of course, you might not notice anything wrong in your 20s, but over time, a sedentary lifestyle will take its toll. Follow the advice below—it’s not hard to implement.

• Revise your diet to avoid gaining excess weight.

• Take daily walks in the fresh air and walk more often.

• Join a gym or work out at home at least three times a week.

• Get a general health check-up annually and consult a doctor immediately if anything is out of the normal range.

 

Become a Winner!

This might sound like generic advice from the realm of "successful success," but when a person realizes that they can achieve their goals and develops a winner’s mindset, achieving them becomes easier and easier. Be confident—you are a winner!