FAQ

The registration and verification process is undoubtedly an important part of working with arbitrage betting ("surebets"). However, people who engage in arbitrage are usually already familiar with betting, have opened accounts with bookmakers, and so on.

Which rules often differ across various bookmakers? What should you pay attention to in order to avoid losing on a surebet?

Bonus Credit and Withdrawal Rules

Many bookmakers offer bonuses to new users: welcome bonuses for registration or the first deposit. However, it is important to understand that bonuses often come with strict wagering requirements. For example, in order to withdraw bonus funds, you may be required to wager an amount equal to six times the deposit. Alternatively, there may be other actions required, often with time limitations. It’s crucial to carefully study these conditions to avoid finding yourself in a situation where the bonus is difficult to withdraw or not profitable.

You should also pay attention to the validity period of the bonuses and possible restrictions on betting on specific types of sports or events.

Deposit and Withdrawal Rules

Depositing funds generally does not cause problems. The only issues you might encounter are minimum and maximum deposit limits.

One of the most important rules to carefully examine is the conditions for withdrawing funds. Some bookmakers set minimum withdrawal amounts, restrict the use of certain payment systems, or have specific processing times for withdrawal requests. While some bookmakers process withdrawals within a few minutes, others may take several days. You also need to account for possible withdrawal fees or other hidden charges.

Bet Cancellation Policy

Bookmakers reserve the right to cancel bets under certain circumstances. For example, if it is determined that a match was fixed or there were technical errors in calculating the odds. It’s important to closely study the rules that allow a bookmaker to cancel bets so that you’re prepared for such situations. Typically, canceled bets are refunded with odds of 1.0, meaning the bettor only gets back the amount they originally wagered. While an ordinary bettor doesn’t lose money directly, in arbitrage betting, if one part of the surebet is settled with odds of 1.0 and the other part of the bet loses, this results in a net loss.

Bet Settlement Rules

Each bookmaker sets its own rules for settling bets, particularly in unusual circumstances. For instance, there may be differences in how bookmakers handle bets on events that have been postponed or interrupted. Some bookmakers cancel such bets immediately, while others keep the bets active and wait for the match to resume—sometimes up to 24 hours, or even 48 hours. This can be problematic if these bets are part of a surebet. Incidentally, many arbitrage betting scanners offer filters that allow you to choose bookmakers with matching bet settlement rules.

Betting Limits and Restrictions

Some bookmakers set limits on the amount you can bet. These can include both minimum and maximum bet amounts, especially for surebettors who win large sums. Bookmakers may lower the limits for successful bettors, reducing their ability to place large bets. It’s possible that one bookmaker has already reduced your limits, while another has not, and this restriction could be applied just seconds before you place a bet. Therefore, before placing a surebet, it’s important to check the available limits for all your bets.

Conclusion

Studying bookmaker rules is just as crucial a step in arbitrage betting as any other. We hope that our recommendations help you avoid financial losses and unpleasant surprises.

Traditionally, experienced bettors recommend focusing on the following markets when searching for value bets (overpriced odds):

• Asian Handicap/Point Spread
• Totals Markets (Over/Under)
• 1X2 Markets (Match Winner)
• Double Chance
• Both Teams to Score

Why These Markets?

1. Liquidity Allows for Larger Bets: Liquidity is crucial as it ensures that you can place significant amounts without heavily impacting the odds. On markets with high liquidity, your bets do not drastically shift the odds, allowing you to maintain your advantage. In contrast, on less popular markets or events, even a small $100 bet could significantly alter the odds, potentially eliminating the value.

2. Wide Range of Odds: These markets typically offer a broad spectrum of odds, which allows you to select those that suit your betting strategy, whether you prefer lower or higher odds. When placing value bets, having a wide variety of odds to choose from is always beneficial.

3. Analytical Methods: Effective methods of analysis exist for these markets, enabling bettors to identify value opportunities. For instance, analyzing match statistics, goals, or points can provide insights into the probability of certain outcomes. Popular analytical methods include Poisson distribution and expected goals (xG) models, which have become valuable tools for assessing bets. If you're not inclined to spend significant time calculating value bets, there are automated services that do this for you.

betting bankroll is the amount of money a player sets aside specifically for sports betting. It acts as a sort of "betting budget" that helps manage finances and minimize the risk of losing everything. The main idea behind a bankroll is that the player only uses an amount they are willing to lose, and they do not exceed this budget, even in cases of losses or wins.

Key features of a bankroll

• Risk management: A bankroll allows a player to place a certain percentage of their total funds on each bet, protecting them from large losses in case of failures. For example, if your bankroll is 10,000 rubles, you can place 1-2% of this amount on each bet (100-200 rubles).

• Long-term play: Proper bankroll management allows for betting over the long term, avoiding drastic losses, and providing the opportunity to gradually grow capital.

• Emotional control: With a clearly defined bankroll, a player is less prone to emotional decisions (such as trying to recover losses after a defeat or placing everything after a big win).

Main bankroll management strategies

• Fixed bets: The player always bets the same percentage of their bankroll (e.g., 1-5%), regardless of the event.

• Kelly criterion: This method is used to optimize the size of the bet based on the probability of winning and the offered odds.

• Bankroll splitting: Sometimes the bankroll can be divided into portions for different strategies or sports.

Bankroll management is one of the key components of a successful sports betting strategy, as it helps players minimize risks and make the most rational use of their capital.

The most important thing in any betting is not to rush—almost always, rushing leads to losing money.

Work at a pace that is comfortable for you. It’s crucial to treat arbitrage betting like a job—set aside time when you won’t be distracted and have at least an hour available. Over time, as you gain experience and skill, you’ll be able to place arbitrage bets in as little as 2-3 minutes during free moments, but at the start, you need to understand how everything works.

If you already have experience in sports betting, it will be a big advantage—you’re already familiar with betting, bookmaker rules, what markets they offer, and how to choose and place bets.

In the beginning, it usually takes about 5 to 15 minutes to place an arbitrage bet, but this depends on several factors:

Player experience: The more experience you have in finding and placing arbitrage bets, the faster you’ll be able to find the right odds and place the bet.

Tools: Using special tools for finding arbitrage opportunities, such as arbitrage scanners, can significantly reduce the time needed. They automatically find potential arbitrage bets and save time on analysis.

Betting bankroll: If you need to top up your account or withdraw funds for arbitrage betting, this can also take extra time. For safety and to avoid account blocking, it’s better not to frequently withdraw money from betting accounts.

Therefore, by using automated tools and gaining experience, you can reduce the time it takes to place an arbitrage bet to 2-5 minutes.

n sports betting, a banker (or "bank" in some cases) is a term that refers to the most reliable bet in an accumulator or a series of bets. It is considered that the likelihood of winning this bet is extremely high. Typically, when a player includes a "banker" in their accumulator, the other bets may be riskier, but this selection is added as a guaranteed or almost guaranteed win, which increases the overall chances of success for the entire accumulator.

It is important to understand that even a "banker" does not guarantee a 100% win, but it is generally perceived as a low-risk bet. To place a risk-free bet, you can use the arbitrage betting strategy.

Moneyline is an American term equivalent to the European concept of "match market." It means that the bet is placed on the outcome of a game or match. The labels "1" and "2" refer to the results: 1 for the first opponent, 2 for the second.

The 12 Moneyline market is used in sports, events, and matches where only two outcomes are possible, and a draw is excluded.

A clear and simple example of a sport where only the 12 Moneyline market is available is tennis, where only a win by the first or second opponent is possible. 12 Moneyline bets are also offered for final results, including overtime or shootouts, in sports like hockey, basketball, and American football.

If the game ends in a tie at the end of regular time when using the 12 Moneyline market, your bet remains active until a winner is determined in overtime, extra innings, or a shootout.

This lower level of risk is often reflected in the betting odds. Theoretically, when betting on the 1x2 market, you have a 33% chance of winning, as there are three possible outcomes. By eliminating the draw and choosing between two outcomes, the chance of winning increases to 50%. Therefore, odds on such markets are lower due to the reduced risk for the bettor and increased risk for the bookmaker.

Pros and cons of 12 Moneyline bets:

• Moneyline bets are the most popular, and every bookmaker, even with a modest offering, includes Moneyline bets.
• Moneyline bets usually offer the highest possible betting limits and good market liquidity for most sports and leagues, making them equally suitable for both professional and casual bettors.
• In some sports, such as tennis, depending on the bookmaker's rules, if only one set is played and the athlete wins it but then withdraws due to injury, the loss will be attributed to that player, and thus to the bet on them.
• Moneyline odds are the most carefully and accurately evaluated compared to other sports betting markets. Therefore, they are less suitable for finding overvalued odds (value bets).

Conclusion on 12 Moneyline bets:

It is reasonably believed that in this type of betting, the probability of winning is higher than in bets with three possible outcomes. To win the bet, the selected team must win the game, regardless of whether it happens in regular time, overtime, or after penalties or shootouts.

If the game is tied at the end of regular time, the bet is not settled yet; it's neither a loss nor a refund—wait for the match's outcome after overtime, etc.

P.S. There is a separate 1x2 Moneyline market, where a draw is also included, marked as "X." The results of bets are calculated based on the outcome of regular time (four quarters in basketball, three periods in hockey, or nine innings in American football). This market is often called the "main outcome."

Fractional odds

• Where popular: The UK and Ireland.
• Format: Expressed as fractions, for example, 5/2 or 10/1.
• How they work: The first number shows how much you can win if you stake an amount equal to the second number. For example, odds of 5/2 mean that for every 2 units staked, you will earn 5 units of profit. If you bet 2 dollars at odds of 5/2 and the bet wins, you will receive 5 dollars in profit plus the returned 2 dollars stake, for a total of 7 dollars.

Decimal odds

• Where popular: Europe, Russia, Canada, Australia, New Zealand.
• Format: Presented as decimal numbers, such as 1.50, 2.75, or 10.00.
• How they work: To calculate the total payout (including your stake), you multiply your bet by the decimal odds. For example, odds of 2.75 mean that if you place a 10-dollar bet, your total payout will be 10 × 2.75 = 27.5 dollars (17.5 dollars profit plus 10 dollars stake returned).

American odds (Moneyline odds)

• Where popular: The USA.

• Format: Presented with positive or negative numbers, for example, +150 or -200.

• How they work:

• Negative odds: Show how much you need to bet to win 100 dollars. For example, odds of -200 mean you need to bet 200 dollars to win 100 dollars in profit. The total payout will be 300 dollars (100 dollars profit plus 200 dollars stake).
• Positive odds: Show how much you can win if you bet 100 dollars. For example, odds of +150 mean that a 100-dollar bet will bring you 150 dollars in profit. The total payout will be 250 dollars (150 dollars profit plus 100 dollars stake).

Comparison example:

• A fractional odds of 2/1 means you will get 2 dollars in profit for every 1 dollar bet.
• A decimal odds of 3.00 means your total payout will be 3 times your stake (2 dollars profit for every 1 dollar bet).
• American odds of +200 mean a 100-dollar bet will earn you 200 dollars in profit.

Comparison for a single outcome:

• Fractional odds: 2/1.
• Decimal odds: 3.00.
• American odds: +200.
  All three systems show the same thing—a doubling of your stake if you win, but with different approaches to calculation and presentation of information.

Formula for converting odds

Decimal odds = Fractional odds + 1,
Where the fractional odds are written as a fraction A/B, where:

• A is the numerator,
• B is the denominator.

Example: If the fractional odds are 5/2, the decimal odds will be:
Decimal odds = 5/2 + 1 = 2.5 + 1 = 3.5.

Converting American odds to decimal

There are two formulas, depending on whether the American odds are positive or negative.

• If the American odds are positive (+X):
  Decimal odds = 1 + X/100
  Example: American odds of +150:
  Decimal odds = 1 + 150/100 = 1 + 1.5 = 2.5.

• If the American odds are negative (−X):
  Decimal odds = 1 + 100/X
  Example: American odds of −200:
  Decimal odds = 1 + 100/200 = 1 + 0.5 = 1.5.

Summary

• For fractional odds, add 1 to the result of the fraction.
• For positive American odds, divide by 100 and add 1.
• For negative American odds, divide 100 by the absolute value of the odds and add 1.

Bets with positive expected value (or +EV bets, from the expected value) are those where the mathematical probability of winning and the potential profit exceed the cost of the bet. In other words, these are bets that will bring you profit in the long run, even if individual outcomes may be unpredictable.

A specific case of positive expected value bets is betting on value bets.

Что касается времени суток, лучше всего выбирать такое время, когда вы можете работать эффективно, например, когда вы не отвлекаетесь и не устали.

Опытные игроки, делающие арбитражные ставки, знают, что коэффициенты могут существенно колебаться по мере приближения события в зависимости от таких факторов, как новости о командах, изменения в составе, погодные условия и активность других игроков на рынке.

Наиболее прибыльное время для арбитражных ставок часто наступает, когда букмекеры впервые открывают свои линии и начинают публиковать коэффициенты. В этот период можно заметить существенные расхождения в коэффициентах, предлагаемых разными букмекерами. Однако важно помнить, что на рынках с высокой ликвидностью коэффициенты могут меняться очень быстро, поэтому действовать нужно быстро. Кроме того, помните, что по мере приближения события коэффициенты могут стабилизироваться, а возможность арбитража может исчезнуть.

The choice of a paid scanner plan depends on several factors, including your goals, betting experience, available budget, and frequency of scanner usage. Here are some key criteria to help you decide:

Purpose of use

• For beginners: If you're just starting and want to try it out, a basic or trial plan is suitable. It usually includes limited access to features and the number of arbitrages, but it's enough for the initial stage.
• For experienced users:  If yo u already have experience and plan to actively use the scanner for finding arbitrages, choose a plan with full access to all features. Such plans usually offer access to all markets, sports types, and real-time data.

Frequency of use

• Occasional use: If you plan to use the scanner occasionally, consider purchasing daily or weekly plans. This will save you money without paying for a monthly subscription.
• Regular use: For those who plan to bet on arbitrages daily, it's better to choose a monthly or annual plan. This is more cost-effective in terms of daily usage.

Budget

Determine how much you're willing to invest in a subscription. The higher the cost of the plan, the more features it usually offers. However, it's important that these features justify the expenses and help you earn more than you spend on the subscription.

Functional capabilities

• Access to different markets: Some plans offer access only to certain sports or bookmakers. If it's essential for you to bet on specific sports, choose a plan that includes them in the list.

• Data update speed: Professional plans often offer faster data updates. This is important if you want to catch arbitrages that disappear quickly.
• Automation: If the automation feature is important to you, make sure the chosen plan supports it.

Support and training

Some plans include access to training materials, webinars, or customer support, which can be helpful, especially for beginners.

Trial period

If the scanner offers a trial period, use it to see how convenient the interface is and whether it meets your expectations. This will help you avoid unnecessary spending on an unsuitable plan.

Reviews and recommendations

Check reviews and recommendations from other users to understand which plans are the most beneficial and functional.

Example of choosing an arbitrage scanner plan

If you're a beginner and want to try arbitrage betting with minimal costs, start with a basic plan. For example, a plan for pre-match (before the match starts) bets and access to the main types of sports.

If you're a professional bettor who regularly bets on arbitrages, choose a plan with maximum functionality: full access to markets, fast data update speed, and an automated betting feature.