Matched betting has been present within the gambling fraternity for many a year, with punters always looking for new ways and means to win money.
The basic principle behind matched betting, sees players lay money across the spread of all the results possible in a match – to effectively cover all outcomes and therefore generate a return, regardless of the result.
With free bet promotions offered by betting companies increasing constantly, the market associated with matched betting has grown markedly in recent times.
Punters are now able to use free sign up offers and bet tokens to lay bets on a spread of results, giving them in effect ‘free’ money to bet with.
Whilst matched betting continues to grow in notoriety across the world, it can be a tricky vocation to get to grips with – especially for rookie punters.
Read on for a guide to matched betting in the UK:
Pile in on the Bookmaker Offers
Most matched betting strategies are best implemented when used in conjunction with a bookmaker offer.
All of the major players on the UK betting scene frequently offer free bets and promotions – which are ideal to be used in matched betting scenario.
Not having to take any money out of your account to lay, means that regardless of the result of the game – you can still make some sort of profitable return.
Also known as back bet matching, using free bet tokens allows players to cover every outcome and make a return on – as long as every possible result is covered.
Furthermore, no deposit bonuses are an expense for marketing so bookmakers are invested in attracting new customers and are more receptive when it comes to offering new promotions.
Choose the Right Sport
Successful matched betting is reliant on a number of factors but picking the right sport to bet on is arguably the most important.
There is such diversity within the sports betting market currently, ideal for punters who are looking to broaden their betting horizons.
However, not all sports are ideally set out for matched betting – with more than 3 outcomes on a particular game/race/market impossible to cover all outcomes on.
Seek out the sports markets that you can cover in 2/3 bets (e.g. straight win/loss/draw market, over/under goals) – this allows you to matched bet more efficiently.
Don’t Chase the Big Wins
Matched betting is a strategy designed to keep the bank balance ticking over and is an attritional approach to winning money.
Covering all the outcomes on any particular fixture comes at a cost, even when using free bet promotions.
The initial costs are then impacted on any future winnings, meaning expecting a significant return on a matched bet is a very rare commodity.
Look to use matched betting as a way of gradually increasing both your betting knowledge and your finances and over time, the results should speak for themselves.
Delve into the Soccer Bets
As the most popular sport in the world, soccer is often central to both punters and bookmakers betting strategy.
The number of betting opportunities available to punters has never been higher and football betting can be done on almost a 24/7 basis.
Most of the major bookmakers use football as an opportunity to offer free bet promotions to punters, making it an ideal sport for matched betting.
In addition, most markets are cut and dried (win/lose/draw) so covering all three outcomes isn’t too costly and more importantly, a shock result will only boost your winnings – not reduce them.
That said, winning little and often is the best approach when football matched betting so be sure not to chase the big wins and veer away too much from your matched betting strategy.
