Introduction

This guide holds all the information you need to efficiently and legally beat the sportsbooks and casinos at their own game through matched betting. This is not a get rich quick scheme or a scam, and requires patience and attention to detail. However, if done correctly, matched betting can be an extremely profitable and easy side hustle.

Matched betting is the strategy of taking advantage of different types of bonuses that sportsbooks offer to new and existing customers. Some of the promotions include “risk free bets” , “deposit matches” and “free bets”.

These promotions tip the advantage away from the sportsbook and put it in the hands of the bettor. Matched betting is the most secure and profitable way to make money in sports gambling by far.

In order to profit using matched betting, you place one bet under the promotion, and you place another bet on an opposite sportsbook. Your bet that covers your promotional bet is called your “hedge” or “hedge bet”. Your hedge bet is what ensures your success, by placing a hedge you cover both outcomes of the game, and guarantee profit.

For example, Fanduel gives you a $50 free bet for the Lakers/Celtics game. You place your $50 free bet on the lakers, and place a $25 “hedge bet” on the Celtics. If the lakers win, you get $50 back on fanduel, but lose $25 on Draftkings, leaving you with a profit of $25! If the celtics win, you win $25 on Draft kings, and lose nothing on fanduel because your bet was with a free bet, so you profit $25!

No matter what happens, you profit $25! That is what makes matched betting completely risk free, you are covering both outcomes of the games you bet on, therefore guaranteeing money.

The main question that is asked when a new matched bettor learns about this method is “why do the sportsbooks give out these promotions if it gives the advantage to the bettor?”

There are a few reasons that they do, but the main reason is to draw in new customers. Some states have over a dozen sportsbooks, and all of them are competing with each other to draw in new customers. These promotions are used to reel in new customers to a sportsbook and away from their competition. Sportsbooks know most recreational bettors will not jump around from sportsbooks, so in their perspective they are giving a little (a promotional offer) to gain a lot (a lifetime customer)

The other reason that these sportsbooks hand out promotional offers is because they know most people are dumb gamblers, and will lose the money over time. Most promotional offers given out are not taken advantage of fully or correctly, and the sportsbooks will lose almost nothing or even make money.

Matched Betting is completely legal. It sounds like you are beating the system, which you are, but you are not doing it in an illegal way. I really like to compare matched betting to card counting. Card counting is completely legal, but it is frowned upon from a casino perspective. The same is true with matched betting, it is completely legal in the United States, but is not viewed in the highest regard by the books because you are winning money off them, which is not something you are supposed to do.

The idea of matched betting is nothing new and has actually been practiced in the United Kingdom where sports gambling has been legal for over a decade. This method is still relatively unknown in the United States because sports gambling is an its infancy here. As time goes on and this method becomes more wide known I’m sure the books will figure out a better job to protect against, but that time is not now.

This is a loaded question and can be answered in very different ways. I personally have made well in the five figures, and have only been doing it in practice for about 6 months. I however know people who have made 6 figures doing this. 6 figures is quite high and should not be a realistic expectation, but that just proves there is a lot of money to be made.

With matched betting you can really make as little or as much as you would like. I have a friend who did one matched bet, made $200, took his girlfriend to a nice dinner and decided that was enough for him. I have other friends who make tens of thousands of dollars by traveling to other states and attracting VIP offers. The success one has is really determinant on how much time they are willing to put in, their bank roll, and how much they enjoy it.

I first discovered matched betting in August of 2023 one day when I was having beers with some friends. One guy started telling me about how his roommate could make me a couple grand by taking advantage of sportsbook promos. We started chatting and he said that he would do it for me if we split the profits.

Me being hard headed I thought that was a terrible idea! Why would I give his friend 50% of the profits that come from my account! I told my friend that I would just figure it out my self, and to tell his roommate to f off. Well fast forward to now, I did figure out how to do it, and my friends roommate is actually now a friend whom I talk about matched betting with quite frequently.

When I first started to learn about matched betting there was almost no information on it, I had to learn by talking with people in obscure discords, and by reaching out via email. I want to change that with this website. I want this website to be able to bring some one in as a complete novice, and teach them how to take thousands off the books without them having to leave the site.