The truth which they don't always tell you about matched betting
A question I often get asked, and rightfully so, is:
If matched betting is that good and profitable, why are you not driving around in an Audi RS7 and why are you still running a full time job?
The truthful answer to this is quite simple.
Matched betting does NOT last forever!
Some may disagree with me here, but this is with my personal experience. I am no longer matched betting because one by one the bookmakers clocked on to what I was doing and either banned (gubbed) my account, severely restricted my maximum stake or withdrew me from all promotions.
I got around two years out of matched betting before I had pretty much been restricted out of the game. I moved on and went through my partners/family/friend's accounts but again, one by one this dried up.
If you want my honest thoughts on matched betting I would say enjoy it whilst you can, but certainly don't think it will change your life forever. If it gets a credit card or two cleared or gets you that dream holiday then take it and enjoy it!
There ARE ways to slow down being banned/gubbed so it isn't all bad news!
There is a practice in the matched betting world called Mug Betting. The basic concept of mug betting is to try disguise yourself as a regular punter. How is this done?
Place regular bets on your favourite team. This can be any team you like but keep the bets in-line with what you are betting on promotions. As an example, if you are constantly betting £50 on horses with Bet365's horse refund offer, don't put £1.50 on Manchester United as it will look odd. You want to be betting £50 on Manchester United too! Remember with matched betting we remove the risk so you would back and lay Manchester United to ensure only a minimal loss of £2 or so. It kind of hurts mug betting as you know there is no free bet waiting at the end and you're guaranteed to lose a little but if you want longevity there is no other way!
Place accumulators. Bookmakers LOVE accumulators and so do punters really. Adding several selections to a betslip to give a greater return is appealing to everyone. Chuck a few accumulators in at a weekend instead of betting on singles all the time. Bookmakers know matched betting is predominantly done on singles so throwing some accumulators in the mix can help disguise you.
Don't always bet the maximum stake for an offer. If you are seen to always be betting the maximum stake to win the biggest free bet this rings alarm bells. Back to a previous example, if the Bet365 horse refund offer is a maximum £50 free bet, don't always bet £50 on your qualifier bet, mix it up a bit with some £20/£30 bets. Yes, the return will be less, but if you're playing the long game this is something you must do!
Don't always bet on EVERY offer. A straight forward way to identify someone matched betting is to simply look for the person who is hitting every offer. Normal punters won't always go for every offer but matched bettors will!
Be mindful on who you are betting on. If you run a search in oddsmatching and it comes back with an Argentinian U16s Division 3 game for 40p qualifier loss or a Premier League game for 55p qualifier loss you would be best to take the extra 15p hit to not look suspicious. Imagine how may bets go on the Premier League against how many go on random low leagues.
Mug betting is all down to common sense and looking normal
Personally, I never bothered too much and I saw the consequence of that. I went in, got my money and run. It is completely up to you how you play it!
The end...
And that brings you to the end of my matched betting guide. I really hope you've enjoyed learning about the key concepts involved and can see why it is my favourite form of hustle!
What do I do now?
I would strongly recommend you make a start with matched betting using the instructions provided by Profit Accumulator. Their instructions are precise and you can access them for free by signing up to their free trial. They don't ask for any card details so you are under no obligation to continue to a paid membership. Give a try and see what you think!