When I first heard of Matched Betting, I was super skeptical but having seen lots of people have great success, I decided to give it a go. I started with a 7 day free trial of the oddsmaker, Outplayed, and after making £40 committed to the £29.99 monthly membership. Within a few weeks, I’d made over £400 from Matched Betting. Fast forward a few months and I’d made over £2,000 just from Matched Betting!
In this post, we’re going to get into the basics of Matched Betting. What exactly is it, how it works, how you can get started and the most asked question… is this actually legal?
⚠️ Whilst matched betting is NOT gambling, it does use bookmaker sites and offers to make profit. This can have similarities to gambling via betting. It is NOT RECOMMENDED that people who have had previous gambling issues or addictions to do matched betting, as it may be a trigger.
Matched betting is known for not being able to lose you money. You can still lose money if you make any errors when placing bets, so always take your time when placing bets and following instructions.
What is Matched Betting?
Matched betting is a betting strategy that involves placing bets on all possible outcomes of an event, in order to guarantee a profit regardless of the outcome. This is done by taking advantage of free bets and other promotions offered by bookmakers and using them to place bets on both sides of an event. By doing this, the bettor can ensure that they will win no matter what the outcome of the event.
Want to learn more? I’ve created a Beginner’s Guide to Matched Betting which is FREE to download. Get your copy here.
How does it work?
Matched betting works by taking advantage of free bets and other promotions offered by bookmakers. The first step is to find a free bet offer or promotion that is available. Once you have found a suitable offer, you can then place a bet on one side of the event using the free bet. Then place a second bet on the opposite outcome using your own funds.
For example, if you were to find a free bet offer for a football match between Manchester United and Liverpool. You could place a bet on Manchester United to win using the free bet. You would then place a second bet where you ‘lay’ the bet. Meaning you bet for Manchester United NOT to win.
It might sound a little confusing, but once you get started and complete a few offers it becomes a lot clearer. Plus sites like OutPlayed have matched betting guides and calculators that do all the maths for you. It’s as simple as following the instructions and placing the bets they tell you to.
You can learn more about OutPlayed and how it works in my Beginner’s Guide to Matched Betting. Download this FREE guide here.
How do you make money from it?
With matched betting, you are taking advantage of free bet offers from bookmakers to place multiple bets on a single event. You’re covering yourself for all possible outcomes. If you stake the correct amount will be guaranteeing yourself a profit as the “free bet” is not money from your pocket.
Like I said in the intro, I made over £2,000 from Matched Betting in just a few short months using OutPlayed and their easy to follow instructions.
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Is this legal?
Yes! As long as you are over the age of 18! There are no UK laws in place that prevent matched betting. Bookmakers know about it too!
However some bookmakers aren’t fans of matched betting and your account can be gubbed. This means the bookmaker has restricted your account so it’s no longer eligible for offers.
Is it gambling?
Although you are required to place bets, the strategy behind matched betting involves placing bets on all possible outcomes to guarantee a profit regardless of the outcome of the event. Therefore, no it is not gambling.
Is it tax-free?
Yes! How amazing! Although matched betting isn’t gambling, the profit you make is still classed as winnings in the same way, meaning it’s tax free!
Can I lose money with matched betting?
The only way you can lose money with matched betting is through human error. If you miscalculate the bets or stake or just place the wrong bet entirely, you are likely to lose money.
That’s why I personally use and strongly suggest using a software like Outplayed. They do all the hard work for you. And so long as you follow their instructions correctly, you are mathematically guaranteed to make a profit.
And that’s the basics! This is a great side hustle to pick up here and there in your spare time. Plus you can make some serious money from it. If you want to learn more, make sure you download my FREE Beginner’s Guide to Matched Betting!
