what is matched betting?

Many online bookmakers offer a signup bonus when you open an account with them, this is usually in the form of a free bet, a 100% matched bonus. Most people use this free bet to back a dead-cert. There are two problems with backing a dead-cert, one the odds offered usually aren't great and two in the gambling world there is no such thing as a dead-cert, upsets do happen.

A much better way to use the free bet is to use a technique called matched betting or back/lay bet matching. There is more in depth information on how matched betting works in the guide page but in short matched betting involves backing an event at the bookmakers offering the sign up bonus and then laying the same event at a betting exchange. This is a great way to make money online as there really is no risk involved.

A typical return for a matched bet where the stake is returned is 95-100% of the free bet cash returned and about 75% where the stake is not returned.

Now you're maybe scratching your head and wondering what the terms betting exchange and stake returned mean, check out our Frequently Asked Questions page for a summary of all these terms!

What can I bet on this week?