What is Arbing?
What is Arbing or Arbitage Betting in Gambling?
Arbing - or, to give it its full name, arbitrage betting – is a betting system that allows a customer to place multiple bets to guarantee a profit regardless of the outcome.
Bettors who take advantage of this are sometimes referred to as “arbers”.
An arb is also sometimes called a “surebet” or a “miraclebet”.
What is sports arbitrage betting?
Arb betting is possible when there is a discrepancy between odds that allow a profit to be made by covering all outcomes. Usually, this is a binary bet – with just two outcomes. An example would be a tennis match, where only two results are possible.
Arbing opportunities most commonly arise when bookmakers disagree on odds, or make a mistake when pricing a market.
Arbing is pretty far removed from traditional gambling. It is more a mathematical process to ensure profit.
Most arbers will confess to have little or no interest in a sport they are betting on.
Arbing and matched betting
Matched betting is a form of arbing.
Matched bettors use arbing to cancel out or minimize loses by placing opposing bets on two separate outcomes. The profit is then made through bookmakers giving out bonuses, usually a free bet.
To be able to bet against something you need to have a betting exchange. Matched bettors back at the bookies and lay at the exchange.
Do bookies allow arbing?
First thing is arbing is perfectly legal BUT, it might not suprise you that not many bookmakers welcome regular arbers.
The main reason is it costs them money.
The problem bookies face is identifying customers who are using arbing as a strategy – it can be quite difficult for them to track.
However, If you are consistently winning, the bookie will closely monitor your activity and, if betting patterns lead them to suspect you are arbing, your account could be restricted or closed, sometimes without warning.
Matched bettors refer to this as “gubbing”.
Some bookies claim they will never restrict or close accounts, but they are few and far between.
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How much can you make from arbing?
Every day there are arb betting opportunities that occur. However, the return on investment is usually pretty low. It is very rare to find an arb that will generate you more than 5 per cent profit.
Arbing isn’t a “get rich quick” scheme even if you have a large bankroll.
Professional arber Simon Renström is quoted as saying “If gambling is a high-risk lottery, in comparison sports arbitrage is more of a low-risk high-yield investment method.
“While not completely risk-free, most users reach a very high ROI (return on investment) compared with other investment methods; an average of 10 per cent to 15 per cent per month is common.”
Arbitrage betting tips
Keep track of your transactions by using a spreadsheet. It can get messy without one.
Arbers will likely have many accounts with a variety of bookmakers and that different amounts of money will be spread across these at any one time.
Double check and triple check the odds! It is very common for odds to fluctuate especially at big events and just before the start of a race.
Profit can be wiped out quickly if you don’t keep an eye on them as placing the bets.
Having both bookies sites open at once will help to reduce unnecessary loses.