{"id":2780,"date":"2022-01-26T11:50:53","date_gmt":"2022-01-26T11:50:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.oddsmonkey.com\/matched-betting\/?page_id=2780"},"modified":"2026-09-29T01:07:00","modified_gmt":"2026-09-29T00:07:00","slug":"learn-in-1-minute","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.oddsmonkey.com\/matched-betting\/learn-in-1-minute\/","title":{"rendered":"Learn in 1 Minute"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class='breakdance'><section class=\"bde-f-container-2780-103 bde-f-container oddsmonkey-calc-hero\"><div class=\"bde-f-container-2780-102 bde-f-container oddsmonkey-shell\"><p class=\"bde-f-text-2780-100 bde-f-text oddsmonkey-calc-kicker\">\nMatched Betting Basics\n<\/p><h1 class=\"bde-f-text-2780-101 bde-f-text oddsmonkey-calc-title\">\nUnderstand Matched Betting <span class=\"oddsmonkey-accent\">in 1 Minute<\/span>\n<\/h1><\/div><\/section><section class=\"bde-f-container-2780-137 bde-f-container oddsmonkey-pg-body\"><div class=\"bde-f-container-2780-136 bde-f-container oddsmonkey-shell\"><div class=\"bde-f-container-2780-133 bde-f-container oddsmonkey-l1m\"><div class=\"bde-f-container-2780-108 bde-f-container oddsmonkey-l1m-slide\"><div class=\"bde-f-container-2780-105 bde-f-container oddsmonkey-l1m-body\"><div class=\"bde-f-rich-text-2780-138 bde-f-rich-text\">\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"oddsmonkey-l1m-step\" src=\"https:\/\/www.oddsmonkey.com\/matched-betting\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/123_1.png\" alt=\"\"><h3>What is Matched Betting?<\/h3><p><span>In a nutshell, matched betting is a way to turn bookmaker sign up offers into real profit. <br \/>A typical example of a sign up offer is: \u2018Bet \u00a310 to get a \u00a320 free bet\u2019.<\/span><\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.oddsmonkey.com\/matched-betting\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/offerbanner-1.jpg\" alt=\"\"><p>When you open an account with a bookmaker and place a \u00a310 bet, you\u2019ll qualify for a \u00a320 free bet! So the \u00a310 part is known as a \u2018qualifier bet\u2019 and the \u00a320 part is known as the \u2018free bet\u2019.\u00a0 <\/p>\n<p>Matched betting shows you how to turn that \u00a320 free bet into profit!<\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div><div class=\"bde-f-container-2780-107 bde-f-container oddsmonkey-l1m-actions\"><a class=\"bde-f-text-link-2780-106 bde-f-text-link oddsmonkey-l1m-next\" href=\"#\" target=\"_self\">\nClick to Start\n<\/a><\/div><\/div><div class=\"bde-f-container-2780-114 bde-f-container oddsmonkey-l1m-slide\"><div class=\"bde-f-container-2780-110 bde-f-container oddsmonkey-l1m-body\"><div class=\"bde-f-rich-text-2780-139 bde-f-rich-text\">\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"oddsmonkey-l1m-step\" src=\"https:\/\/www.oddsmonkey.com\/matched-betting\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/123_2.png\" alt=\"\"><h3>Placing the qualifying bet<\/h3><p><span>One of the biggest concerns around matched betting is that it must be gambling. Well, it isn\u2019t and we\u2019ll show you why\u2026<\/span><br \/><\/br><br \/>\n<span>By taking a step-by-step look at how traditional betting works compared to how matched betting works, you\u2019ll be able to see the difference between the two.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s place our first bet of \u00a310 on a football match: England to beat Italy.<br \/>\nWe call this the \u2018qualifying\u2019 bet because placing it will qualify us to receive the free bet.<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.oddsmonkey.com\/matched-betting\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/ENGLOGOS2.png\" alt=\"\">\n<\/div><\/div><div class=\"bde-f-container-2780-113 bde-f-container oddsmonkey-l1m-actions\"><a class=\"bde-f-text-link-2780-111 bde-f-text-link oddsmonkey-l1m-next\" href=\"#\" target=\"_self\">\nPlace \u00a310 Bet\n<\/a><a class=\"bde-f-text-link-2780-112 bde-f-text-link oddsmonkey-l1m-back\" href=\"#\" target=\"_self\">\n\u2190 Back to previous step\n<\/a><\/div><\/div><div class=\"bde-f-container-2780-120 bde-f-container oddsmonkey-l1m-slide\"><div class=\"bde-f-container-2780-116 bde-f-container oddsmonkey-l1m-body\"><div class=\"bde-f-rich-text-2780-140 bde-f-rich-text\">\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"oddsmonkey-l1m-step\" src=\"https:\/\/www.oddsmonkey.com\/matched-betting\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/123_2.png\" alt=\"\"><h3>Placing the qualifying bet<\/h3><p><span>One of the biggest concerns around matched betting is that it must be gambling. Well, it isn\u2019t and we\u2019ll show you why\u2026<\/span><br \/><\/br><br \/>\n<span>By taking a step-by-step look at how traditional betting works compared to how matched betting works, you\u2019ll be able to see the difference between the two.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"oddsmonkey-l1m-compare\"><div class=\"oddsmonkey-l1m-col\"><h4>Traditional Betting<\/h4><p>In <em>traditional betting<\/em> you risk your money on the result of the bet.<\/p>\n<ul><li>If England beat Italy, you win back the \u00a310 you placed plus more. You are in profit.<\/li><li>If England lose to Italy, you lose your \u00a310 in real money.<\/li><li>If England and Italy draw, you lose your \u00a310 in real money.<\/li><\/ul><p><span>There\u2019s only one way to win when gambling: the thing you bet on has to happen. It\u2019s luck.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n\n<\/div><div class=\"oddsmonkey-l1m-col oddsmonkey-l1m-col-good\"><h4>Matched Betting<\/h4><p>In <em>matched betting<\/em>, we match our first bet with another bet. This second bet is called a \u2018lay\u2019 bet.<\/p>\n<ul><li>If England beat Italy, you only lose 15p<\/li><li>If England lose to Italy, you only lose 15p<\/li><li>If England draw with Italy, you only lose 15p<\/li><\/ul><p><span>Because you placed a lay bet, you only lost 15p, no matter what happened to England in the football match.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cHuh?! Isn\u2019t matched betting about making a profit?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Yes it is, but the profit comes from the free bet. Expect to lose a few pence on a qualifying bet but remember that the point of it was to unlock the free bet. This one\u2019s worth \u00a320.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><div class=\"bde-f-container-2780-119 bde-f-container oddsmonkey-l1m-actions\"><a class=\"bde-f-text-link-2780-117 bde-f-text-link oddsmonkey-l1m-next\" href=\"#\" target=\"_self\">\nClick here to get your \u00a320 Free Bet\n<\/a><a class=\"bde-f-text-link-2780-118 bde-f-text-link oddsmonkey-l1m-back\" href=\"#\" target=\"_self\">\n\u2190 Back to previous step\n<\/a><\/div><\/div><div class=\"bde-f-container-2780-126 bde-f-container oddsmonkey-l1m-slide\"><div class=\"bde-f-container-2780-122 bde-f-container oddsmonkey-l1m-body\"><div class=\"bde-f-rich-text-2780-141 bde-f-rich-text\">\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"oddsmonkey-l1m-step\" src=\"https:\/\/www.oddsmonkey.com\/matched-betting\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/123_3.png\" alt=\"\"><h3>Placing the free bet<\/h3><p><span>Now we\u2019ll look at what happens with a free bet when you gamble versus when you matched bet. <\/span><br \/>\n<br \/>\n<span>With matched betting, you can lock in a profit.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>This time, we\u2019ll bet on Scotland to beat Brazil.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.oddsmonkey.com\/matched-betting\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/SCOTLOGOS2.png\" alt=\"\">\n<\/div><\/div><div class=\"bde-f-container-2780-125 bde-f-container oddsmonkey-l1m-actions\"><a class=\"bde-f-text-link-2780-123 bde-f-text-link oddsmonkey-l1m-next\" href=\"#\" target=\"_self\">\nPlace Your \u00a320 Free Bet\n<\/a><a class=\"bde-f-text-link-2780-124 bde-f-text-link oddsmonkey-l1m-back\" href=\"#\" target=\"_self\">\n\u2190 Back to previous step\n<\/a><\/div><\/div><div class=\"bde-f-container-2780-132 bde-f-container oddsmonkey-l1m-slide\"><div class=\"bde-f-container-2780-128 bde-f-container oddsmonkey-l1m-body\"><div class=\"bde-f-rich-text-2780-142 bde-f-rich-text\">\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"oddsmonkey-l1m-step\" src=\"https:\/\/www.oddsmonkey.com\/matched-betting\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/123_3.png\" alt=\"\"><h3>Placing the free bet<\/h3><p><span>Now we\u2019ll look at what happens with a free bet when you gamble versus when you matched bet. <\/span><br \/>\n<br \/>\n<span>With matched betting, you can lock in a profit.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"oddsmonkey-l1m-compare\"><div class=\"oddsmonkey-l1m-col\"><h4>Traditional Betting<\/h4><p>Again: because this is gambling, the chance of profiting from your free bet can't be guaranteed.<\/p>\n<ul><li>If Scotland beat Brazil, you win<\/li><li>If Scotland lose to Brazil, you don\u2019t win but you don\u2019t lose any of your own money<\/li><li>If Scotland and Brazil draw, you don\u2019t win but you don\u2019t lose any of your own money.<\/li><\/ul><p><span>Remember: gambling relies on luck. However, with matched betting, you can turn the free bet into profit.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n\n<\/div><div class=\"oddsmonkey-l1m-col oddsmonkey-l1m-col-good\"><h4>Matched Betting<\/h4><p>Again: to make sure this isn\u2019t gambling, you\u2019ll need to match your bet by placing a \u2018lay\u2019 bet.<\/p>\n<ul><li>If Scotland beat Brazil, you win \u00a316<\/li><li>If Scotland lose to Brazil, you win \u00a316<\/li><li>If Scotland draw with Brazil, you win \u00a316<\/li><\/ul><p><span>No matter what happens, you win \u00a316 because the bookie gave you the \u00a320 and your \u2018matched bet\u2019 covered the other outcomes. That means you can pocket a profit.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>And finally...Remember the 15p you lost on the first bet? Take that from the \u00a316 you won from the free bet and you\u2019ve made a profit of \u00a315.85 profit from this offer.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS IN THE GAME!<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><div class=\"bde-f-container-2780-131 bde-f-container oddsmonkey-l1m-actions\"><a class=\"bde-f-text-link-2780-129 bde-f-text-link oddsmonkey-btn-yellow\" href=\"https:\/\/hub.oddsmonkey.com\/user\/register\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener\">\nStart your free trial\n<\/a><a class=\"bde-f-text-link-2780-130 bde-f-text-link oddsmonkey-l1m-restart\" href=\"#\" target=\"_self\">\nStart this tutorial again\n<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><article class=\"bde-f-container-2780-135 bde-f-container oddsmonkey-article oddsmonkey-l1m-after\"><div class=\"bde-f-rich-text-2780-143 bde-f-rich-text\">\n<h2>Matched Betting For Dummies\u00a0<\/h2>\n<p>If you are unfamiliar with the term <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oddsmonkey.com\/matched-betting\/what-is-matched-betting\/\">matched betting<\/a> and are a complete newcomer to this side of sports betting, this betting strategy enables you to potentially lock in margins of profit by covering all possible outcomes of an event. Although this may seem relatively complex, there are a few simple steps that can be taken that, if done correctly, could help you achieve this feat.<\/p>\n<h2>What Is Matched Betting?<\/h2>\n<p>Before you start placing bets, you should first familiarise yourself with the types of bets you will likely be placing. These are categorised into two different things, back and lay bets, with one relating to betting on an outcome to occur and the other for the event not to occur. Placing one of these with a bookmaker and another with a betting exchange allows users to cover all eventualities of an event, ensuring a margin of profit could potentially be locked in.<\/p>\n<h2>What Is A Qualifying Bet?<\/h2>\n<p>However, bookmakers often offer free bets or promotions to new or existing customers. Bettors could potentially receive these after placing their initial back and lay bets, which is referred to as a qualifying bet.\u00a0 The purpose of the qualifying bet is to trigger the bonus or free bet, which you can then use to lock in profit via the matched betting strategy.<\/p>\n<h2>Placing Your First Qualifying Bet\u00a0<\/h2>\n<p>The first step in order to claim a qualifying bet is to select a bookmaker that is offering a specific free bet or promotion to new customers. For example, these can be in the form of \u201cbet \u00a320 get \u00a320\u2019. After selecting a bookmaker, you place a bet on the bookmaker matching the requirements in order to claim the promotion. Although this is done via a bookmaker, you will still be simultaneously laying a bet on a betting exchange in order to counteract this initial bet. In order to determine the stake needed to cover this on the betting exchange, you could use one of the many <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oddsmonkey.com\/matched-betting\/calculator\/\">matched betting calculators<\/a> to ensure that the opposite outcome is covered effectively.<\/p>\n<p>After this, all you have to do is wait for the sporting event you have wagered on to settle. Regardless of whether the selection wins or loses, one of your bets will win, cancelling out the loss on its counterpart. From this, the bookmaker will credit your account with the respective bonus from which you can continue to apply the matched betting strategy and transform these free funds into real profits if applied correctly.<\/p>\n<h2>Matched Betting For Dummies At OddsMonkey\u00a0<\/h2>\n<p>If you want to delve further into the world of matched betting, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oddsmonkey.com\/\">OddsMonkey<\/a> is a comprehensive platform that provides step-by-step matched betting guides and essential tools to make matched betting accessible to beginners. All of the resources are made to simplify the entire process, making it easier for newcomers to start capitalising on all of the various bookmaker promotions and offers. The valuable assistance offered by OddsMonkey is paramount when it comes to matched betting for dummies!<\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/article><\/div><\/section><div class=\"bde-globalblock-2780-145 bde-globalblock\"><div class='breakdance'><section class=\"bde-section-6679-100-6679-1 bde-section bde-section-6679-100\">\n  \n  \n\t\n\n\n\n<div class=\"section-container\"><div class=\"bde-columns-6679-101-6679-1 bde-columns bde-columns-6679-101\"><div class=\"bde-column-6679-102-6679-1 bde-column bde-column-6679-102\">\n  \n  \n\t\n\n\n\n<div class=\"bde-image-6679-103-6679-1 bde-image bde-image-6679-103\">\n<figure class=\"breakdance-image breakdance-image--6520\">\n\t<div class=\"breakdance-image-container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"breakdance-image-clip\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"breakdance-image-object\" src=\"https:\/\/www.oddsmonkey.com\/matched-betting\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/29-2-1.png\" width=\"691\" height=\"462\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.oddsmonkey.com\/matched-betting\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/29-2-1.png 691w, https:\/\/www.oddsmonkey.com\/matched-betting\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/29-2-1-300x201.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 691px) 100vw, 691px\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/div>\n\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div><div class=\"bde-column-6679-104-6679-1 bde-column bde-column-6679-104\">\n  \n  \n\t\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"bde-heading-6679-105-6679-1 bde-heading bde-heading-6679-105\">\nMake \u00a329+ profit <br>on our completely Free Trial\n<\/h1><h1 class=\"bde-heading-6679-106-6679-1 bde-heading bde-heading-6679-106\">\nUnlock \u00a329 with our offer guides. Each guide will walk you through the back and lay bets needed to make your first matched betting profits.\n<\/h1><div class=\"bde-button-6679-107-6679-1 bde-button bde-button-6679-107\">\n        \n    \n    \n    \n    \n            \n                    \n            \n            \n\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    <a class=\"breakdance-link button-atom button-atom--custom bde-button__button\" href=\"https:\/\/members.oddsmonkey.com\/account\/register\" target=\"_self\" data-type=\"url\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\n    \n        <span class=\"button-atom__text\">Start your <strong>FREE<\/strong> Trial<\/span>\n\n        \n        \n                <\/a>\n\n    \n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/section><\/div><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Matched Betting Basics Understand Matched Betting in 1 Minute What is Matched Betting?In a nutshell, matched betting is a way to turn bookmaker sign up offers into real profit. A typical example of a sign up offer is: \u2018Bet \u00a310 to get a \u00a320 free bet\u2019. When you open an account with a bookmaker and &#8230; <a title=\"Learn in 1 Minute\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.oddsmonkey.com\/matched-betting\/learn-in-1-minute\/\">Read more <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Learn in 1 Minute<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_breakdance_hide_in_design_set":false,"_breakdance_tags":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2780","page","type-page","status-publish"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oddsmonkey.com\/matched-betting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2780","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oddsmonkey.com\/matched-betting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oddsmonkey.com\/matched-betting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oddsmonkey.com\/matched-betting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oddsmonkey.com\/matched-betting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2780"}],"version-history":[{"count":139,"href":"https:\/\/www.oddsmonkey.com\/matched-betting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2780\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6980,"href":"https:\/\/www.oddsmonkey.com\/matched-betting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2780\/revisions\/6980"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oddsmonkey.com\/matched-betting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2780"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}