⚠️ Matched betting is relatively risk-free. However, stating that objectively ignores common factors like human error and gambling compulsion. Your first 100 hours will typically involve following step-by-step guides and moving money between online accounts, which if you continue to do correctly will multiply and likely net you between £15-£30 per hour.
First Steps for a Sustainable Side-Hustle
An honest list of six things you need to get started, to help decide whether matched betting is for you, and begin on the best track if it is:
🔞 18+ and UK Resident — Where this is all currently legal (and tax-free)!
🌐 Access to an internet device — Your mileage will vary based on equipment! I can't speak to the efficiency of doing this on a mobile device, as my experience is on a desktop.
📧 An email address — Any free Gmail or Hotmail account works, but please create an alias! The key is to avoid looking at anything betting-related when you don't have to.
🏦 A bank account or e-wallet — I prefer Monzo (referral link) as it has a few unique advantages, but any bank with a decent app will work fine.
💰 At least £50 — Though £500 and several focused hours per day is considered a 'healthy starting point' in terms of return on investment.
🧑 Valid photo ID (passport or driving license) — For age verification, but also to prevent the exploitation of these offers simply by making multiple accounts.
Matched betting funds are not at risk, because it involves placing bets on all possible outcomes of an event. At its most basic, we're using promotional offers at one bookmaker and laying the same bet (betting against the outcome) at a betting exchange. Profits are maximised by finding back and lay bets closely matched in the optimal odds range, meeting the various offer criteria and qualifying for free bets.
As you might gather, this can only be accomplished efficiently with the help of software, and Outplayed (formerly Profit Accumulator) is arguably the most cost-effective and comprehensive suite of matched betting tools available in 2024. Matched betting is most effectively learned by doing and you'll get faster as you go. There is a one-week free trial, so as long as you have a spare couple of hours over the next 7 days, you will easily make enough profit to cover the first month.
But after all that, suppose you might fancy treating yourself to a flutter on your favourite football team? In that case, I recommend not going further as through matched betting you are inherently exposed to easy access and instant online gambling. However, if all of the above somehow sounds appealing to you and this introduction was helpful, you can thank me by using my referral code: 20673653 or using my link — we both get £30 if you do!
Full disclaimer: matched betting is not by any measure my main or sole source of income, I would describe myself as a casual, enthusiast or hobbyist matched better.
This is information only – not financial advice. Please do your due diligence, research and seek independent advice when required.
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Thank you!
To me, matched betting is an intriguing internet-enabled socioeconomic mind virus, and it's spread far enough now that whole companies have popped up in recent years to profit from it — above is my recent comparison of the main two. For many, it's simply a fun way to decompress, earn a bit of extra cash and stick it (in a minuscule way) to a greed-based, exploitative industry that can morally justify top CEOs earning £221 million a year in 2024. Great guides on matched betting already exist and are widely available elsewhere online, but if you'd like to learn more about my journey and what I've learned, I'll continue to update this page with quick tips and answers to any common questions.