Surebets, also known as arbitrage bets or arbs, are a strategy used in sports betting to guarantee a profit regardless of the outcome. A surebet arises when there are discrepancies in the odds offered by different bookmakers for a particular event, allowing you to place bets on all possible outcomes and still make a profit.
Surebets are based on exploiting discrepancies in odds, and they require careful calculations and quick execution. They are often short-lived opportunities, as bookmakers and exchanges adjust their odds to eliminate arbitrage opportunities.
How to Calculate Surebets — Real Example of Finding Sure Bets
Let’s say there’s a tennis match between Elina Svitolina and Jessica Pegula, and you find the following odds from two different bookmakers:
Bookmaker Bet365:
- Elina Svitolina: 1,26 (decimal odds)
- Jessica Pegula: 3,8 (decimal odds)
Bookmaker William Hill:
- Elina Svitolina: 1,42 (decimal odds)
- Jessica Pegula: 2,86 (decimal odds)
Elina Svitolina | Bookmaker | Jessica Pegula |
1,26 | Bet365 | 3,8 |
1,42 | William Hill | 2,86 |
Define inversion (L) for all the results:
Bet365: L = 1 / 1,26 + 1 / 3,8 = 1,056 William Hill: L = 1 / 1,42 + 1 / 2,86 = 1,053
Based on the calculations, we can determine a profit of 5.6% for Bet365 and 5.3% for William Hill regardless of the outcome of the competition.
1. Inversion (L) for Bet365 and William Hill. Imagine Bet365 bets on the win of Elina Svitolina, and William Hill – on Jessica Pegula:
L = 1 / 3,8 + 1 / 1,42 = 0,9673
It can be seen from the calculation that the inversion for counter bets is less than 1. This means that both bookmakers are suitable and we can continue our calculation.
2. Calculate the required rates. Let’s say we have $500. Bets on Bet365 (V1) and William Hill (V2) are as follows:
V1 = 500/(0,9673 x 3.8) = $136 V2 = 500/(0,9673 x 1.42) = $364
As a result, in order to get a guaranteed profit, we have to bet $136 on Elina Svitolina (Bet365 ) to win and $364 on Jessica Pegula (William Hill).
3. Profit (P). Calculate the profit from the total amount of bets.
If Elina Svitolina WINS:
P = 136 x 3,8 - (136 + 364) = $16,80
If Jessica Pegula WINS:
P = 136 x 3,8 - (136 + 364) = $16,88
Your total winnings amount to $516.8 regardless of the final outcome of the match. The net profit is 3.36%. Please take into account any potential fees and expenses associated with withdrawing funds from the bookmaker. It’s possible that this sure bet has a relatively low profit margin.
Is it possible to make money with surebets?
Let’s illustrate the answer to the question with an example of a tennis match between approximately equal opponents. Let’s say the bookmaker ‘A’ sets the odds to 2.10 for the win of the player ‘X’, while the bookmaker ‘B’ sets 2.15 for the win of the player ‘Y’.
It is easy to calculate that by betting the same amounts, for example, $1,000 each, we will eventually get either $100 or $150 of net profit: (1000 * 2.10) = 2100, (1000 * 2.15) = 2150.
Thousands of events take place worldwide every day, all of them being represented in the lines of hundreds of bookies. With such a variety, it is extremely difficult to find suitable odds on your own, so many bettors resort to using surebet services. For the pros, the surebet scanner is the same working tool as the steering wheel for the aircraft pilot.
What is Live and Premach Surebets
Live Sure Bet:
A live sure bet is a mathematically calculated arbitrage opportunity that arises due to the difference in bookmakers’ odds in Live Betting mode (in-game betting). As a result, you have the opportunity to place bets on all opposing outcomes of the competition in different bookmakers and regardless of the match outcome, earn a profit!
Benefits of “live surebets”
- A large number of surebets with high profitability
- Frequent changes in betting odds, respectively, a large number of new surebets.
- The chance of receiving a reward from bookmakers is much lower than in a pre-match.
- Quick return of the “bankroll”, and therefore, a rapid increase in value.
Prematch Sure Bet:
A prematch sure bet, also known as a pregame sure bet, is a type of sure bet that occurs before a sporting event begins. It involves taking advantage of the discrepancies in the odds offered by different bookmakers prior to the start of the event. By identifying and placing bets on different outcomes with different bookmakers, a bettor can ensure a profit regardless of the final outcome of the match. Prematch sure bets require careful research and quick execution before the bookmakers adjust their odds to eliminate the arbitrage opportunity.
Benefits of “prematch surebets”
- A large number of sporting events that will begin in the near future.
- Accordingly, a large number of betting surebets for future events.
- Bookmaker odds change slowly, so betting is easy.
- Working with prematch arbs is easy – suitable for beginners.
Live surebets are very difficult to track. Therefore, not all services offer this mode. It is also believed that Live is more secure, because it is impossible for bookmakers to determine the player who bets on surebets in Live mode.
TOP3 Best Surebets Software
BetBurger
CHOICE EDITOR! The arbitrage betting service scans over 100 bookmakers and 40 sports. The best scanning speed among competitors. Surebets & Valuebets in Live/Prematch. Price from €159.99.
RebelBetting
Old surebets software, scans over 60 bookmakers and 10 sports. Scanning speed is average. Surebets & Valuebets in Prematch only. Price from $99 (with limits on profit).
BetWasp
The arbitrage betting tool is aimed at players from the USA. Scans over 100 bookmakers and 40 kinds of sport. High scanning speed. Sure Bets and Positive EV Bets in Live/Prematch. Price from $159.99.
How surebet scanners work
The surebet scanner is a software designed to automatically find the arbitrage situations and provide a list to its users.
- The program scans all the odds for the upcoming sporting event in all possible bookmakers. This process is fully automated.
- Then the program finds the best odds among thousands of possible ones. Carries out a mathematical calculation of the surebet.
- Displays the most profitable surebets in the range of 5-15% in its interface. And it shows how much money and on what leverage you need to bet in order to get a guaranteed profit.
The advantage of an automated surebet search is that you minimize the risk of losing your bet. Also, specialized software offers a much larger selection of surebets than you could find on your own.
Important criteria for choosing software
List of the most important criteria:
➕ Free plan | Up to 1% |
➕ Live mode | Yes or No |
➕ Scan speed | Only Fast |
➕ Number of bookies | 80 or more |
➕ Number of markets | 100 or more |
➕ Valuebets | Yes or No |
Sure Beting Tips
- Monitor Odds Changes. Keep a close eye on the odds offered by bookmakers, as they can change rapidly. By monitoring the odds regularly, you can spot potential surebet opportunities before they disappear.
- Manage Your Bankroll. Determine your betting limits and avoid staking more than you can afford to lose, even though surebets are considered low-risk opportunities.
- Act Quickly. Once you identify a surebet, act quickly to place your bets before the odds change.
- Round your bets. Bets such as $104.67 and similar amounts may raise suspicion from the bookmaker.
- Avoid withdrawing funds after every successful transaction. This can raise suspicion from the bookmaker.
- Place regular bets on popular events, alternating them with arbitrage bets. This reduces your chances of being detected by the bookmaker.
- Avoid betting on the most profitable arbitrages. They may be traps. Bookmakers intentionally publish such arbitrage opportunities to identify arbers.
- Focus your bets on one or two selected sports. If you bet on multiple sports, the bookmaker may suspect you of using arbitrage strategies and initiate a detailed investigation.
- Avoid duplicating your bets. Duplicating bets is a clear sign of an arber.
FAQ
The average earnings on surebets fluctuate in the range of 5-15%. We do not recommend choosing surebets with a yield of more than 10%.
Yes, betting surebets are absolutely legal. But bookmakers apply sanctions to those who bet on surebets. It is very important not to find yourself.
It is enough to pay for one of the selected services (100-150$) and replenish different bookmakers for 300-500$.
Used literature, references
- What are surebets and how do you make money with bets? // Quora.com
- Are sure bets real? // Quora.com
- Arbitrage betting // en.wikipedia.org
- What is Surebets // ru.wikipedia.org
- What is Sure bets // betburger.com
An expert with 10 years of sports betting experience. Dozens of expert articles on specialized betting sites. Own methods for searching bookmaker surebets and value bets. I spoke at specialized sports betting conferences in the USA.