How to Use Matched Betting in Horse Racing and Win

You may have heard the term matched betting before.  It is a system that is constantly used when betting, especially on horse racing. Since it is one of the most controversial of the betting strategies, people often wonder if it is legal and what happens to their account if they're caught betting on horses that way. You need to know all the pros and cons of this approach to horse gambling if it is worth using this system, as well as all the different types of matched betting that exist. Also, some matched betting tips to get it right are essential. 

Best matched betting betting sites

In the shortlist below, you can find the top matched betting sites for horse racing in your country. We elected them because they have the best odds, do not limit your account too fast and have many promotional offers for you to use. 

How do you define horse racing matched betting

Matched betting in horse racing is where you back a horse using bookmaker free bets and promotions, while also laying it to lose on a betting exchange. The reason is to ensure that you have all bases covered. Matched betting is about guaranteeing yourself a profit regardless of the outcome. It sounds simple enough, but there are pitfalls and risks attached. The bookies do not like situations where they cannot win. To understand the process perfectly, let’s work through an example step by step:

⏩ Find an attractive betting offer through a sportsbook that you already have an account.

⏩ Use whatever bonus you get to back a horse that interests you, Kauto Star, for instance, to win.

⏩ Now use a betting exchange to lay Kauto Star to lose that same race.

⏩ Consider the stakes and returns needed to guarantee a profit regardless of the result.

⏩ If Kauto Star wins the race, the bookmaker pays winnings out to you.

⏩ If Kauto Star loses the race, whoever took your lay bet on the exchange pays you money.

Is matched betting in horse racing legal

There is no law against matched betting right now, but there’s also a moral dimension to this type of gambling. Provided you do your sums correctly and follow a staking plan that factors in both back and lay bets and their potential returns, you cannot lose. Is that fair? The answer depends upon who you ask. Put it to a bookmaker, and they will take a dim view of horse racing matched betting. They don’t like it because you can’t lose it. But if there is no legislation preventing you from using matched betting for horse racing, then why not do it? Some consequences that can result from this form of gambling. You need to know what those are and be prepared for them. After all, betting always comes with a risk.

What if I am caught doing matched betting

If you are caught taking part in matched betting, then be prepared to have your horse betting account limited and restricted. You will no longer be able to take advantage of offers and promotions as, in the bookmaker's eyes, you have been taking them for a ride. You will receive an email from them informing you of the limits imposed. If you persist, however, then bookmakers reserve the right to close your account altogether. Getting shutdown makes life tougher for matched bettors. You will have to go elsewhere to back horses, and the bookies may be sharing data and information about people they have blacklisted.

What matched betting horse racing criteria should I conside

There is plenty to keep in mind if you are using matched betting as a strategy. The margin for error when utilizing matched betting in horse races is very narrow, so you need to have a clear judgment to avoid confusion. That's why you have to consider the following:

⦁ Knowledge - The more you know about horse racing, the better. Suppose you can make informed choices about who to bet on and when then that can only help your cause.

⦁ Form – Careful study of current and past form, race trends, and statistics enable you to identify horses to back and lay through matched betting.

⦁ Odds – Prices are everything with this form of gambling. The odds for a horse determine your potential returns, so you must calculate these to make the right staking plan.

⦁ Stakes – How much do you need to wager in total across back and lay bets to guarantee some profit? Get the maths right, or you could end up losing money.

⦁ Capital – You cannot do matched betting on horse racing through bonuses alone. You have to at least place a lay bet in cash on the exchanges, so have a budget ready.

Arbitrage, or arbing, is when there are differences in price between different bookmakers. A sportsbook may have been slow to react compared to others who have shortened the odds up on a horse winning. If you capitalise on this, then you'll have backed it at better odds. While laying the same horse on the exchange, you have created a more significant margin for profit. As long as you have executed the staking plan correctly based on the prices available, you guarantee winning via arbing. 

You can also back an accumulator and lay the individual horses at the same time. With Accas and multiples, the odds multiply from leg to leg. If all horses win, then you are well into profit off a unit stake. If you have done the maths right, this will far exceed what you lose in lay bets. Should one or more leg of the Acca let you down, then the horses you laid which lost mitigate that.

How can I make matched betting in my account less obvious

If you only use your betting account to place matched bets on horses, then it is going to be pretty clear to the bookmaker what you’re doing. A more subtle approach is needed. You do not want it to be evident that matched betting is going on, so you need to throw the bookies off the scent. The easiest way to do that is to place something known in the industry as mug bets.

Try gambling on the horses without an offer or promotion attached to your wagers. Don’t cover yourself with lay bets on these. You want to look like a regular, average mug punter who is of no concern to a bookmaker. Anything that conceals what is going on will help to keep your account open and free of any limits they may impose. You want to remain free from suspicion for as long as possible.

The most important thing is to be organised. Doing a bit of mug punting to obscure the real goal of your gambling is just one of our matched betting tips we recommend. You need to know which bookies have horse racing offers on and when. You also need to know when the best events in this sport are happening, so you can start to plan matched betting and other wagers that conceal it. Another critical tip is to get your sums to spot on.

Know what odds you have taken and what bonus amount is staked for the back bet on a horse, so you can calculate what price to lay it at so that profit is guaranteed. Striking the right balance between that and mug bets that hide your real intent is also crucial. Horse racing is particularly suited to this form of gambling.  Above all, be persistent and stick with the matched betting system if you want to see that all-important profit later on.

The benefits are clear. You are guaranteeing yourself a profit. It might take a while to build up, but slowly, over time, the backing and laying of the same outcome will pay off. Everyone wants to win when they bet, so this system makes that a consistent possibility.

The downside is that you run the genuine risk of being found out. You will upset the bookies you gamble. They won’t hesitate to slap sanctions on you by restricting your account with the last resort of closing it for good. So, is matched betting worth it? For as long as you can get away with it, yes.

What estimated profit can you make from matched betting

This entirely depends on how long you can conceal it from the bookmakers. Bookies are on the lookout for it. They use bots to trawl through gambling activity that can spot suspicious patterns. Other factors are the stakes involved and odds taken. The right staking plan means you will always make money, but the amount you could win may be higher with one outcome over the other. Profit is profit, but it is sometimes impossible to guarantee the same winnings off both the back and lay bets. The prices at which these wagers were struck determine how much you stand to gain.

Is there value in matched betting on horses: by Book Spy

Yes, for the period that you can do it restriction-free. If you can’t lose, that cannot be a bad thing. However, bookmakers can and will stop you if you are suspected of or caught doing matched betting. While one outcome is written off as a loss, the art of it is to ensure that the other pays a significant enough return to wipe that out. Horse racing matched betting has plenty going for it. You can take steps to hide your real intent by engaging with mug betting. This will hopefully confuse bookies into underestimating you. What you have to do is keep on top of your staking plan and betting strategy at all times. Know the amounts you need to stake from the prices on offer for both back and lay bets, and you can’t go wrong.