The phrase matched betting can bring with it thoughts of, well, betting.
And when we think of betting, we think of gambling.
And when we think of gambling, we think of winning big - or losing big - without any real strategy. Just luck.
This isn't matched betting.
I won't go into the specifics of matched betting here in this piece (you can read more about it here), but I will reiterate one thing - you're not setting out on a betting or luck-based side hustle.
Yes, you're going to be using online sportsbooks and yes, you're going to technically be placing bets.
But that doesn't mean that the outcome of the event will determine whether you're eating well tonight or not.
Matched betting isn't gambling. It's about locking in guaranteed profits from sign up offers, promos and free bets. And if we go to the next level, it opens up a whole world of maximizing your earnings with the likes of arbitrage betting and other win win sports betting strategies.
What you do need to keep in mind though is like quite literally everything, there are some risks associated with matched betting.
Importantly, they can all be navigated around - but you need to know what they are before you start working out how to ensure you don't fall foul to them.
We speak a lot about how our matched betting software does all of the complicated math for you. Where once upon a time matched betting involved endless amounts of paper, spreadsheets and calculations, you've got everything you need at your fingertips to do the vast majority of the work for you.
But they key point here is "vast majority".
Matched betting isn't a get rick quick scheme. It's not a totally automated process. You don't just click a button and hey, you've got $1,000+ landing in your account each month.
You need to spend the time learning a new skill and understanding how to use the tools at your disposal.
Now clearly we give all of the support you need (hey, we'll quite literally jump on a video call and talk you through everything step-by-step), but you still need to invest some time and effort.
If you don't, you can find that you create the main risk in your matched betting journey - human error.
Think about this as a basic scenario.
I tell you to place one bet at Sportsbook A and another bet at Sportsbook B. I tell you exactly what team to place the bet on and exactly how much to stake.
The only side note is if the stake changes to what I told you - even by a tiny amount - you don't put the bet on. You just stop and wait until I tell you the details of the next bet.
You do as I say, and you don't win any money, but you also don't lose any.
If you don't do as I say and place the bets irrelevant of what the stakes are, you're just gambling. You're back to hoping and praying that your bet pays off - and if it doesn't, you'll be out of pocket.
This is exactly what I mean when I talk about human error being the biggest risk in matched betting. It's when the biggest mistakes occur.
There's no risk with the software.
There's no risk with the strategies.
And this is why it's commonly referred to as no-risk matched betting.
But if you ignore what's being provided, you aren't matched betting anymore. You're just plain old sports betting.
This ties into the above, but I'm going to pull it out specifically as it's super important, and one that I know some people have a challenge with.
If you're a die-hard Lakers fan and there's an awesome matched betting opportunity on their game against the Celtics, every piece of emotion you have needs to go out of the window.
We tell you to bet on the Celtics to win? You need to do it.
We've said this before, but matched betting isn't about sports. It's about math. It's about numbers.
It doesn't matter how much you know about sport or even what the sport or event is. It's just about getting you profits.
Think of it that way or you start to end up in a difficult position.
Human error is undoubtedly the biggest risk with matched betting, followed closely by an almost physical inability to bet against your favorite team.
Add the increasingly common trapdoor of using unregulated, offshore sportsbooks to place bets, and you've nailed the three biggest risk factors with matched betting.
Be aware of these simple precautions and you'll remove 90% of the potential obstacles you could be faced with matched betting.
But there are a handful of others it's always good to understand, and the most notable of them is having your sportsbooks accounts restricted.
In reality, if your sportsbook account gets restricted or limited, it doesn't actually mean anything in the sense that your bets are at risk or you may lose money.
What it does mean is you may be unable to place bets at the required level to unlock guaranteed profits. Or it could mean you won't get access to matched betting reload offers for additional matched betting opportunities.
And in the most severe of cases, it could mean you can't place any bets at all.
Now what we can do is simply ignore that sportsbook and focus on the other that you have available. That works.
But we want to do our utmost to reduce the chance of any sportsbook restrictions as the more sportsbooks we have active, unrestricted accounts with, the more profits we can make.
So there are a handful of things we always recommend:
We all make mistakes. Even though you can be fully aware of the impact human error can have with matched betting - and even though you might do everything to navigate around it - mistakes happen.
You don't put enough money on one bet.
The odds change and you don't realise it.
It happens.
And if it does and it results in a loss, the worst thing you can do is chase it and try and make up for it with a bigger, unsafe bet.
When you do this, you again move away from matched betting and head to standard, luck-based betting. You became nothing more than your average bettor who puts the advantage firmly back in the favor of the bookmakers.
Instead, you need to understand why the mistake happened and then double-down your efforts to increase your earnings in a controlled way with matched betting and all of the tools at your disposal.
Remember: matched betting opens up opportunities with the likes of online casinos and arbitrage betting. They're more advanced techniques, but if you can take the time to understand them (and as ever, follow our in-depth guides to the letter) you'll be making bigger profits than you can cash out than ever before.
I'm mentioning this as although it's not a risk as such - you can't start matched betting without a bankroll - it can be a challenge if you're targeting a certain income every month and don't have the bankroll to match.
You need to keep in mind that your bankroll isn't at risk (on the assumption you make note of everything this article) and is there to solely help you unlock the free bets and promos and turn them into guaranteed cash.
You can essentially start with whatever size bankroll you have, but we generally suggest somewhere in the region of $300 to $500 will allow you to move at pace and start seeing some particularly positive profits.
Now if your bankroll is less than that - OK, you can work with that. Yes, you might not be able to make $1,000+ in your first week or month, but you can target that over time.
What you can't do is try to use a $50 bankroll to get to $1,000+ a month immediately, as you'll end up doing what I mentioned above - moving away from what the software and strategies say and adding genuine risk. Again, you become a regular bettor, not a matched bettor.
It's worthwhile highlighting some risks now that aren't actually risks, as in the world of matched betting there are a lot of misconceptions.
Some people see it as some type of Dark Art that belongs in the world of Harry Potter.
Others see it as something that can't possibly be accessible to most people.
So let me dispel three common misconceptions about matched betting risks:
1. You need to be a knowledgeable sports bettor - FALSE. It literally makes zero difference whether you're the world's biggest NFL fan or you don't know your end line from your three point line. You just need to be able to understand the process and follow the strategies laid out.
2. It's impossible to make money without a huge bankroll - FALSE. Yes, generally speaking, you can make more profits quicker with a bigger bankroll as you can access more offers, but as mentioned above, you could start with as little $50 and still start seeing a profit.
3. Matched betting will affect your credit core - FALSE matched betting will not affect your credit score. As quoted by credit experts Experian "Any gambling-related activity does not show up on your credit report, nor does it directly impact your credit history."
4. You need to have a serious understanding of complex math - FALSE. This may have been the case once upon a time, but today we have software that takes care of all of the complex calculations. You just need to follow the process and actions the software and our strategies explain. It's as simple as that.
The biggest thing you can do to protect yourself from any risks you might find yourself facing with matched betting is quite simply to be sensible.
Don't rush into things.
Don't skip through reading information.
Don't think you'll 'just try something new even though the software says otherwise'.
We've helped over 400,000 people make literally thousands of dollars each month. We've got customer stories here and you can head over to Discord to see people actively sharing their insights as they make profits.
Matched betting isn't new. It's not untried and it's not untested.
If you follow what the software and strategies say, you will make money regularly and consistently.
Matched betting isn't a risky process. In fact, its focus is to remove the risk from the betting process so you can take home guaranteed profits.
And that's what you need to keep in mind.
You don't need to rely on luck or think that you need to have something in particular go your way to see a pay day. Matched betting is about banking cash whatever the outcome of the event you're involved with - and the only reason this generally won't happen is not because of the complicated math or sophisticated software, but because of a simple human error.
The best thing you can do is if you have any questions on matched betting - risks or otherwise - is just to ask.
Our Member Success Team is here to do one clear thing: help you make money.
What they don't know about matched betting isn't worth knowing, so don't hesitate to ask any question you have.
I'd always recommend reaching out via Discord (as so many of our members are mega helpful and will share their insights, too), but you can reach us in whatever way you want here.