Thousands of players from around the world place bets daily, hoping to earn a decent profit. However, in practice, most of them end up losing, since the vast majority of bettors either don’t use any betting strategies or rely on ineffective systems.
Only experienced bettors have found a way to beat the bookies —and by the end of this article, you’ll see exactly why.
Introduction to Sports Arbitrage
Sports arbitrage is a popular system in betting that allows a punter wager on all available outcomes of an event in a way to get a guaranteed profit, no matter the final outcome of a selected event.
These opportunities arise fairly frequently due to several reasons:
- Bookmakers are late to change the odds after their competitors.
- Bookies may intentionally inflate odds to attract new customers.
- Errors in setting betting lines for specific matches.
Types of Arbitrage Bets
Currently, arbitrage in sports betting falls into two categories: live (in-play) and prematch (before the game starts). Prematch arbs are easier to handle, whereas live arbitrage requires more experience and quick decision-making.
The easiest surebet includes two opposing results of event. However, there are also three-way arbitrages, and sometimes even more complex ones involving 4-5 outcomes.
Arbitrage Example
Bookmaker 1 (B1) – Handicap: F1 (-1.5) = @1.81, F2 (+1.5) = @2.11
Bookmaker 2 (B2) – Handicap: F1 (-1.5) = @2.05, F2 (+1.5) = @1.87
These are odds set by two bookies for a Spanish La Liga match.
An experienced arber will immediately recognize an arbitrage opportunity between F2 (+1.5) at B1 and F1 (-1.5) at B2, since both odds are higher than 2.00. By wagering on both results, the player secures a profit regardless of the match’s outcome.
This example illustrates a basic arbitrage opportunity. In reality, identifying and calculating arbs can be time-consuming, which is why professional bettors often turn to specialized arbitrage services.
Arbitrage Scanners and Their Advantages
The core function of an arbitrage service (arb scanner) is to collect and analyze odds from a wide range of bookmakers, detect arbitrage opportunities, and present them to users.
Many scanners also feature built-in arbitrage calculators for convenient stake allocation, as well as additional tools.
Betburger is currently considered the best arbitrage scanner available. It is widely used by thousands of professional bettors.
Why Betburger Stands Out
Betburger currently collects and analyzes data from nearly 450 bookmakers, covering more than 40 sports in both live and prematch formats. Another key advantage is its comprehensive feature set, which significantly simplifies work with sport arbs.
Notable features include the ability to hide arbs from the feed, the close odds tool for comparing the odds from different bookies, and a built-in accounting for tracking bets and deposits.
Conclusion
Arbitrage betting is indeed an effective way to beat the bookmaker, and this article clearly demonstrates that. However, if you aim to maximize your profit, a reliable arb scanning service is essential.
