At some point, most sports bettors come to the same conclusion: consistently beating bookmakers is extremely difficult without a solid strategy. One of the most reliable approaches used by experienced bettors is arbitrage betting (also called a surebet). In this article, we’ll explain the basics, show how it works, and look at how bettors find these opportunities.
What is arbitrage betting?
Arbitrage betting happens when different bookmakers offer odds that create a guaranteed profit opportunity on opposite outcomes of the same event.
In simple terms, a bettor places wagers on all possible outcomes using different bookmakers. If the odds are right, the total return will be higher than the total amount staked – no matter how the match ends.
This may sound unusual, since bookmakers are constantly trying to avoid pricing mistakes. Still, arbitrage opportunities appear for several reasons:
- Competition between bookmakers, which can lead to more attractive odds
- Pricing errors, when odds are set incorrectly
- Slow updates, especially during live events when odds move fast
The first two causes are more common in prematch arbitrage, while delayed updates are a major source of live arbitrage opportunities.
There are two main ways of finding surebets: by your own or by using the best arbitrage betting software which will completely simplify the process.
Example of an arbitrage bet
Let’s look at a simple example to see how a surebet works.
Match: Galway United vs Waterford (League of Ireland)
Odds from Bookmaker 1:
Under 2.5 Goals – 1.75
Over 2.5 Goals – 2.00
Odds from Bookmaker 2:
Under 2.5 Goals – 2.14
Over 2.5 Goals – 1.86
The profitable combination here is:
Over 2.5 Goals @ 2.00 (Bookmaker 1)
Under 2.5 Goals @ 2.14 (Bookmaker 2)
Sample stake split:
- Bet €45 on Over 2.5 at 2.00
- Bet €42 on Under 2.5 at 2.14
- Total amount staked = €87
Outcome 1: Under 2.5 wins
Return = €42 × 2.14 = €89.88
Profit = €89.88 − €87 = €2.88
Outcome 2: Over 2.5 wins
Return = €45 × 2.00 = €90.00
Profit = €90.00 − €87 = €3.00
So, whichever result happens, the bettor finishes with a profit.
This is a clean and easy example, but in real betting markets, opportunities are often less obvious and disappear quickly. That’s why speed matters.
How Bettors Find Arbitrage Opportunities
Arbitrage bets can be found manually, but it takes time and experience. You need to compare odds across many bookmakers and calculate stake sizes correctly every time.
Because of this, many bettors use arbitrage scanners – tools that automatically search for surebets and show:
- which bookmakers to use
- which outcomes to bet on
- how much to stake on each side
These services save a huge amount of time and reduce mistakes.
BetBurger and Arbitrage Scanning Tools
One of the best-known arbitrage scanners mentioned in the rankings is BetBurger. It monitors odds across a very large number of bookmakers and sports, helping users spot opportunities much faster than manual searching. The platform is also known for its broad feature set and regular updates, including new bookmakers and tools.
Like most advanced scanners, it is a paid service. However, many bettors consider the subscription worthwhile because it can help them find opportunities more consistently and act before odds change.
In addition, BetBurger has many useful tools and features that will definitely help you operate easily with surebets and valuebets (eg., 4 team parlay payout calculator, odds converter, comparison service and many others).
Conclusion
Arbitrage betting is one of the few sports betting strategies that can produce steady returns without relying on prediction skill or luck. The key is identifying the right odds differences and placing all bets correctly before the market moves.
With enough knowledge – and especially with the help of a reliable scanner – arbitrage betting can become a practical and disciplined approach to sports betting.