Sports Arbitrage Betting Questions and Answers

Choosing The Best Online Bookmakers

The nature of this business dictates that you will need to open a number of accounts with on-line bookmakers. However once you start to look into this, you will discover that there are hundreds if not thousands of on-line bookies competing for your business. Do we take the following view?

More accounts = more money

Therefore we should open accounts with all of them?

The short answer is no. It’s quality not quantity that we should be looking for. But what makes a “quality” bookmaker? Here are some points to look for:

A stable, well presented, professional looking site with an easy interface and quick download times.
Good customer service with fast response times. Live chat is a definite plus. As is a telephone number. E-mail only is a negative.
Large range of markets available
High regulatory requirements. The UK has one of the highest. I would avoid on-line bookies that are based in locations that have reputations for lax standards. In the same vein, bookies that have a bricks and mortar presence as well as on-line are a plus.
Favourable reviews and feedback. Visit the main bookmaker review sites and visit the forums. The main sites are:
- www.sportsbookreview.com
- www.bookmakerreview.com
After checking them out, look for those that offer the most generous free bets or bonuses.

This was an eye opener for me; I naively assumed that every bookmaker that did business on the net must be reputable. I didn’t think for one minute that some of them were not. If you are just starting out on this venture you can largely avoid the low quality bookmakers by following the points mentioned above.

It is essential to do your own research in this area and satisfy yourself that you are dealing with a reputable company. sportsbookreview.com gives a rating for a large number of on line bookmakers and constantly upgrades and downgrades depending on reports it receives. Please bear in mind that it is US centric and there are a few negative views on their forums as a result of the fallout from the recent US on-line gambling laws.

The overriding factor in selecting a bookmaker is this:

Do you feel that your money is safe?

Don’t get suckered into taking what looks like a juicy arb with overly generous odds from a dodgy bookmaker. Ultimately if you don’t get paid, then all your work amounts to nothing.

Keep it simple

When you are starting out, keep all your accounts in the same currency. Unless you are super organised you will find it difficult enough getting used to the admin involved without giving to worry about currency conversions. As you gain more experience you can add to your bookmaker portfolio and include more accounts

Arbitrage Friendly Bookmakers

Some bookmakers take a different approach to sports arbitrage betting than others. Here is a list of arbitrage friendly bookmakers:

Pinnaclesports.com
Canbet.com
Willhill.com

Please note that some bookmakers are more friendly than others and bookmakers views and strategies may change over time.