$/€ Arbitrage Betting: The Ultimate Guide to Surebets
Lina Almans
Upd 12 days ago
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Arbitrage betting (also known as surebets or arbs) is a strategy where you place bets on all possible outcomes of the same sporting event across different bookmakers to secure a guaranteed profit — no matter who wins.
✅ These outcomes are called “ways” — for example, a 2-way bet (win/lose), 3-way (win/draw/lose), or even 4-way+ when exact scores are involved.
In short, sports arbitrage eliminates risk by exploiting differences in odds between bookmakers.
Example: Federer vs Nadal
Imagine a tennis match between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. Since tennis has no draw, there are only two outcomes:
- Federer wins (Nadal loses)
- Nadal wins (Federer loses)
Let’s say:
- Bookmaker A offers 2.40 on Federer
- Bookmaker B offers 2.10 on Nadal
If you bet $180 on Federer and $160 on Nadal, you’re guaranteed a profit.
| Outcome | Odds | Calculation | Profit |
| Federer | 2.40 | $180 × 2.40 = $432 | $432 − $340 = +$92 |
| Nadal | 2.10 | $160 × 2.10 = $336 | $336 − $340 = −$4 |
To balance both sides correctly, you’d need to adjust the stakes according to the odds (shown below in the arb formula). After recalculating, your profit will equalize — usually a few percent of your total stake — regardless of who wins.
How to Calculate the Arb?
Arbitrage Percentage = (100 / Odds 1) + (100 / Odds 2) + … + (100 / Odds n),
where n is the number of ways
✅ If the Arbitrage Percentage is less than 100%, you have an arb.
For example, remember the tennis match between Federer and Nadal that we told you about? So, the arb percentage is:
Arbitrage Percentage = (100 / 2.1) + (100 / 2.4) = 47.61 + 41.66 = 89.27%
Since the arbitrage percentage is less than 100%, this is an arb opportunity.
💰 How to Calculate Stake for Each Outcome?
W = 1 / Odd / T * B,
T is total probability of outcomes in decimal expression
B is total stake
Don’t want to calculate the arb yourself? Use our arb calculator. Just enter the odds and the stake, and it will do the math for you.
How to Find Sports Arbitrage?
You can find arbitrage opportunities in two ways:
- Manually: calculate arb % using the formulas above or a surebet calculator.
- Using scanners: tools like RebelBetting, Arbster, OddsShopper, BMBets, or Surebet.com scan odds across hundreds of bookmakers and highlight opportunities automatically.
Arbs and “Ways” in Sports Betting
| Ways in Surebet | Sport | Example Outcomes |
| 2-Way | Basketball, Tennis | Team A wins / Team B wins |
| 3-Way | Football (Soccer) | Home win / Draw / Away win |
| 4-Way | Tennis (exact score) | 3:0 / 0:3 / 2:1 / 1:2 |
| 5-Way | Football (exact goals) | 0:0 / 0:1 / 1:0 / Exactly 2 goals / Over 2.5 |
The more “ways” an arb has, the harder it is to find — and the faster the opportunity disappears.
What Causes Arbitrage Opportunities
Arbitrage exists because bookmakers don’t always agree on odds. Common reasons include:
- Bookmaker errors — a mispriced line, accidental or strategic
- Odds delay — some bookies update slower than others
- Market imbalance — heavy betting on one side shifts odds at one site but not yet at another
But remember: arbs rarely last more than a few minutes. Bookmakers monitor each other and adjust quickly.
How Bookmakers React to Arbers
While arbitrage betting isn’t illegal, bookmakers dislike it because it guarantees player profit. As a result:
- Accounts may be limited or closed
- Bet sizes may be restricted
- Certain markets may be suspended or delayed
To avoid detection, many arbers use multiple accounts, varying stake sizes, and VPNs — though these actions can still violate bookie terms.
Arbitrage Betting: Pros and Cons
Arbitrage betting is one of the few truly risk-free strategies in sports betting — if executed correctly. However, it demands precision, timing, and multiple bookmaker accounts. Done right, it can generate consistent profits without relying on chance — but if done carelessly, it can quickly lead to account bans or missed opportunities.
