Start here: betting basics in 5 minutes

What a bookmaker is

A bookmaker (also called a sportsbook) is a company that takes bets on sports. You open an account on its website or app, pay money in, and place bets from that balance. Each bookmaker sets its own prices, and they don't always agree. That disagreement is what ArbVantage looks for.

ArbVantage is not a bookmaker. We never take bets and never hold your money. The app shows you where prices differ and works out the amounts; you place the bets yourself at your own accounts.

Odds: what 2.06 means

Prices are shown as decimal odds. Odds of 2.06 mean: bet €1, and if you win you get €2.06 back (your €1 plus €1.06 profit). If you lose, the €1 is gone. Higher odds pay more, but the outcome is less likely.

• "Over 2.5 goals" simply means 3 goals or more. Half goals can't happen; the .5 just makes sure there is no draw between Over and Under.
• "Under 2.5 goals" means 0, 1 or 2 goals.
• A handicap such as −3.5 means that team must win by 4 or more.

Stake, settled, void and limited

• Stake: the amount you bet.
• Settled: the match is over and the bookmaker has paid out (or not). Most bets settle within hours of the final whistle.
• Void: the bookmaker cancels a bet and gives the stake back, for example after an obvious pricing mistake or a postponed match.
• Limited: a bookmaker only accepts small stakes from you from now on. It happens sometimes to people who win; your balance there normally stays yours.

Opening and verifying an account

You need accounts at at least two bookmakers, because a sure bet always uses two. Opening one is free and works like opening a bank account online:

1. Sign up with your real name, address and date of birth (18+ only).
2. Verify your identity with an ID document. This is required by law and takes anywhere from minutes to a few days.
3. Pay in by card or bank transfer.

Tip: open your accounts first. Your 14-day ArbVantage trial keeps running while you wait for the ID checks, so it pays to have them done before you start. The app shows a neutral note on any bookmaker that isn't licensed in your country, so you can decide for yourself.

Where your money sits

Your betting money stays in your accounts at the bookmakers. You decide how much to pay in, and you can withdraw it at any time under that bookmaker's rules. We never see or hold it. Only use money you can do without, and start small: you can raise your stakes later once you know how it works.

Your first sure bet, step by step

A sure bet means betting on every outcome of one match at two bookmakers whose prices differ. Example: Bookmaker A pays 2.06 on Over 2.5 goals, Bookmaker B pays 2.00 on Under 2.5 goals.

1. Open the sure bet in the app. For each bookmaker it shows the match, what to pick and how much to type in. For a €100 total: €49.26 on Over at A and €50.74 on Under at B.
2. Check both prices. Open each bookmaker's app or website and make sure the odds still match.
3. Place the bet whose price is most likely to change first. The app marks it. Once it's accepted, place the second one straight away.
4. Tap "Placed" in the app. It records the bet and settles it automatically after the match.

Whatever the score, one of the two bets wins and pays about €101.48, so you get back about €1.48 more than the €100 you staked, as long as both bets are accepted at these odds. That's the whole idea: small amounts, many times a month, not big wins.

What can go wrong

• A price changes before you place the second bet. The app recalculates; usually you end a few euros down or up, whatever the score.
• A bookmaker voids one of your two bets. Then the other bet runs on its own, like an ordinary bet, and you can lose that whole stake (in the example up to €50.74). That's why the app warns about unusually high margins and you check every price before confirming.
• A bookmaker limits you. You then get fewer and smaller bets there. Read how bookmaker limits work.

No profit is guaranteed. Read sure betting explained next for the full picture, then how to split your bankroll.

Information, not betting advice. 18+. Betting involves risk. If betting stops being fun, see our responsible gambling page.