How-to · 7 min read
Bet tracking: a spreadsheet that adds up, step by step
Without records you can't tell whether a method works, you can't win a dispute with a bookmaker and you can't answer your bank or tax office. Here is a tracking setup that takes a minute per bet: the columns, how to group sure-bet legs, a weekly balance check and what to keep for tax.
Updated 22 October 2026
Contents
Why keep records at all
- Your real result. The margin listed for a sure bet is not the margin you get. Prices move before the second leg, bets are voided, stakes get cut. Only your own records show the realised yield and how often your money turns over.
- Disputes. If a bookmaker settles a bet wrongly or voids it for a “palpable error”, you need the slip ID, the odds and the time of placement.
- Banks and tax. Many deposits and withdrawals on a bank statement raise questions. A clean record answers them in minutes.
- Limits. Noting when each bookmaker cut your stakes tells you which accounts still carry your bankroll; see bookmaker limits.
Step 1: set up the columns
One row per bet, one sheet for all bookmakers. These columns cover everything that follows:
| Column | Example | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Date placed | 2026-10-18 14:05 | order of events in a dispute |
| Event date | 2026-10-19 | tells you when money is free again |
| Bookmaker | Bookmaker A | balances per account |
| Event | Team X v Team Y | identification |
| Market and selection | Total goals, over 2.5 | settlement rules differ by market |
| Odds (decimal) | 2.08 | the price you actually got |
| Stake | 488.00 | turnover |
| Status | open / won / lost / void / half | what is still at risk |
| Return | 1,015.04 | what was paid out, stake included |
| Profit | 527.04 | return − stake |
| Fee deducted | 0.00 | passed-on betting tax or charges |
| Bet slip ID | the bookmaker's reference | disputes |
| Group ID | SB-0142 | links the legs of one sure bet |
| Type | sure bet / middle / free bet / single | results per method |
Keep deposits and withdrawals on a separate sheet with date, bookmaker, amount, method and reference, so a top-up never looks like a winning day. For the profit column, a formula such as =IF(H2="open","",I2-G2) (status in H, return in I, stake in G) keeps open bets out of the totals.
Step 2: group the legs of a sure bet
Each leg of a sure bet is one row, and every leg gets the same group ID. On its own, every leg looks like a win or a heavy loss; only the group shows the result. A worked example with €1,000 in total, over 2.5 goals at 2.08 with one bookmaker and under 2.5 at 1.98 with another:
1 ÷ 2.08 + 1 ÷ 1.98 = 0.4808 + 0.5051 = 0.9858, so the margin is about 1.4%. Exact stakes would be €487.69 and €512.31; rounded to €488 and €512.
| Outcome | Leg 1 profit | Leg 2 profit | Group result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Over 2.5 wins | +€527.04 | −€512.00 | +€15.04 |
| Under 2.5 wins | −€488.00 | +€501.76 | +€13.76 |
Rounding moves the result by about €1 between outcomes. A pivot table or SUMIF on the group ID gives the result per sure bet.
If one leg is voided, the group is no longer a sure bet: the other leg is now an ordinary single bet. Mark it, and decide straight away whether to cover it; our sure betting guide explains the options. Middles get a group ID too, because their result depends on both legs.
Step 3: reconcile balances every week
Once a week, check each bookmaker account against your sheet:
expected balance = start balance + deposits − withdrawals + settled profit − open stakes
Example: €800 at the start of the week, a €200 deposit, no withdrawals, +€34.50 of settled profit and €488 in an open bet gives 800 + 200 − 0 + 34.50 − 488 = €546.50 available. If the account shows something else, find the difference before you place more bets. The usual causes are a bet you forgot to log, a fee you didn't notice, a stake that was cut, a bonus credited separately or a bet settled differently from what you expected. Reconciling also tells you which accounts have grown and which need topping up, which is the core of bankroll management.
Step 4: keep slip IDs and screenshots
Copy the bet slip reference into the sheet for every bet. For larger stakes, and always for sure bets, take a screenshot of the confirmed slip showing odds, stake, market and time. Bookmakers' terms let them void bets placed at an obvious pricing error, and how they settle a match that is abandoned or a player who retires depends on their rules. With a screenshot you can show exactly what was accepted. Store screenshots in a folder per month, named by group ID.
Step 5: keep what a tax office or bank may ask for
Austria. Winnings from private betting are generally not subject to income tax, because they don't fall under any of the types of income in § 2 of the Income Tax Act; large-scale, business-like betting can be judged differently. The Wettgebühr is owed by the bookmaker. Even so, banks may ask where money on your account came from, and records answer that.
Slovakia. Winnings from betting with an operator licensed in Slovakia are exempt from income tax under § 9(2)(l) of the Income Tax Act (595/2003). Winnings from operators without a Slovak licence can be taxable other income, and then you need records to work out the amount for your return.
How long? There is no fixed period for private individuals. Keeping records for seven years covers both Austria's seven-year retention rule for books (§ 132 BAO, which applies to those who must keep books) and Slovakia's usual five-year assessment period. More in tax and legality; for larger volumes, ask a tax adviser.
Step 6: track it automatically
A spreadsheet works, but it takes discipline. In ArbVantage, the Tracking page shows a card per bookmaker with its balance, and lists your bets and transactions underneath, so the weekly check is a glance rather than a formula. You can export everything as a CSV file to keep or hand to a tax adviser. The habit matters more than the tool: log every bet when you place it, not at the end of the week.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to keep betting records for tax?
As a private bettor in Austria generally not, because private betting winnings are usually not income-taxed. In Slovakia, winnings from operators with a Slovak licence are exempt, but winnings from unlicensed operators can be taxable, and then you need records. Records also help when a bank asks where money came from.
How long should I keep betting records?
There is no fixed period for private individuals. Seven years is a safe rule of thumb: it covers Austria's retention period for books and Slovakia's usual five-year assessment period. Keep the sheet, the screenshots and the bank statements together.
What belongs together in a sure bet?
Every leg placed to cover the outcomes of one event and market, at different bookmakers. Give all legs the same group ID, add up their profit, and judge the result per group, never per leg.
Should I record void bets?
Yes, with status void and zero profit. They don't count towards turnover, but they show how often a bookmaker voids bets and they explain why a sure bet turned into a single bet.
Sources
- RIS: Einkommensteuergesetz 1988 (EStG), § 2 types of income
- RIS: Bundesabgabenordnung (BAO), § 132 retention
- Finančná správa SR: taxation of monetary winnings and prizes (§ 9(2)(l) of Act 595/2003)
- Slov-Lex: Act 563/2009 on tax administration, § 69 assessment period
As of October 2026. General information about Austria and Slovakia, not tax advice; your own situation may be assessed differently.
Betting involves risk, including sure bets: prices move, bets get voided and accounts get limited. Only bet money you can do without. Our responsible gambling page lists free, confidential help.
Not betting, financial, legal or tax advice. 18+. As of October 2026.