How many bookmaker accounts do you need for arbitrage betting?

Why more accounts mean many more sure bets

A two-way sure bet needs two bookmakers whose prices disagree. With n bookmakers there are n × (n − 1) ÷ 2 possible pairs, so the number grows much faster than the number of accounts:

Going from 4 to 8 bookmakers doubles your accounts but almost five times the pairs (6 → 28). Three-way markets such as 1X2 need three bookmakers, and the number of combinations grows even faster. Not every pair produces sure bets equally often, but the principle holds: more well-chosen accounts mean more opportunities.

The cost is that your bankroll is spread thinner. With a small bankroll, more than six to eight accounts usually leaves too little on each one; see starting bankroll.

The right mix: market leaders, local books, slow lines

• Large international books with very broad markets. They take part in many sure bets because they offer prices on almost everything.
• Local books that price their home leagues and sports differently from the international market. Their prices are often the outliers that create a gap.
• Books with slow-moving lines on smaller leagues. They are often the soft side of a sure bet, and also the ones that limit winners.

Two books from the same group, or that share a price feed, rarely disagree with each other. They add accounts without adding many pairs.

Austria: the books Austrian sure bettors use

Sports betting in Austria is licensed by the federal states, and there is no national register. When you choose Austria in ArbVantage, onboarding pre-selects the books Austrian advantage bettors commonly use. Each carries a neutral licence flag; nothing is hidden, and the decision is yours.

As of October 2026, from the operators' own published licence statements. Check the licence and the terms yourself before you deposit. Pinnacle, Betfair Exchange and Matchbook don't accept Austrian residents; ArbVantage uses their prices only as a reference and never suggests opening them. How the Wettgebühr affects each book is in Austria betting tax.

Slovakia: only ÚRHH licensees

In Slovakia only operators licensed by the gambling regulator ÚRHH may offer online betting to residents. The online sports-betting licensees with a live sportsbook are:

• Tipsport: the largest offer, including live markets;
• Fortuna: part of a group active across Central Europe;
• Niké: a Slovak-only brand with its own prices on local leagues;
• DOXXbet: smaller, with prices that are often off the market;
• SYNOT TIP;
• Tipos: the state lottery company, with higher margins and occasional slow lines;
• Chance: licensed since 1 January 2026.

When you choose Slovakia, ArbVantage pre-selects these seven. Slovak books have higher margins than international ones, so sure bets between them are rarer and smaller; seven accounts give you 21 pairs, and you will want most of them. International brands that are not on the ÚRHH list are not licensed in Slovakia, and many of them are on the ÚRHH blacklist of prohibited offers.

Which accounts to open first

1. Start with four: two large books with broad markets and two local ones whose prices often differ. That gives you six pairs to learn the routine.
2. Verify each account straight away. Identity checks before the first withdrawal are standard; do them when you open the account, not when you need the money.
3. Read the terms on palpable errors, settlement rules and any betting fee before you deposit.
4. Add books one by one once your records show which bookmakers appear most often in your sure bets, up to six to eight.
5. Enter each book in ArbVantage under Settings → Bookmakers, so the feed only shows opportunities you can actually place.

One account per person, never someone else's

Bookmakers allow one account per person. A second account in your own name, or betting through an account that belongs to your partner, a friend or a family member, breaks their terms and can cost both of you the balance. If a book limits you, enter the new maximum stake in ArbVantage or remove the book; don't work around it.

If friends or family want to try sure betting themselves, they open their own accounts, bet with their own money and keep their own results. Our Invite friends programme explains how recommending ArbVantage works.

Frequently asked questions

Are three bookmaker accounts enough for arbitrage betting?

To learn the routine, yes, but three accounts give only three pairs, so you will see few sure bets. Four to eight accounts is a better balance between the number of opportunities and how thinly your bankroll is spread.

Can I have several accounts at the same bookmaker?

No. Bookmakers allow one account per person. A second account, or betting through someone else's account, breaks their terms and can cost you the balance.

Which bookmaker accounts should I open first?

Start with four: two large books with broad markets and two local books whose prices often differ. Verify each account straight away, then add more once your records show which bookmakers appear most often in your sure bets.

Sources

• ÚRHH: legal online gambling and betting websites in Slovakia (in Slovak)
• RIS: Lower Austria Betting Act (NÖ Wettgesetz), LGBl. No. 58/2020 (in German)
• RIS: Upper Austria Betting Act (Oö. Wettgesetz), LGBl. No. 41/2018 (in German)
• WKO: Supreme Court ruling, sports betting is not gambling under the GSpG (in German)

As of October 2026, checked against the linked sources. Not legal, tax or betting advice.

Betting involves risk, even with sure bets: prices move, bets get voided and accounts get limited. Only use money you can do without. Our responsible gambling page lists free help.

Not betting advice. 18+. Betting involves risk. See our disclaimer.