Qualifying bet optimal lay stake = back odds / (lay odds – exchange commission) * back stake Once you have made your back bet you need to calculate your optimal lay stake with the equation below:

You have decided to back Ipswich Town to beat Derby County with the bookmaker at odds of 1.58 and laid them on the Smarkets exchange - industry-low 2% commission - for 1.60. We know to qualify for this matched bet we must bet £20 to receive a £20 free bet. How to calculate a qualifying matched betĪll matched bets require you to make a qualifying bet, which ensures you are eligible to receive the bookmaker bonus.

For the examples, we will use a hypothetical bonus of “Bet £20, get a £20 free bet”.

The slider allows you to underlay or overlay the bet if you wish.īelow we explain how to calculate these matched betting bets, and calculate your return.

This will then display your required lay stake, the amount of liability that is needed, the amount the bookmaker bet would win and the amount the exchange lay would win, depending on what the specified minimum and maximum stakes are.

Enter the lay odds available on the exchange and the commission they charge.

Enter your stake, the odds and commission (if using an exchange to back with) for your initial back/lay bet.

Choose the type of matched bet you are making (qualifying, free bet stake not returned/stake returned).

Using the matched betting calculator is simple. How to use the matched betting calculator

Free bet stake returned/stake not returned.

To do this you must place a back bet with the bookmaker who offered you the bonus and then lay - read what lay betting is on an exchange - the same result on the Smarkets betting exchange - allowing you to cover all potential outcomes, removing your risk, and lock in a profit regardless of the result. We have already explained in detail what matched betting is, but for the basis of this article, it is simply converting a bookmaker’s free bet or bonus into real money. Learn how to calculate qualifying bets, free bet stake returned and free bet stake not returned matched bets.

This article explains how to calculate matched bets, to give you a clear understanding of the maths behind matched betting, and why it’s a low-risk betting strategy.

Betmatcher