8 Ways to Stop Bookies Limiting Your Account

A common complaint from successful punters is that bookmakers close or limit their accounts.

You spend all your time perfecting your betting skills, and then you’re barred for using them. Is it really worth the effort?!

The answer, I'm sure you’ll be pleased to hear, is a resounding YES! There is no good reason why you should get your accounts closed or limited by the bookies if you follow these simple rules.

1. Bet Round Numbers

Betting very precise amounts (e.g. £46.56) will mark you out very quickly as an arber or a matched bettor and most bookies don’t like those people!

This is because they really want to attract so-called "mug punters" who are happy to take random punts in a spontaneous way and who traditionally lose money hand over fist.

In contrast, arbing and matched betting suggests you are aiming to milk the bookies in a systematic way. And frankly they could do without the aggravation, as life is too short and these days their margins are paper-thin.

If you’re arbing, use calculation software that works out rounded stakes or use a system like Loophole Trader, which is designed to work with round stakes.

Only bet pounds not pence, and stick to sums ending with a '0' or a '5'.

2. Use the Basic "Fake-a-Loss" Technique

It may seem like stating the obvious, but bookies don't like winners.

You therefore have to think about how to fake losses effectively, with the classic way of doing so being to (a) back an event at the bookies (e.g. Lucky Ned to win), (b) lay the same event off at Betfair (Lucky Ned not to win), then (c) hope that the event doesn’t happen (e.g. Lucky Ned falls at the first).

This approach can often work but may prove expensive or back-fire entirely and get you shut down. In particular, things can go wrong if you're tempted to back-and-lay longshots to "make sure" you lose, as longshots are often only available at much longer prices on Betfair than they are at your bookmakers.

So if you back Lucky Ned at 30, you might be offered lay odds on Betfair of 40 or 50. Such an arb could cost you up to £400 on a £20 stake if the Law of Sod kicks in, and Lucky Ned comes home in front.

This, in my opinion, is way too much stress for the pleasure of making your bookie twenty quid richer. With the punchline being that, if your longshot wins, your bookie will probably close down your account anyway.

This will follow as night follows day, if you’ve been taking money off him prior to the race. He’ll now figure you’ve moved on to successfully backing rank outsiders and are therefore not worth the trouble.

There is also the additional cost of Betfair commission to factor into your lay bet, so you may end up locking in a loss no matter what. Arbs that are guaranteed to lose, and in some cases lose you a lot, are an unnecessary price to pay for making your bookie smile; so my advice is to use this approach with caution.

So instead, here is a more sophisticated way to manage your bookmaker accounts...

3. Rest Winning Accounts in Favour of Losing Ones

Keep records of where you are with each bookie.

I keep records of bookie balances in my bookmaker passwords file (it’s only 1 row per bookie so it’s really not onerous), and then I track whether I am up or down this week with each of them.

This should be easy if you’ve been recording all your bets (which you have been doing, right?).

Obviously, if you’ve lost money at a given bookies this week, no further action is required, but if you’re up, review your progress over the last month and quarter. If I am ahead across all three periods, I will take action (see below).

But if I’m only ahead at a given bookies over any one or two of these periods, I will usually decide to ‘rest’ him, and switch to the accounts I’m losing money with. There is usually no need to fake losses if you’re managing your bookmaker accounts carefully.

When arbing there are always some accounts that, by chance, end up ahead, with others falling behind. The obvious long-term goal is to take your profits in Betfair, but you can give the natural cycling of bookie balances a helping hand simply by leaving successful accounts alone for a bit.

In my experience, this actually only means resting two or three accounts at a time when I’m arbing (as of course bookie odds are designed to help the bookie profit over time, via the over-round, so usually the majority of accounts end up overdrawn).

But what do you do if you are still ahead at a particular bookie over the last week, month and quarter? Well, after kicking yourself for not resting the account earlier, try this...

4. Back-and-Lay Short-Priced Selections Until You Lose Enough Money

This approach may sound counter-intuitive (as you will worry that favourites will win), but it is actually a sure-fire way of making losses on your bookmaker account.

After all, the bookies make the bulk of their profits by laying favourites, so it shouldn't be hard to lose to them by blindly backing anything in the required range.

Plus, if you’re backing favourites or second favourites, you are going to look like the mug punter they so want you to be. And if your short-priced punt does come home in front, you’re likely to win such small amounts (relative to your stake) that your bookie is likely to let matters run, sure in the knowledge that your mug punter behaviour will soon find you out.

Now I know what you are thinking – haven’t we, in step 2, questioned the value of backing-and-laying on account of (a) the odds disparities between the bookies and Betfair, and (b) the Betfair commission issue?

Well yes, but Betfair rarely offers long lay prices on favourites. All you do is use a site like
Oddschecker, combined with a separate Betfair window, and find back-and-lay options where the lay odds at Betfair are equal to the backing odds at the bookies. Then lay your horse/team/whatever at Betfair for the same (or lower) odds as those on offer at the bookmakers, for a sum equal to the backing stake.

If your selection wins, you will finish level, or possibly even ahead if you got better odds at the bookies. And if it loses, you will be down by the amount of your Betfair commission: typically £2.50 on a £50 stake, which is, I feel, a price worth paying to put the smile back on a long-suffering bookmaker’s face!

That said, if you follow the guidance in my FREE "
How to Make £1,000 per Month from Betting" eBook, you should even be able to make money from your short-priced arbs. Which in turn makes the whole thing that little bit more pleasurable!

How to Make £1,000 per Month from Betting

5. Avoid Moving Money in and out of Your Accounts as Much as Possible

I can't stress this enough. Bookies incur quite significant banking costs (that thankfully they don’t usually pass on to you) if you use bank cards.

If they are already having doubts about your account, there is nothing quite like a whole pile of bank fees to tip them over the edge.

Just because you don’t see this cost doesn’t mean it doesn’t matter to them. Remember – bookies' margins are wafer-thin, so naturally they are tracking this stuff.

A really good way of getting accounts limited is to open an email about a reload offer, make a debit card deposit, milk the offer, then withdraw all your money again. Please don't do this! Instead, focus on the long game.

6. Use Skrill or PayPal to Deposit or Withdraw

This follows from point 5. Save your bookie bank charges and he will smile on you. Moreover, he will let you make much quicker withdrawals, so your bankroll can be turned over more quickly.

Everybody's happy!

7. Use Arb-Friendly Bookies

No article on this subject would be complete without a plug for Pinnacle. This bookie is a punter's dream. They offer great odds, openly welcome arbers, and, as far as I’m aware, have never closed down a soul.

The only reason you've probably never heard of them is that they don't waste money on marketing (or, by the look of it, on web design!) and famously don't bother with expensive sign-up offers.

They genuinely are in a class of their own and should be on your radar.

Note: Pinnacle is not currently available to UK punters, but in 2017 they announced that they hope to return soon. We're still waiting!

8. Use a System that Allows You to Bet at Modest Stakes

Arbing is all very well but if you are placing £200 bets on League Two football matches in order to drive out £2.70 worth of profit, it won’t be that long before your bookie limits you.

It would be better to place four arbs of £50 across a whole range of bookies, so the risk of unwanted attention is reduced.

I developed SkewTrader Pro effectively to 'widen the gap' between the back and lay sides of the arb, thereby allowing you to make enhanced profits at lower stakes. It comes with plenty of strategy options to help you get more value from modest trades.

Skew Trader Pro

Bonus Tip!

Use major horse racing festivals, such as Cheltenham or Aintree, to your advantage.

You can use these events to fly under the radar of the bookmakers as they attract so many recreational punters. You know how it is, even your Aunty Sheila who never bets on anything will have a little dabble on the Grand National.

Use a good horse racing tipster who is covering the festivals (most of them do) and you will blend in with everyone else, except you will be following expert advise rather than just picking out a random horse with a funny name.

You will find that you will be able to get much higher stakes on during these festivals too, as the bookies raise their limits.


In Conclusion....

Spread your bets around, using the techniques in my FREE "How to Make £1,000 per Month from Betting" eBook and open lots of bookie accounts (Profit Maximiser is the perfect way to do it).

After that, adopt an organised approach to bookmaker management.

Having an account closed can happen to any of us (sometimes the bookies simply do random things!) but it usually isn't inevitable. You simply need to plan ahead to minimise the chance of it happening.

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  1. Hello,

    Great advice first of all. I just wondered if keeping your money in multiple accounts without withdrawing may cause the bookie to hold your funds one day if you’re making too much off them. Would it not be safer to withdraw to Paypal every now and then?

  2. Hi there Lucy and all,

    I am very interested in trying suggestion 4. Back-and-lay short-priced selections (between 1.5 and 3.0) until you lose enough money.

    But I don’t understand how and where to get the best lay odds. Everywhere I read suggests Betfair. But when I look at oddschecker Betfair never has the best odds for the underdog. Ihave never used betfair before so is there something i am missing?

    For example if i bet on a 1.5 with my sportsbook for a tennis match, the best lay odds from odds checker is 2.6 offered by Marathon Bet. This means I would be losing 20% of my stake on my original 1.5 bet if the lay bet wins . Is there any way to improve that margin?

    Thanks

    1. Also fyi in this case I cant rest the winning account because it is the only sportsbook with the settings where i can win consistently. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

  3. In regards to the bookies limiting accounts, I’ve had it happen to me but when I talk to the customer service representatives to ask them why they’ve done it, all they give me are very vague answers like, “it was a business decision by management”. They won’t tell me the details of what they talked about that led them to the decision and it is so frustrating. I’m wondering what your thoughts are of perhaps filing a lawsuit against these casinos for discrimination (limiting my account when I’ve really done nothing wrong yet allowing other people to bet with maximum limits) or making a human rights complaint or something like that. In my written evidence I would state that I’ve done my best to try and communicate with them to resolve the situation but they refuse to give me any details of what the problem is. Do you think that perhaps they would look bad to a judge in this situation? Would I get anywhere with such a lawsuit? It really does seem right to me that people should have the opportunity to make smart plays and win (that’s all arbing really is!!!!) and that it’s wrong on their part to choose to restrict us.

    1. Casey

      I share your frustration but suspect it would be very difficult to make a lawsuit stick. My understanding is that a bookie can, ultimately, decide who to trade with and doesn’t have to give any reasons as to why. A more positive line of enquiry may be to ask whether the bookies’ alleged monitoring practices are legal.

      Lucy

    2. Unfortunately a company has the choice on who it conducts business with, so they are entitled to refuse your custom. The reason they don’t tell you anything is both for legal & security reasons. If they were to tell you the wrong thing or wrongly accuse you of something, then you would have legal grounds to do something. If they suspect you of doing something wrong or illegal (regardless of whether you were or not), then they won’t tell you anything as it may compromise security

  4. Hi Lucy

    By not accepting bets are bookies not defrauding the country of £millions in lost taxation, as I am sure that ££millions more per year would be wagered if bookies were prohibited from refusing bets and/or closing accounts, other than where fraud is proven. I tried to place a £1ew lucky15 (total outlay £30.00) with PaddyPower some time ago, but all they would allow was 2p ew (yes, 2p), (total outlay £0.60), so there was £29.40 from which the IRS could not obtain revenue. (I had visions of the PP management running like hell to the toilet at the thought of taking such a huge bet!!!!!).

    Perhaps it may be worthwhile if this fact could be passed on to influential people who could work out just how much the country is losing by these tax evadors, and the bookies concerned be brought to task.

    Best regards

    Peter
    30 Mar 2017

  5. Hey guys,

    anyone having a couple of months experience by now with blocking iesnare at the bookmakers ? Does it make a difference for the better or even leads to quicker restrictions ? Any problems with cashout because of it ?

    would be very interesting to know

    best wishes
    patrick

    1. Patrick

      It’s an interesting question. There is an argument that it signals to the bookies that you’re on to them. However, leaving IESnare on your computer also doesn’t sound like a great idea.

      One option is to follow Sean’s helpful advice above.

      Another is to consider a product like Jolly Lock – see http://www.laybackandgetrich.com/jolly-lock-ip-conclusion/ for my review. I was initially a bit sceptical about this service but feel I have got my head round it now.

      Lucy

  6. If anyone is unfamiliar with iesnare, it’s software that many bookies place on your computer and in some cases even if you merely go to their website to have a look and don’t even sign up for anything. The software itself basically spies on you and can track which other websites you go to and if you also visit betting exchanges, they will have you down as an arber or matched bettor even if you are not.

    The legality of bookies doing this is very questionable considering the software was originally designed for fraud purposes and so bookies are essentially labelling all of their customers as a bit dodgy, so there are a few punter friendly websites trying to stop bookies from doing this via online petitions and gathering evidence to present to any authorities or regulators.

    You can check via the link below if you have the software installed on your own computer

    http://www.macromedia.com/support/documentation/en/flashplayer/help/settings_manager07.html

    and on the Website Storage Settings panel make sure you are on the yellow folder tab second from the right and scroll down to look for something called mpsnare.iesnare.com or anything that has iesnare, then click to highlight it and click the radio button to say Always deny. Then delete the entry from the list and every so often come back to the link above to check it’s not back again and/or if so, that it’s still showing Always deny. You can do the same again for any bookie if you like and see if it has any effect on how their site works, as some use Flash Player and so you might not have all of its features. Bet365 for example I think uses it for live video and think maybe some of the exchanges do to show races.

    If you use multiple browsers then it’s best to do the block for all of them and if you want to be ultra careful or want an alternative way to block iesnare, look into downloading Privacy Badger, which is a browser extension with a slider setting you can use to block any online trackers it detects and then the software starts to learn your browsing habits and remembers your settings, although it never hurts to check them again every so often anyway.

    1. I hear that blocking iesnare though will automatically flag you as an arber to bookies. So better off leaving it unblocked. Legally they are not allowed to use the data that each other bookie sees, only the data related to visiting their sites. But I am still trying to figure out whether this is try or not. (Note that it would be completely illegal if they had this power of being able to see what other websites you visit).

  7. Alan – I’ve been banned from offers and BOG on more but, amazingly, Bet365 is still going strong!

    Unibet was the latest. I hadn’t used them or taken them up on any of their offers for several months – and started using them again about 2 months ago. Primarily small multiples with the occasional single matched bet – but nothing which would have flagged up anything – ie the odds weren’t particularly good against other sited, sticking primarily with favourites or near favourites. Then I took them up on an offer – it was inplay football, money refunded if you win. I lost and the following day had the email ‘no longer eligible for promotions’. Why?????

    If you do go for trading/arbing between the exchanges, something I’ve noticed and taken advantage of is that with football matches the odds difference between Smarkets and Betfair can be quite substantial on occasion on the o/u 2.5 markets inplay. Something to keep an eye on. It’s a pity someone hasn’t come up with a bot to take advantage of this as I reckon they could make a killing!

    Re how to – I have a calculation I copied from somewhere a very long time ago on Excel where you enter the appropriate commission(s) to get the correct lay for whatever the back is – but I’m sure someone else could advise you (much better than me) and point you to a site that provides the same service.

  8. I believe that ultimately everyone will get banned from the bookies at some point, however careful you are – unless you only do mug punts and lose overall. I think they like you more if you use their casino or arcade – again making you appear more like a mug punter but the downside is you’ll probably lose money unless you’re very lucky. The opposite of what we’re trying to do.

    I’ve been banned from one and am restricted and/or have been exempted from offers on several. I’m dreading this happening with Bet365 as no matter what I do I always seem to win on this site. Tonight, on their PSG v Man City offer I won the initial bet and the freebie – as I did last time. What are the chances? I think I better give their next offer a miss!

    Tomorrow I shall try to lose some betting on favourites in the horse racing, at least the favourites are generally fairly easy to match. I went for a horse EW at odds of 25 a while ago – it won too! Very cautious with them these days.

    Eventually I’d like to be able to only use the exchanges. I have a couple of reasonably successful systems I’m trying there and at some stage I need to learn how to trade. Life would be so much easier – and all your money in one place.

    1. How are you getting on with your accounts now?

      Also I like the idea of trading. Or as I remember it being called, arbing on the exchanges. But Betfair have more and more commissions.

      Does anyone know how to trade between the exchanges?

      Alan

  9. Racebets are weird – I managed to keep my account without being banned from promos or limited until I verified my account! As they have a limit for withdrawals before you need to verify your account, I never met this so never verified my account until recently. Everything was fine for nearly 3 years until I sent in my proof of address and passport!!!!

    Same happened to other people I know. Never had issues until verifying their accounts.

    Bookies are probably coming down hard on people now as there has been a huge rise in matched betting sites popping up and generic arbing software available under 100s of different names / sites. people placing the same bets as part of offers etc. will be easily spotted and suspected of being part of a service.

    I think this article could do with an update: I would probably change the stance on moneybookers – most bookies associate this with matched betting, multi accounters & fraud, probably not recommended anymore, it’s more likely to get your account looked at rather than staying under the radar so to speak.

    I would also add to this – don’t click affiliate links for free bets from sites advocating matched betting or guaranteeing profits from bookies etc… these links are obviously tracked and will swiftly get you limited – even though some are masked with scripts like safeurl, I would still be vigilant of those links as well

    1. What an excellent article that is, thanks for sharing. The only thing that’s missing from it is the technical side of things: as it focusses purely on the behavioural aspects of the bookie/client game.

      The ultimate solution, insofar as it’s possible, would comprise two elements:

      1. Presenting your best ‘game face’ – i.e. look and behave like a mug punter.

      2. Ensure you have a technical defence that overcomes the bookmakers’ increasingly sophisticated technical monitoring.

      I am working with a third party on a solution that picks up both aspects. It’s technically challenging and may not work! But I am very excited about it and will write more if/when I think I’ve cracked it.

      🙂

  10. I’d welcome any ‘war stories’ that you may have regarding bookie account closures. I’ve been working on this problem recently and am hoping (not promising!) to develop an imaginative solution. It may be a partial solution of course… but I have a real hunch that there is a whole side to this problem that we haven’t been considering.

    1. Sounds interesting Lucy. I really wish there was an answer to this one but I cant see it. I think I’m now pretty much closed/restricted at the lot of them.As long as they have the guaranteed cash cow of the FOBT’s / casino games /bingo its not going to improve. Only government intervention ( as in Australia ) where it is a requirement of their licence to accept bets to a certain liability will change it and I cant see that happening here anytime soon.

    2. This morning, I got an email from Winner saying that my account has been suspended. That’s the first account suspension that I’ve had and caused me to Google around, finding this article. It was only last night that I noticed that I’ve only deposited £50 with Winner and withdrawn over £250 so I guess I’m not profitable for them.

      1. Seems ironic that a bookie with a name like ‘Winner’ would do this to you……..you become one and they won’t let you through their doors.

      1. Pedro

        I worked with a US software company on a solution and am convinced they were on to something. Unfortunately they have prioritised other non-betting projects thus leaving me in the cold!

        I will try to resurrect but am not expecting a shortterm fix now 🙁

        Lucy

  11. Unfortunately bookies have become less and less tolerant of arbers to the point now where if they get a sniff now they tend to limit/ban your account. You can delay limits as this great article suggest but eventually they will come

  12. Hi Dan,
    Unfortunately it really doesnt make much difference if you are arbing or just backing. The problem is you will always be taking top price (or close to it ). Winning isnt really the problem, its consistently beating the ISP that marks you out as a customer they dont really want as you will not be losing at the required rate. The reality is its not just winning but can simply be they dont like the way you lose!!

  13. Unfortunately, racing is one of, if not the, best source of arbs.

    What I do try to do is:

    Always bet to round figures
    Only bet on racing or UK football – -i’e. avoid obscure markets even where there is a very tempting arb… on Azerbaijani basketball or some such market
    Place ‘standard’ bets too on the bookmakers you are using
    Bookmaker websites use cookies which can relay information about other websites you access – so use a different device to access Betfair if you can

    Whether I’m backing/laying or just having a bet, I will always back at the best price available – that’s just common sense… so how can the bookmakers distinguish from a bettor doing that or one who is backing to lay?

    They seem to be able to, and maybe those cookies are the culprit…. just because you’re paranoid….

  14. Dan,

    1) Get a whiff of a racing arb at Stan and you can forget it, account closed. The nags are simply not worth doing there.

    2) This is typical Racebets behaviour, usually promo banned and limited to SP after one or two bets. Look to match anywhere close to an exchange price and you’re toast.

    3) 888 are more tolerant but again racing arbs are a complete no-no.

    Simple fact is you are taking value each and every time. It’s an absolute doddle for the bookies to spot the pattern(s). Seriously reconsider doing (racing) arbs of any sort and look at other ways to maximise returns from bookie accounts.

  15. This is definitely a problem – I’ve been doing this for only 2 months ans in that time:

    – Stan James first restricted my bets then closed me down completely
    – Racebets closed my account – AFTER 2 BETS!!
    – 888 restricted my bets to a ridiculously low amount… (less than £1)

    Also, Pinnacle Sports is eulogised here, but, unfortunately, they aren’t available to anyone living in the UK…

    I’ve been back/lay arbing mostly, and winning more on Betfair than on bookmaker accounts,, so as I’ve been losing on the bookmakers it’s a bit of a mystery why they’d restrict my accounts – and I always bet in even figures – even when dutching I round up…

    Frustrating and strange…

    Cheers!

  16. Good article and I lost another account today. I wish there could be more governance over bookies and the decisions that they make because it just seems that they try and keep their clients only as the ones who bet without a clue. I agree they need to be protected against people who know the outcome but customers who bet with a long term plan is not unreasonable. A couple of other points to make that may help the account last is not getting greedy and backing the same selection over and over when you do have a good feeling. Also betting in multiples can be a good way to profit rather than singles as the most unprofitable bet for a bookie is a single stake bet.

  17. Watch out NOT redrawing also, don’t let the monnies at the bookies run up too high. I was banned from a bookie after taking their bonuses, using them for arbs etc. making about 7000 Euro profit in 4 months time. They only refunded my pay-ins of about 2500 Euro….

  18. Arbitrage – what type of software do you think bookmakers have? Do you think they have arb software that they can link to betters? YOU CAN BET YOUR BOTTOM DOLLAR THAT THEY DO. How else do you thing you get limited?

    Start arbing with soft bookies – you will be gone in a flash. You make a few hundred pounds, feel happy, and they feel affronted when you get limited or banned. I’m gone from PP, Titan, Boyles (and their friends), Bet Victor (he was garbage), and I’m sure more will eventually hit come my way.

    What have I done to combat this??????

    My betting patterns are different these days, and everyone will have their opinions. I do not have the mind set that I HAVE to make a profit on every bet. I do not wager on the horse free bet specials except the extra places, and even then I do this occasionally. I’ve let the odd free £5.00 bet expire on purpose. I do not take all bonus offers in e-mails, but I make sure I open the e-mail as the impression is logged on your bookie account. No more than 3 bets a day per bookie no matter how attractive the offer is. I always place mug bets or have a spin in the casino so my patterns are not flagged as a sharp punter.

    I am a minor negative middles/sides bettor, and I have not (fingers crossed) had any problems with bookies. I rarely withdraw, as I offload at the exchanges. Always round my figures to £5 or £10. Lost about £10.00 and then bingo. Lost another 7 quid then bingo. You get the pattern

    My success – I hit about 1 middle/side per 15 bets.

    Software – Rebel Betting. Bet burger has caused me probs with bookies even thought they have great arbs.

    As soon as I figure out using Pinnacle from the UK (Asia Connect), I’ll revisit arbing.

    Post your experiences……..

  19. You mentioned in one of your earlier posts that you have never heard of Betfair the bookie (sportsbook – not the exchange) limiting people. Let me be the first to tell you then that they have limited me! At one time for a certain event my maximum winnings off a wager were $800, now they are $8.

    I have now been limited by every sportsbook that I’ve done arbing with except Pinnacle Sports. This includes…

    William Hill and Uwin (after only about 3-4 weeks of arbing)
    Sports Interaction (after 9 months of arbing)
    Bet365 (after one year of arbing) and now
    Betfair (after 6 months of arbing – I started with them quite a bit later than the others and they are the latest to limit me).

    I’m really glad there’s a web site here for people to post on. The level of anger and frustration that I am feeling toward these casinos is astronomical. Even though 99.9% of their players are either recreational gamblers, compulsive gamblers, or somewhat serious players that don’t have the skill or the discipline to play smart (that’s all arbing really is – legitimately playing smart), they are so greedy that they won’t give people like us a chance. Even though they make shedloads of money from all their other customers, they deny the tiny portion of smart players the opportunity to make a few hundred per week. Pinnacle Sports is the only exception and they seem to be doing just as well with their business. I managed to make over $40,000 with the time I had but in my opinion, if you are disciplined and view it as work rather than play, it should be permanent.

    I hope anyone who reads this can understand my sadness. I really wish there were other casinos out there like Pinnacle Sports.

    1. Joe

      $40,000 from arbitrage is an impressive achievement – well done!

      In answer to your final comments, I understand your frustration. Ultimately however, I do feel arbitrage should be seen as a stepping stone to more advanced betting techniques. See also my free Rollingstone manual.

      Lucy

  20. Hi Lucy

    Great article.

    I’ve been doing some Bonus Bagging and Profit Maximiser, albeit on a sporadic basis.

    As you know with Profit Maximiser, it’s possible to make some serious profits and I wanted to ask your opinion on the following:

    Let’s say I’m making a profit of £1000 per month, based on your article, if I were to withdraw that each month, I’d get closed down by a percentage of bookies.

    If, however, I were to say only withdraw 50% of any profits so at any one time, the account has funds in it, would this decrease the chances of getting closed down.

    Great site – very informative.

    Chris

    1. Chris

      Thanks for your nice comments.

      It’s impossible to lay down strict rules for this. But my general view is that it’s the frequency of withdrawals that matters more than the amount. Because it’s the act of withdrawal that triggers the bookie’s review of your progress – irrespective of how much you take out.

      So, although I understand the logic behind your proposal, I don’t really think it would make that much difference.

      A better technique with Profit Maximiser is to keep switching your attention between bookies and amending your general approach at each one, rather than hammering away at one or two particular offers in a monotonous way.

      Try to avoid developing easily recognisable patterns in your behaviour; as bookies do talk about looking for them (something which may also suggest a degree of automation in their account reviews).

      Lucy

  21. Lucy,
    In answer to Shaz (Dec 26 ) regarding Multiple betting with Betfair.
    Betfair will take your multiple bets unmatched. Heres the catch.
    Whatever the going price on the exchange is they will offer less.
    E.G. A treble 2x2x2 betfair will offer approx. 1.90×1.90×1.90
    You are always taking unders but you will never get knocked back.
    Regards,
    Leo.

  22. Shug

    I think most bookies operate a “one bonus per household” rule.

    Which, as you suggest, means “one bonus per address”.

    🙁

    Lucy

  23. Hi Lucy my wife wants to have go at the bonus bagging.Can you tell me if she would be allowed as i myself have accounts with most of the bookies that are available and im not sure if the allow more than 1 accout from the same address.

  24. Steve

    My experience of Mathbet is generally very positive. Hopefully they’ve set you up by now?

    If not, let me know and I will write to them on your behalf.

    thanks Lucy

  25. good advice there girl! however, wots the angle on dutching ? i wanna try mathbet but i am a bit concerned bout getting the bets accepted at high stakes! i say this bcause, recently tried to place an £80 win bet on ladbrokes on a footie match and they would only accept £34 max, after contacting them via chat they z they restrict stakes on certain markets! is there any way i can check these markets b4 i place a bet? and is dutching detectable

    1. Steve

      I don’t think there’s any way of knowing, before you place your bets, what limits the bookies will allow on individual markets.

      It’s a good idea when arbing to place the ‘riskiest’ bet first. By which I mean: if you’re arbing between (say) BoyleSports and Pinnacle, you can be pretty sure the latter will take your bet in its entirety. So you should put your first bet on with Boyle, as they are more likely to restrict you. And if they do so, you can always then adjust your bet with Pinnacle to suit.

      I don’t think dutching is detectable, nor do I think the bookies mind people doing it. It’s different from arbitrage in the bookies’ eyes: it is a valid betting strategy, not a zero-risk / loophole exploitation strategy.

      Lucy

      1. thanks lucy, always a sound and honest answer! iv just paid for 1 month subs at mathbet 22/7/14 and as yet no upgrade on the software ! should i b concerned? gona live chat them tomorrow if i can.

  26. Hi Lucy,

    You wrote, in this article, “Back-and-lay short-priced selections (between 1.5 and 3.0) until you lose enough money”. I have two questions about it:

    1. Don’t you think that back-and-lay short-priced selections between 1.5 and 2.0 is too short? because there would be too many back winnings if selections are between 1.5 and 2.0 and I think eventually betfair commissions would take most of your profit.

    2. Do you have any theoretical (scientific probability) base for this selection strategy (assuming the prices for back and lay are the same) to lose money to betfair?

    I am planning to use your strategy and hope to hear more insight from you before implementing it. Thank you very much for your advice.

    1. John

      1. In practice, it’s amazing how often short-priced favourites are priced longer at the bookies than at the exchange. It seems the bookmakers are happy to give a little away on favourites, for whatever reason, so in fact we often find we are able to back-and-lay quite cheaply, and even at a tiny profit, at this end of the market.

      2. I’m not sure I follow, but if you’re asking whether I will win more at the bookies or at Betfair by backing-and-laying at short odds… well, clearly I will win more at Betfair. The thesis that slavishly backing favourites will eventually lose you a lot is solidly proven by the bookmakers’ Profit & Loss accounts, which, sadly, attest to this fact year after year.

      Lucy

  27. Thanks Lucy, I think for relatively new bettors like myself restrictions are not something you consider until your attention is brought to them either by sites like this or until you are hit by one. I may have modified some my bets earlier in the light of such information.

    @Dave

    Would you add Betfred to the latter?

    1. Well, I was stopped from receiving offers from Fred after I contacted Live Chat over a bonus I failed to receive and should have. I was also limited to pitiful amounts on my bets, so I’m doing some mug bets in the hopes that may change, but I doubt it.

  28. Is it the case that once you are restricted on stake and/or promos at a book there’s no way back or can you act like a mug punter for a while and then the situation improves?

    1. David

      Interesting question.

      I’m not sure I can think of any examples of limits being lifted once they’ve been applied. I’d be interested to hear from anyone who can tell me otherwise, however I’m pretty sure it’s a one-way street.

      Lucy

    2. It depends on the bookie. I know people have had their gubbings with Bet365 lifted amd I think it’s a possible with Paddy Power too. I’ve not heard of Stan James or Chandler acting like reasonable human beings, though.

  29. Honestly Dave, I’m not sure. I’m not a lawyer, so I can’t be categorical about it.

    Legal cases have been brought successfully where someone has opened multiple accounts for the express purpose of exploiting bookie bonuses time and time again. I suspect there is an element of understanding the intended purpose before deciding on the severity of the crime… i.e. if someone uses false information in order to be able to place normal bets, that is not (I imagine) deemed as being as serious as someone doing precisely the same thing in order specifically to rip off bookies.

    However, I am guessing now. Personally, I would be very cautious about any proposed attempt to impersonate someone else, whether through their skrill account, bank card or home address.

    The advice you have been given may therefore work technically, but still fall the wrong side of the legal line. I personally would not recommend any dubious practice, but am unclear as to exactly what is permissible re skrill and what isn’t.

    Lucy

  30. Hi Dave

    The basic answer is … it’s very difficult.

    In theory you would need a valid UK address, and be able to access the site via a proxy server, as otherwise your NL IP address will give you away.

    Even then, you will probably need a non-NL bank account, as that would be a giveaway as well.

    Note that any postal address you use must be a real alternative domicile. If you attempt to use a friend’s address, you could leave yourself open to fraud charges.

    All of which is a long-winded way of saying that I don’t think it can be done. 🙁

    Lucy

    1. Thanks very much for your advice, Lucy.

      It is good to know that somebody commits fraud if he uses his friend’s address. There is one thing I would like you to confirm it though. From one article written by a well-respected professional sports gambler, he said in his article you can avoid opening an bank account for your friend by using Skrill if you want to use your friend’s name to open an account. Do you want to share your insight on that? Thank you very much in advance.

  31. Hi Lucy,

    I live in Holland and would like to open an account with bet365, but bet365 don’t take any bet from people in Holland. Is there any way I can do to open an account? Thank you for your advice.

    Dave

  32. Lucy,
    I was discussing all of the above with my shrewd businessman son
    who also bets.
    His view is that paying tax for a product (Betfair) is
    acceptable as it also eliminates the worry of having accounts closed.
    Here in Australia all the Corporate bookies have been bought out
    by the big English bookies and the same problems are already
    occuring here.
    I deal with it by spreading the one bet over a number
    of bookies and Betfair and so far it is working o.k.
    Regards,
    Leo.

  33. Hi Lucy,
    Thanks for your prompt response, I really appreciate it. Do you mean I can withdraw more than USD 4K from betfair trading on the exchange market within a week and I wont have any problems with my account?
    I had problems using my debit card to make a deposit so I deposited via bank wire; using the bank transfer withdrawal mode, is it safe?
    Will I have account problems if I bet on both the exchange and fixed odds market? Thank you.

    Franky

    1. Franky

      I don’t understand all the deposit and withdrawal options at Betfair, and I suggest you ask their support team about them. But the principle of withdrawing from exchanges is sound, as they are not a counterparty to your bets.

      That said, Betfair the bookie may be a different kettle of fish. I am not aware of anyone yet being limited by them, but I suspect this is merely down to lack of information rather than a heroic decision on their part not to do it.

      Lucy

  34. Hi Lucy, I notice that throughout this thread, when a bunch of people post comments at once you seem to only respond to the person that last posted a comment. I posted a comment on April 18th but I got unlucky because someone posted another comment shortly after mine (Naill) and that was the only one that you responded to. I would just like to ask that you please comment on my post. It took some effort for me to put it together and I really am looking forward to your feedback. Much appreciated, thanks.

    1. Tyler,

      Apologies for not responding to your original comment.

      In my experience, Bet365 are more arb-friendly than most, but I have heard of them limiting quite a few people over time. They’re just not as trigger-happy as some, possibly because their operating costs are so much lower.

      You’ve just been unlucky with Pinnacle. In effect you have been betting randomly, so I fail to see how any other explanation works. Their pricing is more generous than anyone else’s, but if you keep picking losers, it doesn’t help you !

      Congratulations on an excellent run though!

      Lucy

  35. Hi Lucy,
    I just lost a small amount of money on betfair (was just trying all the markets) and I’m about to make another deposit from my bank to my betfair account. I’ve got my betting strategy in paper now and I’m confident I will be profitable in the long run but my worry is the withdrawal. I intend making 3 withdrawals from my betfair account to my bank account each week (e.g USD700 each transfer)? And if I do, will betfair suspend or limit my account? I will trade on the exchange market.
    Has anyone had a problem withdrawing over USD1,000 in a single transfer? Please advice.
    Thank you

    Franky

    1. Franky

      You should have no problem withdrawing from Betfair. The exchanges don’t care whether you win or lose, as their business model involves taking commission on the trade, not depending on the outcome.

      Lucy

  36. Hi Lucy

    I’m just unsure of a few things and would be very grateful if you could clear them up.

    Lets say I have £1000 in 2 bookmakers (B1, B2). I find an Arb with a 10% profit between B1 + B2. For this example let’s say the stake from B1 is £400 and £600 from B2. After the event is over B2 wins and these are my current standings:

    B1: £400
    B2 £1700

    I now want to transfer £700 from B2 into my Betfair account so that I can then restock B1 back to £1000 and keep the remaining profit. From reading your tips you suggest the best way to do this would be to back 3/1 favourite horses and then lay them on Betfair.

    So here is the problem, how should I approach this? I’ve never really done lay betting before so I’m not sure exactly how it works so please correct me if I make any mistakes. Would I do this in one bet or multiple ones?

    So I back a horse with £700 at 3/1 on B2 and then Lay it at on Betfair for 3/1? If the horse did win my liability would be £2100

    So now the balance of B2 is £3800 and the process repeats itself but now I would need a massive amount of money in the Betfair account to cover myself for the lay.

    Because I would be backing the favourites there is a good chance this could happen multiple times and therefore be impractical.

    What are your thoughts on this?

    1. Niall

      I’m not sure I quite follow your maths but my thoughts are that you shouldn’t be backing and laying in such large chunks. So in effect, the answer is — use multiple small bets.

      The much-vaunted better prices on Betfair apply much more at the longer end of the book, and in comparison to Industry Starting Prices, which are fairly easy to beat at the bookies.

      It’s not rare to have odds on a favourite at a bookmaker that match or exceed the odds at the exchange.

      Lucy

  37. Hi, I am happy that I came across your web site and I really like it. I got into the whole arbitrage betting thing and I would like to share my experience here and see what others may think.

    About a year ago I opened accounts in Pinnacle, Bet365, SportsInteraction, WilliamHill, and Uwin. I started with betting small amounts just to get my feet wet but as soon as I was comfortable with it, I started doing arbitrage betting with $500 on the favorite. A typical example for me might be for instance if there is a baseball game between the Boston Red Sox and the Baltimore Orioles. One sportsbook may be offering the Red Sox at -200 and another book may be offering Baltimore at +215. I would risk $500 to win $250 on Boston and risk maybe $240 to win $516 on Baltimore or something similar to that.

    I did a little bit of pre-match betting at the start but within about a month and a half I got to the point where I only do live play because I found that there were more opportunities with that. I found I got the most value for my computer face time with live play.

    It’s been about a year now and here are my results to date…..

    William Hill and Uwin limited my maximum betting amounts to almost nothing within about 2 or 3 weeks. I withdrew my funds from both sportsbooks and then left.

    Until recently I had a good thing going with the other 3 sportsbooks and have made between $20-$25K with my arbitrage betting over the course of the year. Recently though Sports Interaction cut my limits to 10%. This is after a year of success with them. My total winnings off of that sportsbook were between $11 and $12K. I was so shocked and I am still feeling bewildered because I thought that if they were going to limit me, they would have done so a long time ago like the others did.

    My “BET MAX” with bet365 has not yet been reduced however I am worried about this one going down too for the following reasons…

    1) My total winnings off of them have been between $60 and $65K over this time span of a year.
    2) I have withdrawn a total of almost $50K within the last 2 months.

    As for Pinnacle, well the truth is that even though I have been arbing, I have lost a great deal of money with them. In fact I am down almost $55K since I started last July. I have done very well with the other sportsbooks, especially bet365, but my account with Pinnacle is the only one that has done extremely poorly. I wish it were the other way around since Pinnacle is arbitrage friendly.

    That’s my story. I’m wondering in your experience do you think that bet365 is arbitrage friendly like Pinnacle is? If not do you think it would be best if I took a good break from bet365 for say 2 or 3 months because of the 2 reasons stated above, before they do in fact reduce my BET MAX? After all if SportsInteraction can do it, then so can they.

    I’m probably going to try and regroup here and open more accounts with other sportsbooks such as Betfair.

    I’m also wondering if anyone else in here has found the same thing as I have with Pinnacle Sports (losing money despite arbing)? Would you say that in your experience Pinnacle is sharp and always make their lines dead even with the probabilities of each team winning or losing and therefore they never make +EV lines? I mean if that’s the case then no wonder they are arbitrage friendly right!!! Also that would mean that the other sportsbooks like bet365 are the ones that are making bad lines. In fact I am considering stopping play completely with Pinnacle and just betting on the one side with bet365 and others all the time. I would be gambling then instead of arbing and I’m not sure if I can handle the emotional roller coaster involved, but it may be best under the circumstances. If I did this I could bet significantly lower amounts with bet365 and still get the same profit since I wouldn’t be losing money in Pinnacle.

    Thank you for reading and any comments would be greatly appreciated.

  38. Great article, and I wish I had done something with the information the first time I read it. My bookie limited me to redicilous low amounts (TEN times less), making it not worth it to put in the time and effort into it anymore. I did NOT arb though: I simply place single bets which just so happen to win quite often.

    Problem is, there aren’t any alternatives in this VERY specific niche within sports betting. Except for bet365 which banned my country.

    I was hoping to make a nice living off of this, but it seems that it was not ment to be. If they just closed the specific market it would’ve hurt less, because I know there is money to be won out there but just don’t have the opportunity anymore.

    What would you do in such a scenario? Simply **** out of luck?

    1. Randy

      Not sure without knowing which market you’re referring to… something quite obscure? Is it not traded on the exchanges?

      Lucy

  39. hello marathonbet limited my 2nd account after one week to. it is to hard to make new accounts after every limitation. how can i avoid limiting? i only bet high volume matches such as nba epl la liga uefa etc. only bet rounded numbers also i bet not worldwide arbs i make my owns. im doing this job for 1 month and im addicted to this and need money so pls advice me thanks.

    1. Portillo

      I’m interested in the idea you had a ‘second’ account with Marathonbet. How is such a thing possible? Please don’t tell me you’re pretending to be someone else: I strongly discourage this, as you can be liable to fraud charges.

      I’m also concerned by that word “addicted”. If you ever feel betting is becoming an addictive hobby, please stop at once, and get help. A good website to look at is Gamble Aware.

      Lucy

  40. Yesterday Paddypower limit my pets for 0 on horse racing I understand why because I was making 20-30% profit on my bets about 2-3000 profit every month. Funny part is last year I try get job for there at horse racing trader but they didn’t hire me LOL

    I have stick tote (or betfair ) and not make anyone mad LOL

  41. Thanx for the answers.English its’not my strong language..Sorry for that … Аnyway by this misunderstanding is born а new interesting idea…:) I will thing abouth that ..could be great to win again my lost money…:) …If the whole system works so..

    Greetings from Bulgaria..

  42. Hi Lucy , I love your site…Do you think it is a good idea to open new account from affiliate program of some big and serious site…Ultimately they have agreement among themselves..It’s no logic to restrict accaounts on that point of view..
    Regards !

    1. Radanchev

      Thank you for your kind comments. Which country do you live in?

      Are you suggesting becoming an affiliate to a bookmaker in order to reduce the chance of account limitation?

      If so, I think it’s possibly a very clever idea, but I have no idea if it would work in practice. I have a feeling that the sales and marketing people who run the affiliate operation probably don’t talk to the risk management people who review accounts, so the two may work independently of each other — but that’s really just a guess..

      Pinnacle have an interesting approach to affiliates: they will allow you to receive your affiliate income in your bookie account! So presumably they hope you will gamble it all away again on their site! In practice however, Pinnacle will never close your account anyway, so they may not be a very good example.

      If anyone has any experience of trying Radanchev’s idea, I’d be interested to hear more about it!

      Lx

      1. Radanchev

        I’ve just re-read your comments, and wonder if what you meant was — if I open a bookie account via a large website such as Oddschecker.com, is my bookie account “safer”, as it is in the bookie’s interest to keep Oddschecker happy?

        I don’t think so, unfortunately. If a bookie doesn’t want your account, they won’t care who the affiliate was. 🙁

        Lx

  43. i can tell that i see many people in other websites and forums arguing about better opportunities in the in-play arbitraging as it takes longer for bookies to limit your account and there are also highest % in return. Do you think that this is the real case?

    1. Hi Chris

      There are two different questions here:

      (1) Is in-play betting an arber’s paradise?, and

      (2) do the bookies give in-play punters a fairer crack of the whip?

      Taking each in turn then –

      1. Yes the bookies definitely make more mistakes with in-play pricing, and who can blame them? They manage a vast number of in-play markets, many of which move at a frantic rate. Pricing anomalies crop up all the time in-play — in fact, I know of a couple of beauties which happen regularly — and, as this is a relatively new growth area for the bookies, they both expect and accept it.

      The bookmaker that ends up owning the in-play market will be quite unconcerned that they threw a fair chunk of money away on a little lousy pricing.

      And one other point — it is much more difficult for a bookie to overturn a losing in-play arb “after the fact” on the grounds of it being a palpable error than it is to reverse a pre-match one. In-play markets are so volatile that any disgruntled bookie would find it much harder to defend their case that a particular price was “palpably wrong”; whereas stable pre-match odds are easy to compare.

      2. It’s much harder to say whether bookies are more tolerant of successful in-play punters. I have a hunch that, on average, they are, but I’d be keen to hear from anyone who regularly bets in-play.

      This is a business the bookmakers are desperate to grow as they regard it as The Future. Its instant appeal has benefitted from the rise of smart phones, with new customers who would never dream of crossing the threshold of a betting shop quite happy to have the odd flutter on their iPhone while watching the game on Sky.

      So I suspect the bookies may be prepared to look at successful in-play punters as part of the costs of growing a new venture. That said, it’s still hard to think of your average turf accountant as a generous soul, so all the advice on this page re resting accounts, faking losses, spreading your business around and limiting withdrawals would still apply.

      Lucy

  44. Good evening. With your experience, please tell me why a bookmaker limited me, considering that I have never placed any bet at that bookmaker ? It’s about Ladbrokes and they did not want to tell me why I was limited to only 3 euros for a match. What you say about this?

    They detected my as a arber? I don’t think so.

    Thanks.

    1. Brandon,

      Now that is a new one!

      If you have literally never placed a bet with the Ladbrokes sportsbook, my only guess is that you may have had success via one of their other operations, and they have successfully managed to tie the two accounts together. However, this would be surprising: as my impression to date is that different brands within most companies operate more or less independently.

      Have you perhaps had a lot of joy via phone betting or one of their shops? Or maybe done very well at Betdaq (acquired by Ladbrokes in 2013) ?

      Lucy

  45. Alright thanks for the warning! Havent really decided though if its worth trying to continue with arbing..anyway thank you! At least someone else is doing it with better luck! Happy earnings people. Good luck. .although I don’t really believe in it’s existence!

  46. Thanks a million for answering.so is it a better idea to close and re open an account with same ip and c.c just change username? I mean do they also check closed accounts or just the ones that are open?

    1. Stratos,

      That’s not really what I meant, and no, I don’t think that would work as I’m sure they check closed accounts too.

      Assuming you don’t particularly wish to travel to the UK to fix this, and don’t have a UK-registered bank card and address, your best option is to open a new account in a partner or friend’s name — but please, make sure they fully understand, agree to the idea, and see it as THEIR account, not yours. Then all bets should be placed by them, not you.

      Please don’t create artificial accounts in friends’ names as it’s against the law (well, it is here!). And people have been arrested for doing this.

      If you don’t believe me, read this.

      http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/9628710.Plumstead_man_jailed_for_online_gambling_fraud/

      Lx

  47. BetFred – one successful £50 bet (in fact, my first bet ever with them), and they limited my account … I tried to place a further £50 bet two days later and they reduced the stake to £4.25!!!!! Contacted them and was told … “Apologies, but it is purely a business/trading decision”. Good business model, and even better customer support eh … talk about random punitive action!
    Suffice to say, money withdrawn and account closed …

    1. Trickster,

      Another barmy story from the barmy world of bookies. As you say, an interesting business model!

      What it does suggest is that:

      – accounts are particularly vulnerable in their early stages
      – winning big is not a great idea when you’ve just got started!

      All I would stress is that there are a lot of new bookies around, and most are not as soft as Fred…

      x

  48. Hello to this great company and this full of knowledge creator of this site!
    I was so disappointed today to realise that both paddy and marathon sites had limited my account to 1$. .
    well at least I managed to earn totally 2k .
    my first question is if there is a good way to ressurect from being stuck in that situation.and secondly because I live in Greece and here only 24 sites are allowed for online betting if there is a good way to join a site apart from these by changing ip address to a site that doesn’t ask for personal data.finally whats the best way to make multiple account in a bet site? Sorry to be so long.i hope you understand my frustration. Thank you in advance

    1. Stratos

      Yes, the bookies do use your IP address to decide where you are and whether to trade with you so it may seem sensible to consider proxy servers as a workround. The problem you would have though is that if all your other details are based in Greece (bank cards, address), it won’t help much.

      I think this solution can work for people who have opened an account in (say) the UK under a UK address, then subsequently moved overseas. However this wouldn’t appear to be your situation.

      Various websites will advise you to open accounts in other people’s names (e.g. spouse, friends) however you should onyl do this if the accounts really belong to the persons concerned. Otherwise you may be liable to the serious accusation of fraud.

      Lx

  49. hi,great site,i have had an account with b365 for a couple of years,i have had a pretty good last few months through mostly backing greyhounds plus also sports like soccer nba nhl and nfl but mainly uk greyhounds,i checked my account this morning after i won £2000 on greyhounds and i had a succesfull double on nhl and a treble on nba netting me £4000 to find a message saying i am no longer able to receive any bonuses ie parlay bonuses etc.i thought fair enough thats fine as the parlay bonuses i dont get at other bookmakers anyway,so now i go to place a greyhound bet and find i am limited to £5 stakes after previously being able to bet hundreds.its terrible how you are not allowed to win even though you are not arbing just betting through your own judgement.

  50. Shaz

    Thanks for your kind comments.

    Regarding your questions:

    1. I think, in principle, if you make enough money, and/or look like you’re arbing, you can get restricted betting on anything. However, it’s generally very difficult to arb with accumulators, and most bookies will welcome with open arms any customer who wants to concentrate on multiples. This is because the bookies’ edge is compounded when you multiply together the different legs of your treble. Thus, I think in practice, the answer to your question is very likely to be No.

    2. Multiple bets are never unmatched because, in contrast to singles betting, you cannot request odds at Betfair on accumulators. Instead, the bet is struck with Betfair directly as the counterparty, at the current best market prices for each leg in the multiple. Thus the bet is immediately matched.

    Lx

  51. Been doing a search for bookies restricting accounts & ended up here. Best advice I’ve come across. You really are experienced Lucy.

    It might be too late for Steve, but I can confirm that success in betting financials will get you restricted. I have had my accounts at a handful of the top bookies all restricted within a month.

    The question I’m curious about is, can you still get restricted betting on footy trebles alone?

    And plus I came across this in Betfairs T&C’s: “multiple bets are never unmatched” What the hell does that mean? I figured with your knowledge of the industry you might know.

    Happy Betting

  52. Hello again,

    I have another question. Will be glad if you can help me with that too.
    If I do surebetting for football (Soccer) matches, through different websites (say e.g. I bet for win in bet365, for draw in tempobet and for loss in Coral), and I continue this method with different betting websites, is there any way for a bookmarker (for e.g. a bookmarke in bet365) to find out that I have other accounts in other betting sites and exploit them jointly for surebetting? And if yes, how will they figure it out if I always use round numbers and I don’t withdraw too often?

    1. Sam

      Thank you for your comments, and welcome to my site.

      Honest bookies (which are the ones we are talking about here) cannot and will not confiscate your balance unless they can show you have acted illegally in some way, or have contravened their betting regulations. You could argue that ‘surebetting’ (aka arbitrage) is contrary to some of their stated policies, but in practice, they cannot really prove it. So, in the event of account limitation or closure, what they actually do is allow you to withdraw your current balance, but restrict your future trading.

      There is some debate about whether bookies share customer information. I am no expert in the Data Protection Act, but I’m guessing it would be illegal for them to do so. I have found very little evidence that they do this, and indeed have noticed that even companies within the same group (e.g. BetFred / Totesport) appear to operate independently of each other.

      Your last question – “how do they know?!” is a good one, but I’m not sure anyone has the answer really. Almost certainly, the bookies notice clustering of bets on particular opportunities, and these must look particularly fishy when they relate to some obscure market, as they suggest that different people have descended on the same over-long price for arbitrage purposes.

      Lx

  53. Hello Lucy, Thanks for the helpful website and notes.

    I am kind of new to betting. You are recommending us not to withdraw the money very often unless we need it and we should let our (money+profit) stay in our accounts. My concern is that if a bookmarker (in a betting website like: Marathon, bet365, tempobet, Interwetten, Bwin, Coral, or…) finds out that I am doing surebetting, they close or suspend my account and they may not give my profit back to me. Is it for sure that the outstanding balance is returned to the customer? Are they obliged to do that? I am only worried about this point which makes me withdraw my profit as soon as I can. What do you say about this?

    Thanks,
    Sam

  54. gooday lucy.having diffulty keeping betting accounts alive.ladbrokes the latest to weild there axe down but i dont know why. i have made sure i did not win.any profit went into betfair.i have had the decency to be £130 down in the account and low and behold capped to 30p on a 7s shot.what the hell is going on.i am in shock.i feel like i am dealing with criminals. paddy power shut me down after 11 days with the grand sum of £36 profit.could you shed some light on this for me.

    1. Dave

      It’s hard to know without looking at the details of your bets, and even then it might be difficult to tell.

      However, it does sound as if the bookies can work out that you’re arbing (which I’m guessing you must be doing, if you’re taking profits in Betfair?). It also sounds like these are fairly new accounts? Both of these things make an account inherently vulnerable, as it does seem that some bookmakers are particularly vigilant for arbers in the first few weeks after account opening.

      Additionally, judging by the email you sent me, I’m guessing you’re using quite large stakes – again, presumably to extract value from your arbs. Larger stakes early in an account’s life are likely to attract attention, and do suggest you may be a dreaded arber!

      But please don’t panic! There are a lot of other bookies out there, including a number of new entrants recently, and many will still accept your business.

      Bookies like Betbright, Winner.com and Racebets are all worth a look if you’re intent on remaining with the horses, though if you are focussed on arbitrage, you may need to broaden out your approach a bit.

      You may, for instance, wish to consider hard-to-spot cross-market arbs, such as (some of) those supplied by Mathbet. And also look at sports offered by Pinnacle too, as they generally offer great value and will never close you down.

      Lx

      ps your email address doesn’t work so I couldn’t mail you back!

  55. Steve

    No problem, if I ever start a forex column (as I’m regularly asked to do!), you’ll be the first to know. 🙂

    regards Lucy

  56. Lucy, you are absolutely right that the whole area is still an experiment for them because I can see some odds in their financials are so far from potential future reality, which you won’t see in real options/futures market.

    I would stay away from smaller bookmakers like spreadex.com because, in my opinion, there’s a risk they may not correctly handle financial data. I feel more confident with a larger company like Hills.

    I will keep you informed what is going on. Can you also keep me informed if some info about financials comes up, particularly with regards to limiting accounts, since you have this blog? Just send me an email if that happens. Thank you very much for all the info and insight you provided.

  57. Thanks very much for your explanation, Lucy.

    I have last question for you if you don’t mind. Because there exists no arbitrage opportunity in financials betting, Is it fair to say that william hill might let you run unless you threaten to bring the house down (i.e. making millions)? They can limit your accounts legally without any explanation, right? Just let you know I am a professional stock market options/futures trader usually making big bets. That is why I have to know some insights about bookmakers before getting into it. Thank you.

    1. Steve

      It’s a fair question.

      The trouble is that Lay Back & Get Rich may be an 800 page website, but it barely mentions financials: simply because I know so little about them.

      My guess is therefore that Hills will let you run longer than most, but I have no real idea. I suspect the whole area is a bit of an experiment for them (and their staff!) too, so it’s probably anyone’s guess.

      Can I turn this round and ask you to keep me informed?

      Lucy

      ps you may also be interested in spreadex.com, as they offer both sports betting and financial instruments. x

  58. Steve

    I’m sorry but I don’t think anyone can tell you that (unless you know a member of staff at William Hill!).

    It’s one of the enduring mysteries of the bookie world that sometimes unprofitable accounts are restricted, whereas others that are making money are allowed to run! It is precisely this kind of weird behaviour that has led to the kind of debate you can read on this page!

    What we do know is that it isn’t just about profit. If bookies think you are ‘arbing’ (playing tunes across multiple sites to lock in risk-free profits) then they’ll generally disapprove. However, genuine (so-called) recreational punters are often allowed to play for much longer, even where they’re making a lot of money.

    As the Americans would say, “go figure”.

    Lucy

  59. Hi Lucy,

    Thank you for your insight.

    It is very comforting to hear your comment. In what level of winning should I start to worry whether william hill might limit my account based on your experience on regular sports betting (not sports arbitrage)? 5000 or 10k? Any idea? since I am new on gambling. Thank you.

  60. Nobody mentioned William Hill. Does William Hill limit accounts as well? I just started betting on William Hill Financials with success, although bets were small. Can anyone advise me? Thanks in advance.

    1. Steve

      The only bookmaker that I know that definitely doesn’t limit anyone is Pinnacle. So yes, Hills do apply restrictions from time to time.

      However, it will be interesting to see how you get on if you just trade Financials. I suspect most of the bookies’ worries in this area surround sports arbitrage, so it may not be as much of an issue for you.

      Lx

    2. Steve just read your comment on William hill financial betting anx trust me they will suspend you. I rinsed them for £1800 over a four week period last summer but it came to an abrupt holt unfortunately

  61. Great website, lovely to read others issues re Account Closures 🙂

    I’m a partial Arber, but Im also a Punter, and after a succesful 12 months, I’ve felt the impact of Accounts Closures with VC & Stan James, and limits with others.

    My initial questions is that I have accounts with Boylesports and Ladbrokes which have been limited, and limited to such an extent that there useless, been offered stakes of 11p with Boylesports! Do you know whether, if you clear the account out, and don’t touch it for years, whether you’d be able to open a fresh/new account later? I’m talking 4/5 years here. Surely the bookmaker, if the account is dormant, is not able to retain your details under the Data Protection Act. I’m not talking rubbish here, I’d opened an account years ago in my Mums name with Ladbrokes, used it a couple of times when they had a matched offer at Cheltenham of £150. Years later I tried to get it back up and running, they said they had no record of it, and merely told me/mum to open another!

    I’ve had accounts with Bet365 and Hills for over 10 years, I seem to win shed loads from them both, but as yet, no limits or closures, maybe longstanding accounts carry more weight than new ones?

    1. Hi Mark

      Flattery will get you everywhere. 🙂

      I don’t know about individual bookies, but I’m certain that account age is a big factor. I’ve had some accounts for years and years that seem rock-solid, no matter what I do. Whereas I’ve had others limited in days at the merest suggestion of an arb. Readers’ comments seem to echo my experience too.

      Whether this means deliberately leaving a limited account dormant is a way to resurrect it – well, possibly, but you’d have to be patient to test it out! Bookies also seem to acquire each other with monotonous regularity (Ladbrokes/Betdaq, Betfair/BlueSq, Stan James/Betdirect….), so maybe that could offer a route to reincarnation too. 🙂

      Lx

  62. Hi! Quick question!

    What happens if you use a different strategy, such as a Martingale based one, which results in huge winnings? My experience is that I’ve made about 4000 in a day, starting with about 800. I mean i started yesterday morning and my balance is in the 4800s now. Should I expect further growing my bankroll or withdraw while I still can?

    Forgot to say, am playing on live tennis on bet365. Please answer ASAP, as I don’t want to lose everything.

    Thanks a bunch in advance!

    1. Zack,

      I’m not quite sure what you’re worried about. No bookie will confiscate your winnings, unless you’ve won in contravention of their betting rules (e.g. Exploitation of so-called palpable errors).

      When bookies close accounts, they allow you to withdraw your winnings. Closure simply means you’re unable to place further bets.

      Lx

      1. My account with bet365 here in Canada has been restricted for a month now (i.e., cannot place bets, make deposits, or request withdrawals). I have 90+ unsettled futures bets and over $32,000 cash sitting in my account. I expect that once the unsettled bets settle (which should be at the conclusion of the current MLB season in October) I will have approximately $50,000 in my account. They are currently dragging me through what they call their "enhanced verification" process that, to date, has requested and required the same level of documentation one would only expect to have to provide if attempting to get a mortgage. And I could have applied for and got the mortgage already at the rate their "management team" claims to be reviewing my documents. At this point, I'm getting concerned about how long they intend to continue this charade or whether I'll ever have my money returned to me.

        1. Hey Matt, Verification processes have changed in the UK too with many bookmakers now asking for bank statements and proof of income. I have noticed that most of the time, they only start requesting these things after you have accumulated some winnings and want to withdraw them. It’s a worrying thing.

          With that amount of money in your account, I’m sure a message to your gaming commission and perhaps social media and news outlets would give them enough of a nudge to pay out. Good luck!

  63. Hi, Very interesting info on this thread.. I was just wondering, with requards to opening new accounts.. how does it work when using paypal to make your initial deposit ? Do the bookies have access to your paypal details like name and address etc

    1. Dave

      As a general rule, I’d avoid using e-wallets like PayPal and Skrill(Moneybookers) to open new bookmaker accounts. The reason being that many new account bonuses only apply to customers who submit full bank details…. and I can see no reason why you wouldn’t want to benefit from these offers.

      I think there may also be a compliance dimension to this. Bookies have to ensure new members aren’t involved in money laundering, so often require a lot of information in order to do so. Clearly, knowing you have a valid bank account can short-circuit this process, so makes life easier for you and them.

      Having said this, my advice remains to use e-wallets for all deposits and withdrawals once your account is up and running.

      In response to your specific query, Paypal and co. reveal a lot less about you than other payment methods. All the recipient of a Paypal payment can see is your email address.

      Lx

  64. Hi, can I get some advice/opinions on something I want to try out.

    I have been a casual gambler with a b365 account for a few years just making a few fun bets on the weekends football. I have never made any big bets (no more than £10) and what I have win ends up being gambled away over the next few weeks.

    However, I have recently started using in-play betting, and I think I have found something that has quite a good success rate and with higher stakes could be profitable.

    My question is, because I have been so casual for a long time will I be flagged as soon as I make a bet that is larger than usual and will I be able to make any decent profit before my account closes. How would you approach this as I think it has potential.

    Thanks for any response.
    Tony

    1. @ Tony
      From my experience, and others will confirm that, Bet365 is not the quickest bookie to limit accounts! I still have my own, after a long time and a few withdrawals! And they keep sending me bonus offers now and then! I just love, making them lose money! 🙂
      Anyway, if you have a strategy that works inplay… I would use it in Betfair/daq where it will work even better! Simple as that! 😉
      And if it really works long term, feel free to share with us! 😀

  65. Ive had accounts closed by Stan James,Ladbrokes,Marathonbet & limited by Bet365 & Skybet.Is it possible to open up accounts at these bookmakers in my girlfriends name & still place bets from my address.I know IP address would be checked but if i use 3g with no wifi would they still be able to trace the account back to me?(im a bit of a technophobe:).Also Bet 365 offered me a 25% bonus promoting the start of the football season soi deposited £400 to get a £100 bonus.They are saying i am no longer eligable for bonuses but considering i was £1200 into a required £1500 rollover requirement i think ive been treated unfairly.Can they do this.The 3g question is my main question.Thanks.

    1. Spencer

      I’m assuming you and your girlfriend live at the same postal address?

      If so, I think you will struggle to get two sets of bonus offers, though you may be allowed additional accounts.

      Also, any accounts opened in another person’s name must be for that person’s real use. Otherwise, you may be accused of fraud.

      It’s one thing for your partner to have an account which she really uses; quite another for someone to impersonate a third party, including using their banking facilities, to exploit bonus offers.

      Regarding Bet365.. I think you’ll find they can pretty much do what they like (ah, the joys of small print) though I’d still challenge this with their customer service team if I were you.

      And people wonder why Betfair has taken off…

      Lx

      1. hey lucy,
        i was wondering if you could name a few bookmakers who have plenty of arb oppurtunities..
        im currently with Marathon, Betfair, Bet365 and Pinnacle… so a few others would be great.

        also i have not used betafir yet due to the fact i do not understand how the system works… if im arbing, and i lay a bet at betfair for a profit of 3%… if i do end up winning there and they take 5% of my win..does that mean im losing money?.

        1. Hi Keegan

          Welcome to my site.

          The best bookies for arbitrage are, by definition, those which offer best value, and the ones you list fit that description more often than most. Pinnacle is also famously “arb-friendly”.

          However, almost all bookies have their moments. Stan James and BetVictor may be trigger-happy when it comes to account closure, but they still provide occasionally tempting prices… in my experience, SJ more on the horses and Victor on football.

          If you download my manual on making £1k per month from betting, you’ll see that I argue for the use of odds comparison sites to identify best value. Beyond this, you’re into sophisticated arbitrage products such as my current favourite, MathBet.

          In answer to your question, yes, winning lay bets at Betfair will incur commission, which for newbies is usually 5%. So you need to factor this into your calculations.

          The most common way of handling commission is by ‘over-laying’ (i.e. set lay stake slightly higher than back stake). Naturally this approach erodes some profit, and may even make an otherwise promising arb unprofitable.

          Alternatively, you may wish to try an exchange that charges less. Betdaq is the obvious choice, as liquidity continues to improve.

          Lucy

  66. Mathias

    Yes, it’s perfectly legal for any trader to decide who he or she wishes to trade with.

    And yes, when an account is closed, the outstanding balance is returned to the customer. If you have any open wagers at the time, the bookie will honour them.

    Lucy

  67. hi lucy,
    i see that you arevtalking a lot about bookies closing your account.
    i have 2 questions for you:
    – is it legal for them to do so ( it is not because they put it in general terms and. conditions that it is)
    – do they give you back all the money you have on your account with them? ( deposit + profit)
    t
    hanks a lot

  68. Thanks for your helpful response. “account closure is an inevitable side effect”, do u mean my bookie might decide to close down my account without a tangible reason? I’m with 365. You also mention something about exchange, can you please throw more light on that.

    1. Skidooshi,

      Yes, 365 may well close your account without reason. Though they are rightly regarded as one of the more tolerant ones, and will probably want a run at winning it all back! Their business model – no high street shops – means they carry less cost than many of their competitors, which is why they price better than most too.

      There shouldn’t really be too much for you to worry about. Your cash is safe with a bookmaker as reputable as bet365, but don’t be surprised if one sunny morning, you receive an email saying they’ve paid you out and shut you down.

      If they do, why not just start up with another bookie? I can probably give you a list of candidates to suit if you let me know which market you’re in (mail [email protected]). You can even exploit their sign-up deals whilst you’re at it!

      Re ‘exchange’… Sorry, I was referring to Betfair predominantly, though there are now several imitators. Depending on your method, you shouldn’t have too many problems trading in-play there, though liquidity can, even today, be an issue on some secondary markets. Plus you will probably get better prices too.

      And although you have to contend with 5% commission (at least to start with), this is far less of a problem for traders as you net off trades in the same market.

      Hope this helps,

      Lucy

    1. Skidooshi,

      Thank you for your comments and welcome to my site. And congratulations on your success!

      Whatever your target balance, there is no chance whatsoever that very large balances will go unnoticed by your bookmaker. They welcome so-called high rollers, but only when they both deposit and lose a lot!

      Overall, I’m pretty sure that withdrawing your balance is the best way to get your account limited. Leaving it there may buy you more time – assuming the bookie believes they have a chance of winning it back! – but account closure is an inevitable side-effect of runaway profits.

      I don’t really see why you should feel such nervousness though, unless you are using a minor bookie, in which case the bookmaker’s solvency might be a worry. Ideally, you’ll be with Pinnacle, who will probably be prepared to let your run go longer than anyone else. But all the major UK bookies should be pretty safe.

      That said, I’m intrigued as to why you’re not trading on the exchange. Also, it sounds like you are using a single bookie… why not simply spread your bets around?

      There are an awful lot of online bookies: far more than most people realise. So the most obvious strategy would be to open lots of accounts and rest your main account; and of course use Betfair.

      Unless maybe your approach involves an obscure market only offered by one or two bookies?

      Lx

  69. Hi Lucy, seem like i’ve found a place where my question can be answered. I’ve developed myself around inplay bet for 1yr plus. Though i’ve burnt over 20 limits before i finally got it right. I have my eyes on $1m with my compounding strategy which i should be able to cover by Jan/2014. Right now i’m in need of money but i’m afraid that I might get restricted once i make my first withdrawal. I started with just $15, now i’m up $54k (though my entire deposit is around $250). I’m getting uncomfortable everyday. Should i just withdraw everything & kickstart my dormant account I have with other bookmakers? Is it possible that my account go unnoticed till it gets to $1m mark?

  70. Are you arbing mostly on in play or before the game starts? I’ve been doing this quite successfully for 5 years but only with live betting and it’s getting really though now with these limitations. Sometimes an account lasts only a few days. Is it possible to make an account last longer if you bet only on odds before the game starts and if so can you find a lot of arbs this way? thanks

    1. Stefan

      I’ve only ever really arb-ed before the game starts, as I find in-play betting generally to be a bit scary!

      I don’t know if the bookies would regard in-play arbers as any worse then pre-match ones though: it’s the principle of risk-free trading of which they appear to disapprove. Hypocritical nonsense of course, as they all lay off their own liabilities as an integral part of their business models.

      I am increasingly of the opinion that bookies monitor new accounts extremely carefully for so-called “abuse”, but miss all sorts of fun and games from established customers. So there may be an argument for keeping things fairly “straight” for three months or so, before switching into arbitrage mode.

      Lucy

  71. Chan

    Are you saying you only ever placed one bet at Ladbrokes? or that the bets you describe were simply the last ones before you were barred?

    Lucy

  72. i lost 4 of my accounts since i started arbing. ladbrokes, paddypower , stanjames, and marathon. ladbrokes was the most anal it only took 1 20 pound arb to get me limited. paddypowers worst, i placed 30 on a 1.16 selection and that gets me limited!!! i tried placing my punt bets on these account but it didnt stop anything.

  73. Great website, I’m new to betting but some how have managed to accumulate 15+ grand in my betting account. I would like to withdraw it or atleast 70%. Is that going to be a serious flag in my account?

    1. Dan,

      Thank you for your kind comments and welcome to my site.

      15 grand! Some beginner!

      Yes, it will get you noticed, but there comes a point when you just have to do it. And it is definitely better to make one or two large, infrequent withdrawals than it is to make lots of small ones. Especially if the latter are peppered with further deposits.

      Have you considered withdrawing to a Skrill (Moneybookers) account?

      Lx

  74. what i really want is a purely profitable betfair system so i can avoid the bookies and not have the anxiety of having to play “games” with them like fake losses etc!

    the best systems to my knowledge and i am very new seem to make use of bookies heavily -only using betfair as a crutch :-{

    any suggestions as to v gd betfair stuff appreciated!!!

  75. Hi Lucy,

    Regarding withdrawals, I tend to withdraw all my winnings at the end of every month and then deposit again. From the sounds of it, this is a bad policy but I feel a bit twitchy about leaving large sums of money in online bookie accounts. Do you think a better policy would be to withdraw, say, half and leave the rest in there – or would this also annoy the bookies as you are still making a withdrawal and making them incur bank charges?

    1. Hi Kevin

      Welcome to my site. 🙂

      I feel you’ve almost answered your own question. My advice is simply never to withdraw unless you need the money. If you’re using mainstream bookies there’s no particular reason to be twitchy in my view, though of course your level of confidence in the resilience of any company is, and must always be, down to your personal judgement.

      Lx

  76. All good advice there Lucy, but nothing is sure with the bookies. I had my Stan James account closed down after 8 or 9 small bets (£10 – £30) when I was in the red with them overall. I’ve also had accounts closed or limited with another half dozen to the extent that trading has become more difficult than it should. Currently, Bet365 and Betfred stand out from the pack, plus Pinnacle, though finding arbs with them is proving difficult, as they react very quickly.

    1. Dave

      I agree there are no certainties with the bookmakers – especially the traditional UK ones.

      Stan is particularly notorious; as is Victor with certain types of bet (esp. Asian handicaps). The other factor that I think we underestimate – per my previous comment – is account age. Newer accounts are a lot more vulnerable.

      Lx

  77. Hi Lucy

    i have recently become an arb trader -mainly i use my paddy power account – but the question i wanted to ask was, after how many bets would a bookie close a person’s account?

    cheers
    Ray

    1. It all depends.once you’ve placed your first bet you are opening yourself up to the randomness of the bookie itself.

      Size of stake, market, time you placed your bet, odds of bet etc all have an influence on whether they will restrict you.
      you don’t even have to been in profit with them if they feel in any way threatened then they will close you down.
      Annoying as it is if i was in the same position i would probably do the same.
      new accounts seem to attract the most attention so open one up take the bonus and leave that account idle for a few months.
      hope it helps
      Ian

      1. Hi Ray

        I have to agree with Ian … the bookies have no simple rule about a certain number of bets before they close you down. And new accounts are definitely vulnerable.

        I’ve had accounts with some bookies for years, without a problem. Yet I’ve also been closed down in a fortnight!

        Lx

  78. Mike,

    Good question, without, I suspect, an entirely straightforward answer.

    Bottom line – nowadays I only ever withdraw if I need the money. It’s too easy to withdraw, then find yourself depositing again a couple of weeks later. And as long as we track our accounts carefully, I am quite happy to leave money in multiple accounts for months on end. After all, we should be going after capital growth, rather than trying to make a quick buck.

    I don’t have a strict rule about transferring to Betfair, though of course it’s a great way out. But using Skrill does do away with a lot of this for the reasons given above…

    All I am trying to do is challenge people to ask themselves why they are withdrawing… especially if they know deep down there is a good chance they will re-deposit later.

    Lx

  79. Hi Lucy,

    Quick question – if you rest bookies accounts would you feel safe withdrawing from them or would you always aim to transfer the money over to Betfair?

  80. Hey Thanks for the reply!

    Just a few follow up questions. If you never withdraw money from the bookies and just transfers it to betfair, would you ever get limited? Also do you think betting on say 5/1’s at bookies and laying them at betfair is a good way to do it. I know you said a good way is to bet on the favourite but if they win like 2-3 times your bank roll would need to be quite big.

    Many thanks.

    1. Niall

      I don’t think anyone can tell you there is a strategy that will stop you being limited.. As implied above, I do think some bookmakers can be unpredictable. But ultimately, bookies are in the business of laying bets, so we shouldn’t get paranoid either about their apparent determination to lose our custom.

      Odds of 5/1 or so are probably fine, though even at this level you may find the gap between the back and lay sides of your trade opening up. Generally, the odds gap between the bookies and Betfair is at its smallest at the short end of the book, so faking losses with favourites is likely to cost you least of all.

      It’s late and I’ve had a long day so forgive me if I don’t quite follow your bankroll point! Surely, if you trade out with longer odds as you suggest, you will need a bigger bankroll at the exchange to cover the required exposure?

      Lx

  81. Niall,

    Thank you for your kind comment, and welcome to my site.

    Unfortunately, I don’t think the bookies operate on quite that simple a principle… or if they do, they’re not telling! On the contrary, it sometimes appears there is almost a “randomise” function built into their approach, deliberately to confuse serious punters! Bookmakers are the only service providers I know who will actually give hard cash away to recruit customers, and then, under various quixotically selected circumstances, rapidly change their mind and refuse to trade with them!

    So we must pander to their curious ways…

    If I had to pick one area to focus on, it would be withdrawals. They definitely attract the bookies’ attention, which is the only explanation I can find for their remarkable delay in paying out. After all, surely a speedier service would encourage us to do further business with them in future, but they seem to care little for the obvious logic of customer service. Why?

    Well, my theory is that we place too much emphasis on bookies hating winners. What they hate most is people making withdrawals. If you win but don’t withdraw, they have yet a second or third chance to win back their money. They know the hardened gambler will never stop when things are going well, and as there is of course no upper limit to the set of positive numbers, the only exit, if he never withdraws, will be the one enforced by an unlucky run bringing his balance back down to zero. Thus from the bookies’ point of view, the moment of withdrawal is the one most to be feared, for this is the moment at which they lose the opportunity to level the score.

    It follows that the longer you can let things run, the less likely you are to be limited.

    Ideally, you should only ever withdraw before resting an account for a long period of time. And even more ideally, you shouldn’t withdraw at all, but rather run your account to zero, and trade-off into Betfair.

    All that said, to trade like this, you will need a wad of cash – hence my interest in starting off with Bonus Bagging!

    Lx

  82. Hey great article! I was wondering if you could share how much of a profit ie 5000 profit in a month that is a limit to stay under. So for instance you should always stay under say 3000 profit at the major bookies and you’ll be okay?

    thanks

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