Arbitrage Calculator
Calculate whether odds across bookmakers create a guaranteed profit opportunity.
Check for Arbitrage
What is Arbitrage Betting?
Arbitrage (or "arbing") exploits odds differences between bookmakers to guarantee profit regardless of outcome. When the combined implied probability of all outcomes is less than 100%, an arbitrage opportunity exists.
How It Works
If Bookmaker A offers 2.10 on Team X and Bookmaker B offers 2.05 on Team Y, the combined implied probability is: (1/2.10) + (1/2.05) = 47.6% + 48.8% = 96.4%. Since this is under 100%, you can stake proportionally on each outcome for guaranteed profit.
Reality Check
True arbitrage opportunities are rare and short-lived. Bookmakers actively monitor for arbers and may limit or close accounts. The margins are typically 1-3%, meaning you need significant capital and many bets to earn meaningful profit.
Why Arbitrage Is Harder Than the Math Suggests
On paper an arb is free money. In practice several things get in the way, and knowing them before you start saves a lot of frustration.
The Practical Obstacles
Odds move quickly, and getting one leg matched while the other shortens leaves you exposed on a single outcome instead of covered on both. Bookmakers cap stakes on the markets most likely to be arbed, so the size you can place is often far below what the calculator suggests. Accounts that arb regularly get limited to small stakes or closed, usually within weeks rather than months.
Rules Differences Bite
Two bookmakers can settle the same event differently. Different rules on void bets, postponements, dead heats and which result counts as official can turn a covered position into an open one after the fact. This is a real source of loss that never appears in the arithmetic.
The Scale Problem
Returns per arb are small, often a low single-digit percentage of turnover, so meaningful profit requires a lot of volume. That volume is exactly what gets accounts restricted, which is why arbitrage tends to have a short life at any one bookmaker.