Cybercrime is a major problem worldwide, and growing every year. It’s projected to cost companies <a href="https://www.getastra.com/blog/security-audit/how-many-cyber-attacks-per-day/" target="_blank" title="">$10.5 trillion</a> (£8.4 trillion) worldwide in 2025.&nbsp;

There are around 4000 new cyber attacks every day, and a company is targeted by a ransomware attack every 14 seconds.&nbsp;

It’s no wonder that of the 8.2 billion people in the world, 1.5 billion use a VPN—that’s almost 1 in 5.

In the UK, VPN usage is even higher, with a quarter of internet users surveyed in 2023 saying they <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/1386118/online-adults-attitudes-data-privacy-uk/" target="_blank" title="">used a VPN</a> at least some of the time. This means it’s quite likely that you’ll use a VPN yourself, or are thinking of using one.&nbsp;

This guide will explain what a VPN is, what it can and can’t do, and if you should use one for your <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/matched-betting-faq" target="_blank" title="">Matched Betting</a>.

A VPN is a virtual private network, which gives you safe and private access to the internet. It does this by passing your internet traffic through a VPN tunnel - a secure internet connection between your device and a VPN server.&nbsp;&nbsp;

VPNs also mask your online identity, so your Internet Service Provider (ISP) and third-party sites can’t see which sites you visit or the data you send online. This is achieved by hiding your IP address by redirecting it through a remote server operated by a VPN host.&nbsp;

Because your data is encrypted, it would be useless to a hacker or other cybercriminal if they could intercept it.&nbsp;

If you use a VPN, you’ll also be able to disguise your location by selecting a VPN server in another part of your country, or another country entirely.

Using a VPN gives you a level of online anonymity, protecting your identity and hiding your personal information and browsing activity.&nbsp;

Another key reason for using one is to give you a secure internet connection. The private Wi-Fi connections used by individuals and companies are secure and encrypted.

Mobile network technologies like 4G and 5G are also securely encrypted, providing a decent level of protection.&nbsp;

The same can’t be said for public Wi-Fi hotspots though, which are prone to being targeted by hackers.&nbsp;

A VPN will make your connection more secure no matter what sort of network you’re using, but is particularly helpful when using public networks.&nbsp;

VPNs can spoof your location, allowing access to content from other countries which is blocked when using your regular internet connection.&nbsp;

Some <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/matched-betting-faq" target="_blank" title="">Matched Bettors</a> use this feature of VPNs to access UK websites when travelling abroad.&nbsp;

When using a VPN, you’re protected in several ways.&nbsp;

A VPN encrypts your data and passes it through a secure VPN tunnel. To maximise this protection, it’s best to choose a VPN that uses the strongest encryption, for example, AES-256 (used by military organisations and governments).&nbsp;

If a hacker managed to intercept your internet traffic, it would just appear as gibberish and be of no use to them.&nbsp;

Virtual private networks often come with a kill switch, which suspends your internet connection if the VPN connection drops.&nbsp;

This prevents your unencrypted data from being exposed.&nbsp;

Many VPNs feature a no-log policy, which means they don’t track or store your browsing activity. Even if a hacker gains access to the VPN, they won’t be able to read any of your personal data.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Cyber Attacks That VPNs Help Protect Against

We’ll see in the next section that a VPN can’t protect you against every online threat, but here are some types of cyber attacks they can help with.&nbsp;

A DDos (Distributed Denial of Service) attack floods a target with an overwhelming amount of data, which can overload servers and crash websites.&nbsp;

This is where a hacker gains access to a system from a remote location. One way to do this is by using your IP address. Since the VPN hides your IP address , this type of attack is made more difficult. 

Man-in-the-middle attacks involve hackers intercepting internet connections and viewing or tampering with a user’s data.&nbsp;

Logging into a website creates a session ID, which gives a convenient way to remain logged in for some time. However, if a hacker discovers your session ID, they might have the opportunity to hijack this session and access your account.&nbsp;

By encrypting your connection, VPNs make it very difficult for a hacker to discover your session ID.

A particularly sneaky strategy adopted by some hackers is to set up hotspots that appear to be the Wi-Fi provided by legitimate businesses.&nbsp;

Using a VPN will protect your data even if you inadvertently connect to a fake hotspot.&nbsp;

VPNs aren’t a complete security solution in themselves, and it’s important to be aware of their limitations.

Here’s a list of what VPNs can’t protect you from.

A VPN offers no protection if you leave your antivirus off whilst navigating high-risk sites or click on malicious links.&nbsp;

A phishing attack is where a hacker sends an e-mail that appears to be from a legitimate business. The phishing emails they send have links, and clicking the link either downloads malware onto your device or reveals your login details.&nbsp;

Malware is malicious software that's downloaded onto your device if you click on a malicious link. It allows a hacker to view your data even if it was transmitted securely through a VPN tunnel.&nbsp;

If your device is stolen, a VPN offers no protection to any data stored on it.&nbsp;

An insider is a family member, work colleague, or contractor with access to your network. The threat could result from a deliberate action or inadvertently clicking on a malicious link.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Whilst powerful security tools, there’s only so much a VPN can do. Therefore, it’s important to take other precautions to increase your online security. Here are a few points to consider.

Security issues sometimes occur with software, which could be exploited by hackers. For this reason, it’s important to ensure you apply patches and other software updates as they become available.&nbsp;

Two-factor authentication involves using two different methods to secure your accounts. This will normally be your password and something like a fingerprint or face scan, or a one-time code.&nbsp;

This is software designed to detect viruses, worms, and viruses and prevent your system from being infected. It also includes tools to remove them if your device becomes infected.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Password managers give an easy way to securely store your passwords. This allows you to use different strong passwords for the sites you log into, making it much harder for hackers to crack your password.&nbsp;

Many bookmakers and casinos prohibit the use of VPNs, so it’s generally not a good idea to use one when matched betting.&nbsp;

Here’s a section from Bet365’s terms and conditions which makes their policy clear:&nbsp;

You might also find you can’t log into a bookmaker or casino when using a VPN. Here’s the error message I get when trying to access the Bet365 site with my VPN switched on, for example:

Sometimes, you might be able to log into a site, but some of the functionality won’t work when using a VPN.&nbsp;

An example of this is if I try to access the Blue Wizard slot by Playtech on Betfred, which leads to this error message:

A reason for bookmakers to prohibit VPNs is that they’re sometimes used by Matched Bettors to sign up with multiple identities. This is known as multi-accounting or gnoming. This allows them to take advantage of sign-up and reload offers more than once.

Even if you don’t multi-account, using a VPN might raise suspicion with the bookmaker. This could lead to them restricting your account by removing offers (known as gubbing in the Matched Betting community). Worse still, they might close your account or withhold winnings from you.&nbsp;

For these reasons, not using a VPN when accessing bookmakers and casinos is a good way to try to avoid account restrictions.&nbsp;

As you’ve seen, many VPNs can be used to spoof your location. For this reason, Matched Bettors sometimes use them to do Matched Betting from abroad, when travelling, working, or if they’ve relocated overseas.&nbsp;

Even though it’s often possible to access UK or Irish sites from other countries by using a VPN, this comes with risks. This is partly for the reasons mentioned in the previous section.&nbsp;

In addition to this, you could end up in trouble if you access bookmakers or casinos from a country where gambling is prohibited.&nbsp;

Whilst it’s tempting to use a VPN to continue doing offers when you’re overseas, it’s probably better to take a break from Matched Betting and enjoy your time abroad!

Using a VPN is a great way to increase your online security and protect you from hackers, even if you’re probably best to switch it off when accessing bookmakers and casinos.&nbsp;

It’s not difficult to find several online reviews of the best VPNs, especially on <a href="https://www.tomsguide.com/best-picks/best-free-vpn" target="_blank" title="">tech websites</a>. The tried and trusted method of typing ‘best VPN’ into your search engine of choice is also sure to get you plenty of results.&nbsp;

As you’d expect, paid VPNs tend to have more features and better security than free versions. However, some of them have favourable reviews, particularly PrivadoVPN Free, Proton VPN Free, and Windscribe Free. All three have paid upgraded plans if you want more features.&nbsp;

When it comes to paid VPNs, you’ll often see NordVPN, ExpressVPN, Surfshark, and Proton VPN receiving plenty of praise. It’s best to do your own research though, as there are lots of options, each with their own pros and cons.&nbsp;

As you’ve seen, VPNs offer a layer of protection when using the internet, helping to keep you safe from hackers and cybercrime.

When it comes to <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/matched-betting-faq" target="_blank" title="">Matched Betting</a> though, using a VPN can raise suspicion with bookmakers. This could lead to account restrictions, closures, or even having your winnings withheld.&nbsp;

For this reason, you should avoid using a VPN when accessing bookmaker and casino sites. It’s also best to resist the temptation of using one when you’re overseas, however much you might want to continue to make money from your Matched Betting.&nbsp;

VPN for Matched Betting: Everything You Need To Know

Betano are brand new to the betting scene. Their website launched in the UK as recently as May 2024 - so you could be forgiven for not having a clue who they are. But already, they’re making impressive inroads into the British bookmaking market.

Betano has enjoyed quite some success abroad, and is one of the largest gambling operators in Brazil, so it’s likely that it won’t be too long before it becomes a well-known name for those who pay attention to the betting scene.

So how does its website and service rate here in the UK? How does it differentiate itself from the already packed British <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/sports-betting-guide">sports betting</a> scene? And what does it have to offer matched bettors?

In this article, we’ll assess everything Betano has to offer, from its sportsbook to its <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/ultimate-guide-to-casinos">casino</a> to its customer service, so that you have all you need to know to decide whether it’s worth <a href="https://href.li/?https://www.betano.co.uk/en-gb/offer/BI15/98545">signing up</a>. So let’s dive in!

A quick and easy 3-step process - simply enter your details and you’re all set.

Despite having launched in the UK only in May 2024, Betano has already made its mark on the British betting landscape.

As an official sponsor of both the 2024 Euros and of Aston Villa, football fans will have seen the Betano name and brand all over the place since its launch, a very effective strategy for building a customer base.

Betano, owned by Kaizen Gaming, was launched in partnership with BVGroup, which operates brands including BetVictor, Talksport and Parimatch. The result is that the website will look very familiar to customers with existing BVGroup accounts.

Betano already offered services in a number of territories prior to its UK launch, including other countries in Europe, Africa and the Americas. It was therefore in an excellent position to hit the ground running when it opened for business in the UK, which is exactly what it’s done.

Admittedly, those outside the sports betting industry are largely still unaware of its existence - but given its success so far, we don’t expect that to remain the case for long.

Betano has a positively enormous range of welcome offers, including a variety of offers specific to ongoing events, meaning that the exact promotions you see when you go to sign up can vary depending on what’s going on.

At the time of writing, there are a total of eight welcome offers available across their sports and casino section. As well as the standard sports welcome offer (bet £10 to get a £10 free bet), there’s a dedicated Australian Open offer and a Europa League offer, meaning you’re rather spoiled for choice!

As a general rule, we recommend that matched bettors maximise their profits by going for the offer with the highest value of free bets - but of course it’s ultimately up to you which you like the sound of best.

Standard sports welcome offer: Bet £10 and get a £10 free bet

Australian Open welcome offer: Bet £10 and get £40 in free bets

Europa League welcome offer: Bet £10 and get £30 in free bets plus a £10 slots bonus

Football welcome offer: Bet £10 and get £25 in free bets plus a £5 slots bonus

Horse racing welcome offer: Get your first stake in free bets up to £40

Slots and Live Casino welcome offer: Wager £10 and get a £20 slots bonus and a £20 live casino bonus

Slots welcome offer: wager £5 and get a £20 slots bonus plus 20 free spins

Alternative slots welcome offer: Wager £20 and get £30 in slots bonuses

Betano’s range of sports isn’t quite as wide as some of its competitors, but it still includes pretty much everything you might wish to bet on. Its range of markets for those sports is excellent too, especially for higher profile events.

We’re also impressed by its bet builder tool, which avoids the needless complexity we see all too often in bet builders.

It must be said that Betano’s odds aren’t generally the best available, especially when it comes to horse racing. They tend to sit more around the average for football, though, so football fans won’t miss out on too much value when playing with Betano.

Betano usually have a number of reload promotions available - though quite a number of them involve unlocking a rewards wheel, meaning you can’t be sure in advance exactly how much your reward might be.

If you’re looking to take advantage of this kind of offer through Matched Betting, we recommend checking all the possible rewards on the wheel in advance, so you can work out what your worst case scenario would be in terms of profit.

It’s worth noting that it’s sometimes possible to combine multiple offers, which can improve your chances of guaranteeing yourself a profit.

Betano also has regular Bet &amp; Get <a href="https://outplayed.com/sports-accumulator-betting-guide">acca</a> promotions, which offer a more reliable way to guarantee profits for matched bettors.

Betano is more focused on its sportsbook than its casino overall, but it still offers a wide range of games, including all the favourites you’d expect to see - the Big Bass series, Fishin’ Frenzy and Eye of Horus among them.

There’s a fairly wide range of live casino games too, with various roulette, blackjack and baccarat options, plus the ever popular game shows such as Crazy Time and Adventures in Wonderland.

There are certainly more offers available for sports, but casino is by no means neglected. The weekly ‘Casino Crew’ offer allows you to claim free spins by wagering a certain amount - up to 150 free spins in total, if you wager as much as £600.

On a slightly smaller scale, you can also access the casino daily box by wagering £25. When you open the box, you get the chance to receive one of the following:

Stephanie Sorrell

Betano Review: A Comprehensive Analysis

<a href="https://www.ufc.com/" target="_blank" title="">UFC</a> (Ultimate Fighting Championship) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) organisation, founded in 1993.&nbsp;

Featuring a roster of the <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/sports-betting-guide" target="_blank" title=""></a><a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/sports-betting-guide" target="_blank" title="">sport</a>’s most recognisable names, extensive worldwide coverage, and high-profile events, UFC is the clear leader in the world of mixed martial arts.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Most bookmakers and some <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/what-is-a-betting-exchange" target="_blank" title="">betting exchanges</a> have embraced the popularity of MMA, particularly UFC, and offer betting markets for fights.&nbsp;

In this guide, we’ll look into the history of mixed martial arts, techniques used, rules, common disciplines, important competitors, UFC betting markets, and where you can place your bets. 

Mixed martial arts is a full-contact combat sport that has grown dramatically in popularity in recent years.&nbsp;

Participants incorporate a combination of martial arts from around the world. Techniques used can be broken into striking and grappling categories.&nbsp;

Although these are the main focuses of mixed martial artists, defensive blocking techniques are also used to a lesser extent.&nbsp;

These are holds used to close in on and control the opponent, often in preparation for a takedown or throw, or to prevent an opponent from moving away or striking.

These are holds used as a ground fighting technique that pin the opponent to the ground. Mixed martial artists can’t win from a pinning hold, but they have several important uses:

These are holds intended to force the opponent to submit to avoid extreme pain, injury, or unconsciousness. A submission is indicated by tapping the opponent with the hand. There are a range of types of submission holds:

These involve using the legs to attack the opponent’s legs to unbalance them and make them fall to the ground.&nbsp;

A takedown is a technique that off-balances an opponent, causing them to fall to the ground, normally with the attacker landing on top of them.

A throw is a type of takedown that either involves off-balancing or lifting an opponent, then throwing them to the ground

UFC and other MMA events have far fewer betting markets than many other sports. With lower-profile fights, bookmakers and betting exchanges will often only have the Match Winner Market.&nbsp;

This is a bet on one of the fighters to win the fight.&nbsp;

Bookmakers tend to have 2-way markets, which do not include the draw. In the unlikely event that the bout ends as a draw, bets will be voided and stakes returned.&nbsp;

As of the writing of this article, there have only been six draws in UFC title fights. Four were split draws and the other two were majority draws.

This doesn’t include draws due to the maximum allowed time being reached, like the rematch in UFC5 between Ken Shamrock and Royce Gracie, which was declared a draw after 36 minutes.&nbsp;

The Match Winner market goes by many other names, including Moneyline, Fight Result, Bout <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/how-to-read-betting-odds" target="_blank" title="">Odds</a>, Winner, Fight Betting, Match Winner, To Win The Fight

The betting exchange Smarkets lists it as Winner (<a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/what-is-draw-no-bet" target="_blank" title="">Draw No Bet</a>), to emphasise that in the event of a draw, all bets are void and stakes or liabilities will be returned.&nbsp;

Here’s an example of a featured fight on <a href="https://outplayed.com/betfred-review" target="_blank" title="">Betfred</a>, in which the only available betting market is the Match Winner market:

Another common market is betting on the total number of rounds. These are two-way markets, where you can bet on over or under a certain number of rounds.&nbsp;

To avoid the possibility of a draw, the number of rounds will always end in .5. Here’s are examples where you can bet on Over/Under 2.5 rounds or Over/Under 4.5 rounds:

For bigger fights like title fights, additional markets may also be available.

A popular market in combat sports is Winning Method, which sometimes has other names like Fight Outcome or Method of Victory. With this market,&nbsp; you are betting on how the bout will be won.

As of the writing of this article, there aren’t any UFC markets of this type, but here’s a boxing Fight Outcome market, which will be very similar:

Round Betting is another market you might come across. Here, you’re betting on which round the fight will end in.

You might also see Round and Winning Method markets, which are common in boxing. With these markets, you’re betting on a specific round for the fight to end and the method of victory. This market will have much higher odds than either the Round Betting or Winning Method markets, due to the more specific nature of the bets.

Most bookmakers have MMA betting markets. The betting exchanges offering MMA odds are Matchbook, Smarkets, and Betfair Exchange.

If a bookmaker or exchange has MMA odds, these will be found under sections titled MMA, UFC/MMA, or Mixed Martial Arts. 

A Very Brief History of Mixed Martial Arts

Martial arts (fighting arts) date back thousands of years, with different countries developing their own systems.&nbsp;

A natural later development was to combine the best parts of a variety of martial arts to create a hybrid or mixed martial arts style.&nbsp;

Ancient China had a mixed combat sport called Leitai, which combined Chinese martial arts, <a href="https://outplayed.com/boxing-betting" target="_blank" title="">boxing</a>, and wrestling. Bouts took place on a raised platform with no barriers called a lei tai. A competitor would be defeated if they submitted, were incapacitated, or thrown from the stage.&nbsp;

The ancient Greeks had a combat sport called pankration, which combined wrestling, grappling and striking. It was introduced into the Greek Olympic Games in 648 BC.

Later, other countries developed their own mixed martial arts, including Savate in France, Vale Tudo in Brazil, catch wrestling in England, and Sambo in Russia.&nbsp;

In 1964, renowned martial artist Bruce Lee developed a hybrid martial art called Jeet Kune Do. He had trained in boxing in the 50s, studied Wing Chun with his teacher Ip Man, and also trained in a wide range of other Chinese martial arts.&nbsp;

After moving to the United States, he was also greatly influenced by Muhammad Ali’s boxing style, incorporating his footwork into his martial arts style.&nbsp;

Jeet Kune Do was Bruce Lee’s attempt to take the best parts of martial arts from around the world to create the most effective unarmed combat possible. Current UFC President Dana White has described Bruce Lee as the “father of mixed martial arts.”

<a href="https://www.ufc.com/" target="_blank" title="">Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)</a> was founded on 12th November 1993 by businessman Art Davie, and Brazilian martial artist Rorion Gracie.&nbsp;

Rorion Gracie is a member of the Gracie family, a family of Brazilian martial artists who developed Gracie jiu-jitsu (which later became known as Brazilian jiu-jitsu) in the mid-1920s.&nbsp;

Pre-dating the formation of the UFC, members of the Gracie family offered an open invitation to martial artists of any discipline to fight in a Vale Tudo (anything goes) contest.

This was known as the Gracie Challenge, and the intention was to demonstrate the superiority of Brazilian jiu-jitsu over other martial arts.&nbsp;

In the early days of the UFC, there were minimal rules and no weight categories, partly because the Gracie family wanted to demonstrate that Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioners could defeat heavier and stronger opponents.&nbsp;

The first UFC tournament, now referred to as UFC1, pitted competitors from a range of disciplines against each other, including Taekwon-do, karate, savate, kickboxing, shootfighting, sumo wrestling, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

The final of UFC1 featured savate fighter Gerard Gordeau against a member of the Gracie Family, Royce Gracie.

Ultimately, Gracie won by submission by rear naked choke hold after performing a takedown on Gordeau, who was unable to perform any strikes.&nbsp;

Weight categories were later introduced in UFC12 in February 1997. Gloves became mandatory from UFC14 in July 1997, which also banned kicks to the head of a downed opponent. Five-minute rounds were introduced in UFC21 in July 1999.&nbsp;

UFC100 in July 2009 saw a big surge in the sport's popularity. It was the most bought UFC pay-per-view ever at the time, with a buyrate of 1.6 million.&nbsp;

The main event featured UFC Heavyweight Champion and WWE Champion Brock Lesnar’s rematch and championship unification bout with Interim UFC Heavyweight Champion Frank Mir. Lesnar won the bout with a technical knockout in the 2nd round.&nbsp;

In November 2012, Dana White, who has been UFC President since 2001, announced that UFC would feature women in future events. 

MMA competitors train in a range of disciplines to improve their striking and grappling abilities. These can be broken down into disciplines that help to develop striking, clinching (controlling the opponent whilst standing), and ground grappling

Here’s a breakdown of some of the important disciplines that MMA fighters train in. 

The UFC has evolved since its early days, when there were no weight divisions. There are currently 8 men’s and 3 women’s weight divisions.

UFC Betting Guide

In many ways, <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/sports-betting-guide">the world of sports betting</a> mirrors the financial world, with tiers of professional traders harnessing the betting industry to turn a profit.

Betting brokers are just one example of those traders, making money by acting as a middleman between customers placing bets and bookmakers (and also some exchange sites).

So what is the advantage to bettors of using a broker, and how does it work? Is it something the average sports bettor should look into? And what are the downsides?

In this article, we’ll go into everything you need to know before signing up with a betting broker, so that you know for sure whether it’s worth your while.

A betting broker - or betting agent - acts as a middleman between you and a bookmaker.

Through a single account with the broker, you can place bets with any bookie they offer, and the broker makes money by charging you commission on your stake.

Brokers tend to focus mostly on Asian bookies, which usually have a somewhat different business model to western bookmakers.

Asian bookmakers are what’s known as ‘sharp’ bookies, offering much more <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/how-to-read-betting-odds">competitive odds</a> than the typical British bookie (known as ‘soft’ bookies).

Sharp bookies have much lower margins on their odds, and aim to make their odds as close as possible to true probability, meaning that the customer gets much better value for money.

In contrast, soft bookies have <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/how-betting-sites-make-money">a high margin on their odds</a>, and focus more on promotions to draw in customers, rather than competitive value on the bets themselves.

Sharp bookies are also far more willing to accept profitable, winning customers than soft bookies, who will usually start <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/top-tips-to-avoid-being-gubbed">gubbing or stake restricting</a> any customers who are too successful.

For this reason, sharp Asian bookmakers are obvious choices for expert sports bettors, who have the knowledge and experience to consistently make money from their sports betting, usually through <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/what-is-value-betting">value betting tactics</a>.

Betting agents make it much easier for these bettors to access sharp bookies and to place their bets.

The broker allows them to compare odds between the various bookies to find the very best value, and to place bets all from within one account, without having to navigate between a long list of bookie sites.

For an expert sports bettor, consistently profiting from their betting, it’s well worth the commission a betting broker charges for the sake of the ease of use and time saving aspects its service offers.

What Are The Benefits Of Using A Betting Broker?

One of the chief reasons to use a betting broker is to avoid the risk of a bookie placing restrictions on your account.

The biggest problem for sports bettors looking to make consistent profits is that most western bookies don’t look too kindly on any customers who make a success of their betting activity.

Consistent winning will inevitably result in a customer being stake restricted, meaning that they won’t be able to stake enough money to make any real profits anymore.

Asian sharp bookies are much less likely to restrict their customers, but customers from much of the world may not be able to access accounts with those bookies.

A betting broker therefore provides a means of access to those bookies - and the betting broker’s business model means that they really don’t care how much you win, as they earn their commission regardless.

Generally speaking, it’s possible to access much better value odds from Asian sharp bookmakers than from British ones.

Professional bettors’ profits hinge on finding the very best value bets available - so it’s easy to see why they’d be keen to bet with these bookies.

Of course, <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/what-is-a-betting-exchange">betting exchange sites</a> will also allow bettors to access highly competitive odds, and when betting at relatively low volumes using an exchange can be a solid strategy.

But even exchanges will start to impose some limitations for the most profitable bettors, asking for higher commission rates, or requiring the bettor to pay commission on all their bets, whether they’re wins or losses.

For bettors making serious money, betting brokers can be a much more satisfactory alternative.

As well as this, betting brokers make it a breeze to compare the odds available from various bookies, and to place bets from the same interface.

This saves the bettor valuable minutes in checking through different sites - and given the speed at which odds can move, that time saving can result in a significant amount of extra profit in the long run.

Even better, many betting brokers allow the bettor to set up a bet but require the software to wait to place it until it’s available at specified minimum odds.

This saves the bettor a lot of time in waiting around for the odds to improve; the technology does it all for them.

What Are The Drawbacks Of Using A Betting Broker?

While betting brokers do offer some major advantages to high volume sports bettors, there are also a number of downsides to balance those out.

The most significant of these are as follows:

Betting brokers generally have a much more limited range of sports available than traditional bookies.

You’ll still be able to access the most popular sports, but it’s often impossible to branch out into more niche sports.

This probably won’t trouble you if you only ever deposit via card anyway, but betting brokers generally have quite a limited range of payment methods available.

Unfortunately, you can’t <a href="https://outplayed.com/what-is-matched-betting">make money from Matched Betting</a> while using a betting broker - profitable offers simply won’t be available to you.

Crucially for UK-based bettors, many betting brokers don’t offer a service to a number of countries.

For a number of brokers, you simply won’t be able to sign up at all. There are some available to UK customers, but the available options are somewhat limited.

Betting brokers tend to cater to high volume customers, and they may therefore require you to stake a certain amount of money per month, or to wager your deposits a certain number of times, to avoid paying additional fees or to continue to use their services.

Many betting brokers limit the number of withdrawals customers can make free of charge.

Their services are designed to be used on an ongoing basis, so they expect you to leave a significant amount of money in your account.

You can usually withdraw free of charge once per month, but that does mean that you’ll need to be confident you won’t need urgent access to any of the funds you might have tied up in a broker account.

Betting brokers tend to focus on sports betting at a very basic level, meaning that you aren’t likely to encounter much in the way of promotions or bonuses. The value to the customer comes in the form of the odds they see.

As a betting broker is acting as a third party broker, they are not necessarily directly offering betting services themselves, so may not have a UK gambling licence.

Because of this, it won’t necessarily meet UK requirements for gambling operators, and your funds may not be as secure as they would with a UK licensed bookie.

Which Are The Best Betting Brokers Available?

If you’re based in the UK, your main challenge will be tracking down a betting broker willing to accept your custom; many of the most popular ones don’t accept customers from the UK.

The most reputable betting brokers with at least some services available to customers in the UK are as follows:

Matched Betting Guides