Kelly criterion is&nbsp;a mathematical formula that gives a stake size that will maximise the expected growth rate of your bankroll.

When using methods such as the&nbsp;<a href="https://outplayed.com/what-is-matched-betting">Matched Betting strategy</a>, you'll be laying off your bookmaker bets at an exchange to often guarantee a profit from offers, hence the name Matched&nbsp;Betting.

Ordinarily there's rarely a need to think about how big your stakes should be.

After all, you're balancing it out with the exchange lay anyway, so your risk is minimal. Moreover, most of the offers where you're laying your bets will have a set stake size in order to qualify for the promotion (e.g. Bet £20 Get £10 Free Bet).

This all changes completely when you delve into the world of value betting.&nbsp;For example, if you go for a "No Lay" strategy for <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/extra-place-offers">Extra Place offers</a>, or you know a bookmaker has a selection that is overpriced and you can't/won't lay it.

Here, since you're not balancing out your bets with an exchange lay, the amount you stake on the bet is very important. You don't want to stake so much that you risk rapidly losing your whole <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/matched-betting-bankroll">betting bankroll</a> (and thus don't have the money to take advantage of future profitable bets). But at the same time, you don't want your bet sizing to be so small that you're not gaining as much value from your bets.

This is where the Kelly criterion comes in.&nbsp;It takes into account all the important things: the size of your bankroll, the payout if you win, the loss if you lose, and the probabilities of these outcomes happening.

Within the Settings of the <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/extra-place-master">Extra Place Master&nbsp;</a>(when you have No Lay mode selected), you'll see the option to fill in your bankroll amount and also select Kelly staking.

And that's all the hard work done for you in terms of calculating how much you should stake!

Now when you load up the calculator for a selection, it'll give you the recommended stake based on your bankroll and all the other important information specific to that bet.

Before we go into how the Kelly stake amount is derived, it needs to be said that the stake the Kelly formula gives is often pretty brutal. That's to say that the stake that's optimal for growing your bankroll is bigger and therefore riskier than is really necessary.

This is why Outplayed's software defaults to fractional Kelly stakes. It simply takes the optimal stake that the Kelly formula would give and then divides it. The recommended amount is 0.25 (i.e. the stake that will be recommended by the software is a quarter of the optimal Kelly stake).

This will give a much more sensible and balanced stake amount.

So are you throwing away value by not betting with the fully optimal stake amount?

Well, yeah, some.. But the upside is you can stake a much smaller amount and still achieve a similar value in terms of bankroll growth rate. This means much calmer downswings to your bankroll and a much smaller chance of having the doomsday scenario of losing your entire bankroll.

Let's take a look at an example bet with the following info:

The Kelly Criterion maths (which we'll go into more detail with later) gives the optimal stake to maximise the expected bankroll growth as £62.50. This is the stake where the growth rate peaks on the graph below (the green point). It gives an expected bankroll growth rate of 0.74%.

The orange and yellow points show what happens to the growth rate if you go for a much smaller stake of £30 or £15. The £30 stake gives a growth rate of 0.55%, and the £15 stake gives 0.32%.

They do indeed lead to a lower average growth than a £62.50 stake, but are much less risky since they require a much smaller chunk of your bankroll.

The graph also shows that betting more than £62.50 in our example is completely redundant. The growth rate will only get further away from the maximum of 0.74%, and so you'll be taking on more risk for less reward.

Outplayed makes life nice and easy in terms of the <a href="https://outplayed.com/calculators/kelly-criterion-calculator">Kelly calculations</a>. But let's take more of an in depth look at how the stake amount is calculated and how it can apply to other betting situations.

When I say a "standard bet", I mean one that can only have two outcomes: win or lose. Also, in the event of a loss, you'd lose the full stake amount (there's no partial money back going on here).

The formula to work out the optimal Kelly stake (S) is as follows:

This can look a little complicated at first, so let's go through it step by step with an example to show how you take all the information and calculate the stake size. I'll use the same example as the section above:

This would be a great value bet to place if the bookie was offering odds of 5.0, but you believed that the true chance of that bet winning was more like 25%.

Step 1: Subtract 1 from the odds. 5 - 1 = 4

Step 2: Multiply this by the probability of the bet winning. 4 x 0.25 = 1

Step 3: Subtract the probability of the bet losing. 1 - 0.75 = 0.25

Step 4: Multiply by the bankroll amount. 0.25 x £1,000 = £250

Step 5: Divide this by the "odds - 1". £250 / 4 = £62.50

So we now know that the stake size that maximises the expected long term bankroll growth is £62.50. You can now apply the fractional Kelly as mentioned in the previous section.

It'd be as simple as taking the £62.50 and dividing it by 4 (or whatever other fraction you deem sensible). £15.62 is the new stake amount after doing this. It'd be a good idea to round this up/down to £15 or £20 so you don't stand out like a sore thumb to the bookie.

Each way bets work a little differently to your usual bet. They're essentially two bets in one. One of these bets on the selection to win, and the other bet on the selection to place (e.g. finish 1st - 4th).

This leads to three possible payouts instead of the standard bet, which gave two:

This third scenario throws a real spanner in the works when it comes to calculating the Kelly stake. Showing where this comes from and going into detail goes beyond the scope of this article.&nbsp;

It is very much the same concept though:&nbsp;finding the stake value that maximises the expected bankroll growth rate.&nbsp;

You don't actually need to know any of this to apply it to your betting. Outplayed's software instantly does all of these calculations for you and lets you know this stake amount when doing your each-way value betting.

The Kelly criterion formula is a great advanced concept for value bettors. It gives the stake that optimises your long-term expected bankroll growth. And after all, that's the main thing you're after!

When using Kelly stakes for betting purposes, the optimal stake can often be quite large, so using 50% or 25% of this amount can be an ideal balance of risk and growth.

It's nice to know where the numbers come from, but you don't need to do all the painstaking maths yourself. Outplayed will do this for you on our value betting software, so you'll always be using sensible stakes for your bankroll amount.

Ollie

Kelly Criterion Betting System: Optimising Bet Stake Sizes

Ever wonder if some casino games are just built to lose more money than others? Well, yes.. they actually are!

What determines how severe this is, and how much of a "house edge" the casino takes, is the Return To Player (often called RTP for short).

RTP in gambling is a measure of how much you can expect to get back, on average, over millions of spins on that game.

Now, of course, you won't actually be playing millions of spins on a game, but this is how the RTP is calculated by a computer when casino games are regulated.

A slot with an RTP of 97% would mean that, on average over millions of spins, for every £100 you spent on that slot, you would expect to get back £97. In other words, the <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/ultimate-guide-to-casinos" title="">casino</a> would expect to make £3 profit on average for every £100 you spent. This margin of 3%, is the casino’s house edge.

In a nutshell, you don't want to play a game where the casino has a large edge over you, when you could instead be playing a good game with a higher RTP.

This is particularly crucial when you're doing an offer from a casino. It can be the difference between getting terrific value out of a promotion, or getting no <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/what-is-expected-value" title="">value</a> at all.

The higher the RTP of the casino games that you use, the higher the returns you'll achieve on average.

Remember that this isn't a guarantee for every single spin and every single offer; after all, casino games' payouts can vary a lot on a spin by spin basis. But, in the long run, it makes all the difference.

Let's say you're completing <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/matched-betting-casino-offers-explained-in-a-nutshell">casino offers</a> with Outplayed and you keep having a choice between a 94% RTP slot or a 97% slot for your qualifying wagering.

If you were to wager £10,000 a year (about £27 per day), then the average difference in returns here would be £300. That's £300 extra profit in your pocket just by playing a more favourable game!

I'm sure you can now see how crucial it is to play the highest RTP games available.

It's all well and good that you now know what RTP is all about, but how do you really know if a game's RTP is good in the grand scheme of things?

This is where the terms of the casino offer come into play - if you have a list of 5 eligible games that are available for the promo, there's no point picking a different game, even if it does have a high RTP. You wouldn't want to play a game that doesn't even qualify to earn your free rewards!

In general, table games (e.g. Blackjack or Roulette) have a higher RTP than slot games. So if you can play them for an offer, then you should jump at the chance. They've got a very low house edge and are low variance games (which means your profits/losses won't be swinging around all that much).

Slot RTPs can massively vary from slot to slot;&nbsp;they can range anywhere from 80% to 99%. You're usually aiming for a game above 96% RTP to use for casino offers, but it can all depend on the value of the rewards and how large the wagering is. That's where Outplayed is a saviour since we work out all the fine details of the value and display it clearly.

Here's a table of some of the best RTP games you can play. They're very commonly used for profitable casino offers:

This is just a very small selection of games that are out there. Another thing to keep in mind is that the same slot can have different RTPs at different <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/ultimate-guide-to-casinos" title="">casinos</a>; we'll talk more about that later.

Some games will have a portion of the RTP that goes towards a progressive jackpot. This is a jackpot that continues to get larger with every spin anyone does on that slot across all casinos.

Slot providers like Playtech or Red Tiger will only have a small amount of the total RTP going towards a jackpot (around 0.5%-1%). Other games, like Mega Moolah will have a whopping jackpot contribution of 5%+.

You'll want to avoid playing games with large jackpot contributions for casino offers if you can help it, since a sizeable portion of the payouts are going towards a prize that's incredibly hard to win.

Would You Ever Want To Find The RTP Yourself?

First of all, when we post a guide to a casino offer at Outplayed, we'll always give recommendations for games with a high RTP. So for the most part, you won't actually need to go through the trouble of finding it yourself;&nbsp;we do the hard work for you!

There can, however, be exceptions. Sometimes you'll want to find a specific game RTP for yourself. Perhaps it's for an "invite only" offer that you've received in an email, or maybe you just want to try a different game from the ones we've suggested.

Some sites will have an "info" section that shows the RTP before you open the game. Be warned that the casinos don't always get the RTP right on these pages. The RTP found after loading the game will always be the correct one.

The same game on a different site won't necessarily have the same RTP. In particular, NetEnt, Pragmatic Play, Play N' Go and Red Tiger slots can vary drastically, which is why it's important to double check before playing! Don't just assume that Starburst has a 96.09% RTP because it did at another casino.

Casino games are required by law to specify the RTP somewhere within the game's settings. However, finding this isn't always easy at first glance. But don't worry, here are some general things to keep an eye on:

Look out for question marks ?, i symbols, "help", "settings", cog symbols, paytable as things to click that might reveal the RTP to you.

Below, you will find specific instructions on how to find an RTP with certain game providers. It's not an exhaustive list of all providers, after all, there are so many of them! But you will find all the main ones, and particularly the game providers most commonly found for casino promotions.

Click the question mark &gt; Scroll to 'RETURN TO PLAYER'.

Mobile: Tap three lines &gt; Swipe to question mark &gt; Tap question mark &gt; Scroll to 'RETURN TO PLAYER'.

Common NetEnt slots for offers: Starburst, Steam Tower, Blood Suckers.

Click HELP &gt; Scroll down to the bottom.

Mobile: Tap HELP &gt; Scroll down to the bottom.

Common Red Tiger slots for offers:&nbsp;Rainbow Jackpots, Blood Suckers Megaways, Cash Volt.

Click question mark &gt; Return to Player

Mobile: Tap three lines &gt; Tap Help &gt; Tap Return to Player

Common Evolution Live games for offers:&nbsp;Infinite Blackjack, Lightning Roulette, Crazy Time.

Hover over cog symbol &gt; Click Help &gt; Scroll down to the bottom.

Mobile: Tap three lines &gt; Swipe to Help &gt; Tap Help &gt; Scroll down to the bottom.

Common Playtech slots for offers:&nbsp;Golden Tour, Age of the Gods: God of Storms, Halloween Fortune.

Click three lines &gt; Table symbol &gt; Click arrows until you find game rules.

Mobile: Tap three lines &gt; Table symbol &gt; Tap arrows until you find game rules.

Common Blueprint slots for offers:&nbsp;King Kong Cash, The Goonies, Fortunes of Sparta.

Click i symbol &gt; Click arrows until you find game rules.

Mobile: Tap i symbol &gt; Scroll down until you find game rules.

Common Pragmatic Play slots for offers:&nbsp;Gold Train, Big Bass Bonanza, Book of the Fallen.

Click Help &gt; Wait for pop-up to load &gt; Click Return To Player (RTP)

Mobile: Tap question mark &gt; Scroll down to the bottom.

Common Microgaming slots for offers:&nbsp;Immortal Romance, High Society, Couch Potato.

Click question mark &gt; Scroll down until you find SLOT RULES.

Tap three lines at the top &gt; Tap RULES &amp; PAYOUTS &gt; Scroll down until you find SLOTS RULES.

Common Eyecon slots for offers:&nbsp;Lucha Rumble, Rebets Splendour, Fluffy Favourites.

Click MENU &gt; Click PAYTABLE &amp; INFO &gt; Click arrows until you find RULES.

Mobile: Tap MENU &gt; Tap PAYTABLE &amp; INFO &gt; Tap arrows until you find RULES.

Common Greentube/Novomatic slots for offers: Lucky Lady's Charm Deluxe, Dolphin's Pearl Deluxe, Book of Ra Deluxe.

Click three lines (this may take a few seconds to show) &gt; Click the i symbol for Rules &gt; Click arrows until you find Game Rules.

Mobile: Tap three lines at the bottom &gt; Tap i symbol &gt; Scroll down to the bottom.

Common ELK Studios slots for offers:&nbsp;Wild Toro, Pirots, Kaiju.

What Does RTP Mean In Gambling?

At Outplayed you can choose from 3 membership levels - Platinum, Diamond and Pro.

We also have an exclusive Pro Plus membership which is only available at certain times.

Here, you’ll find out the difference between the memberships and learn exactly what’s included in each level so you know which is the right one for you to help you make the most out of&nbsp;<a href="https://outplayed.com/what-is-matched-betting">Matched Betting</a>.

What Is The Difference Between Platinum, Diamond, Pro and Pro Plus?

Our Platinum Membership is focused solely on teaching and helping you make profits through Matched Betting sport related offers and promotions from the bookies.

Our Diamond Membership takes this to a whole new level - and the profits you can make - by teaching and helping you how to take advantage of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.outplayed.com/news/make-money/matched-betting-casino-offers-explained-in-a-nutshell/">casino offers</a>&nbsp;as well as all the benefits included in the Platinum membership.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://outplayed.com/pro-upgrade">Pro Membership</a>&nbsp;is suitable for experienced, serious Matched Bettors who want to unlock an additional £1000+ a month in potential profit using our advanced tools that enable you to take huge amounts of value. All the benefits from Platinum and Diamond memberships are included.

The Pro Plus Membership is our most advanced membership and is suitable for experienced <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/what-is-value-betting">value&nbsp;bettors</a> with a large bankroll looking to maximise their betting profits.&nbsp;Access is limited, and this membership is only open at select times throughout the year.

Perfect for you if: you’re just getting started with Matched Betting.

Outplayed Platinum membership has everything you need to be very successful and highly profitable Matched Betting sports offers:

Perfect for you if: you’ve completed a variety of sports offers and are ready to make more money using casino offers alongside sports offers.

Monthly rolling contract - £79.99/month

Annual rolling contract - £800.00/year (£66.67/month)

Outplayed Diamond membership includes everything available with our Platinum Membership level PLUS all of the following:

Perfect for you if: you’re an experienced Matched Bettor, you’ve built up a large bankroll and want to unlock an additional £1000+ a month in potential profit.

Monthly rolling contract - £150.00/month

Annual rolling contract - £995.00/year (£82.92/month)

<a href="https://outplayed.com/pro-upgrade">Outplayed Pro</a>&nbsp;membership includes everything available with our Platinum and Diamond Membership levels&nbsp;PLUS all of the following:

Perfect for you if: you’re an experienced value bettor and have built up a significant bankroll and want to unlock maximum potential profits with access to our powerful Golf Master and&nbsp;<a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/profit-using-outplayed-steam-chaser-tool">Steam Chaser</a>&nbsp;tools.

Annual rolling contract - £1499/year&nbsp;(£124.92/month)

Outplayed Pro Plus membership includes everything available with our Platinum, Diamond and Pro levels PLUS access to the Golf Master and Steam Chaser.

The Golf Master and Steam Chaser tools are extremely powerful, which is why we limit access to them as we need to keep them exclusive, so the Pro Plus membership is&nbsp;only available for purchase for limited time periods.

Here's why you’ll love the Golf Master:

Here's why you'll love the Steam Chaser:

All our membership levels are exceptional value - and to be perfectly honest the profits you can make from the signup offers alone on each plan can more than cover the costs for an entire year - even if you choose to pay monthly!

If you’re brand new to Matched Betting it’s best to start with Platinum and focus on working through the 40+ signup offers where you can expect to make over £850.

Thereafter you can make £300 - £1000+ a month from reload offers for existing customers.

Once you’ve grown your bankroll and have got the hang of Matched Betting on sports and are making some super easy profits, you can then upgrade to Diamond or Pro when you’re ready. 

You can upgrade to Diamond or Pro anytime.

Still Not Sure Which Membership To Choose?

As an Outplayed member, you have access to experienced Matched Betting experts who are available to answer your questions and help you through your journey.

Our&nbsp;<a href="https://outplayed.com/news/matched-betting/how-to-get-matched-betting-support">support</a>&nbsp;team is open and ready to help you choose the right membership that suits you.

We’re open 7 days a week. You can use email, live chat, Facebook, or the forum so please <a href="https://outplayed.com/contact" target="_blank" title="">get in touch</a>&nbsp;and we can discuss the best membership for you.

Outplayed Membership Levels - Explained

The short answer is: no, Matched Betting is not gambling.

But what makes it different from gambling? After all, the word ‘betting’ is in the name - it seems obvious that it’s got something to do with gambling.

It’s very common for people to be sceptical when they first hear about Matched Betting, and it’s a sensible instinct. Scams are everywhere these days, so it’s very wise to approach anything you see online with the mantra of, ‘If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is’.

Matched Betting, however, is the exception that proves the rule. It’s been covered by reliable publications including <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/money/2010/jul/24/free-bets-bookies">The Guardian</a>, <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/consumer-affairs/matched-betting-gambling-site-loophole-make-money/">The Telegraph</a> and <a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/a3mgmk/i-tried-matched-betting-to-see-how-much-easy-money-i-could-make">VICE</a>, which should help to reassure you that it’s definitely not a scam.

When done correctly, it really is risk free, and can be used to give your income a significant boost each month, making it one of the <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/side-hustle-ideas">best side hustles</a> out there.

If you’ve vaguely heard of Matched Betting but don’t really understand what it is, we’d recommend reading our <a href="https://outplayed.com/what-is-matched-betting">complete guide to Matched Betting</a>.

If you’re thinking about taking up Matched Betting but you’re concerned that it sounds like gambling, read on to find out how and why it differs from traditional gambling.

By definition, gambling is: ‘the practice of risking money or other stakes in a game or bet’.

Source: <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gambling">Merriam Webster</a>

For an activity to be considered gambling, it must involve three elements: the ‘consideration’ (the amount staked or wagered), risk (or chance), and a prize or return.

There has been gambling in some form for pretty much the entirety of human history.

We may think of gambling mostly in terms of betting on sports or slot machines, but it actually encompasses an extremely wide range of activities. All of the following are forms of gambling:

We may consider some of these activities to be more harmless than others - very few people would frown on getting a raffle ticket at a village fete - but they nonetheless fall under the umbrella of ‘gambling’.

Matched Betting, meanwhile, is a strategy that allows you to take advantage of the many offers bookmakers make to the public to encourage them to bet using their services.

‘Matching’ a bet means that you bet both for and against the outcome of an event. For example, you might bet that Liverpool win their next match, placing this as a ‘back’ bet with a bookmaker.

You would then match that bet by also betting that Liverpool don’t win their next match, placing this as a ‘lay’ (against) bet with a betting exchange, such as BetFair.

This covers all possible outcomes of that event (because a draw would also count as Liverpool not winning the match), and ensures that you don’t lose any money.

Bookies are constantly advertising extremely generous offers to new customers who sign up to their services, which is how we can use this technique to make money.

A bookie might offer you a £20 free bet if you sign up with them and place a £10 bet with your own money, for example. By matching your first bet, you break even - and you can then match the second (free) bet as well, and make your profit.

It sounds complicated to begin with, and if you’re not a person with a head for maths you might find it tricky to understand exactly how it works. The software works everything out for you, though, so all you need to do is place the amounts it tells you to, and the <a href="https://outplayed.com/user/register#1">Outplayed free trial</a> takes you step by step through every offer, allowing you to gain confidence as you go.

What’s The Difference Between Gambling And Matched Betting?

As we learnt above, gambling requires three elements: the consideration, the risk, and the prize or return.

When Matched Betting, we only hit two out of three - the consideration (our stake, when placing our matched bet), and the return (our eventual profit), but not the risk.

Gambling, by definition, involves risk - and the whole point of Matched Betting is to avoid it. By using our handy calculator, you’ll know in advance exactly how much you’ll make from each of your bets, so that no matter what the outcome is, you’ll have profited.

Luck and chance are an inherent part of gambling - but they don’t have any place in Matched Betting. You might be placing bets on gambling websites, but you’re cutting out any element of risk, which is what stops Matched Betting from being classifiable as gambling.

Despite that, though, Matched Betting does still come under ‘gambling’ for tax purposes, meaning that all your <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/is-matched-betting-tax-free">Matched Betting profits are completely tax free</a>.

As you become more experienced as a matched bettor, you may decide to move on to ‘advanced’ offers, which aren’t necessarily risk-free. <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/extra-place-offers">Extra Place</a> offers and <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/want-more-profits-from-matched-betting-2ups-are-key">2UP offers</a>, for example, allow you to make extremely large profits in the event of one particular outcome, but a small loss otherwise. Unlike the simpler beginner offers, a profit is not guaranteed - though in the long run, these offers can be highly profitable.

As risk does enter the equation, some of the more advanced offers can be considered gambling - however, as a matched bettor, you’d be operating on much sounder principles than simply hoping to get lucky.

Advanced offers work on <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/what-is-expected-value">the principle of ‘expected value’</a>, which refers to the amount of profit you can expect to make, on average, from a particular bet. When you place bets of this kind in sufficient numbers, you can make statistically reliable profits of around the ‘expected value’ of a bet, resulting in good profits in the long term.

However, there can be much more variance in your success with these offers, and if you’re uncomfortable with any level of risk there’s no need to try your hand at them.

You can comfortably make £300 - £1000 a month from regular Matched Betting, without any element of gambling at all.

Should You Try Matched Betting If You’ve Had A Gambling Addiction In The Past?

No, we strongly recommend that you do not take up Matched Betting if you’ve ever had problems with gambling addiction. Matched Betting may not be a form of gambling itself, but it requires you to place bets on bookmakers’ sites, exposing you to a gambling environment.

If you do find yourself struggling with gambling problems having started Matched Betting, get help. <a href="https://www.gamstop.co.uk/">GamStop</a> allows you to self-exclude from gambling sites and services, and <a href="https://www.gambleaware.org/">GambleAware</a> can provide you with support and advice.

Matched Betting is not inherently a form of gambling, even though it does involve betting and using bookmakers. If you stick to standard sign up and reload offers, you’ll always know exactly how much profit you stand to make no matter the outcome, with no element of risk.

Some more advanced types of Matched Betting can include a degree of risk and so, despite their relying more on mathematics than luck, can be considered a form of gambling. However, plenty of people never try these more advanced offers at all, and are still able to make substantial profits from Matched Betting without them.

Stephanie Sorrell

Is Matched Betting Gambling?

A NAP&nbsp;is a commonly seen term in the <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/horse-racing-history">world of horse racing</a> and <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/sports-betting-guide">sports betting</a>, and refers to the best tip of the day from various professionals and tipsters.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Horse racing can feel like it has a different language with all the terminology referred to.

Add this to all the other considerations such as the different bet types, different track surfaces and conditions and it can seem a little intimidating.&nbsp;

During this article we’ll look at what a NAP is, is NAP betting a profitable strategy, what it means in horse racing and the different parts that contribute to a NAP.

This is a bit of a strange one and has absolutely nothing to do with horse racing or sport in general for that matter. It is derived from a French card game called Napoleon.

If a player felt they had a winning hand, they would call ‘NAPoleon’.

Whilst it might seem like a bit of a tenuous link, it’s understandable how it’s found its way into horse racing terms and is used by tipsters.

A NAP can be important information for bettors and help them in making decisions on choices and betting strategies.

In horse racing there are tipsters everywhere you look.&nbsp; Some more reputable than others!

These tipsters are there to give their expert opinion on horse racing and advise the public of what they believe the outcome of an event will be.

If a tipster provides a NAP, it is the horse they are most confident can win a race on that day.

Occasionally, a trainer will drop a hint that they are confident about a horse they have running and that can influence some tipsters.

Another thing that can influence a NAP being given can be the jockeys.

If a high-profile jockey has been say flown to Ireland for just one race then that can also provide an indication that there are high hopes for that horse.

Now, clearly there are no certainties in horse racing and a NAP isn’t not a wild stab in the dark. Racing NAPs are given by knowledgeable industry experts who spend a considerable amount of time researching.

The concept of winning tax-free money from bookmakers is very attractive to everyone and horse racing provides a great platform to do that. However, winning regularly is easier said than done.

This is why bettors sometimes look for a bit of help.&nbsp; The logic being that having an expert in your corner should increase your profits but will following tipsters increase your winnings?

There are many trusted tipsters around the world and they each give their NAP of the day when the races are on.&nbsp; Their objective is to provide bettors with help to make informed choices on bets based on their analysis and expertise.

A NAP and tipsters go hand in hand so what do you need to consider?&nbsp;

Availability – a tipsters credibility should be fine when using big publications such as newspapers and websites.&nbsp; However, you should tread carefully with tipsters who only operate on social media. It’s worth doing a bit of research on anybody you’re thinking of following.

What Are The Advantages And Disadvantages Of Betting On A NAP?

It’s not always easy to decide a strategy when using NAPs as most people are punting the bet and there are no guarantees with any NAPs or tips. If somebody new to betting decided to look at using NAPs it might be worth considering the following:

Some punters only follow the NAP of certain tipsters, whilst others follow all of a tipsters choices for the day or week.&nbsp; Some publications such as Sporting Life, The Sun (Templegate) and HorseRacing.net offer NAP of the Day and free tips. Now, these are larger businesses so are a trusted source. There are also paid for tipster and NAP services.

There are some factors you might want to consider if you decide to follow tipsters who provide a daily NAP.

Research showed that there is no definitive answer for this as each website returns different results.&nbsp; A simple Google search for the best UK horse racing tipsters will get you started.

From here you will be given various companies that’ll provide their list of the current best tipsters. It really is down to the punter to then sort the ‘wheat from the chaff’.

Companies such as olbg.com, honestbettingreviews.com and tipsterreviews.com can provide a list of top tipsters but strangely, no two websites give the same results.

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