Paul Trevor

The Oscar Grind betting system is quite well-known in casino betting.&nbsp; Its design is aimed at even money bets such as <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/how-to-play-blackjack">blackjack</a> and <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/how-to-play-roulette">roulette</a>.&nbsp; That said, it’s also been known to be put into practice with <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/sports-betting-guide">sports betting</a>.

Known as a progressive betting system, the logic is to take advantage of winning streaks whilst keeping losses to a minimum when hitting a bad run.

So, which cunning gambler came up with the Oscar’s Grind system?

This isn’t entirely clear from the archives.&nbsp; The first person to publish the betting system was a gentleman by the name of Allan Wilson in 1965.

Wilson reported that the system was shown to him by a dice player in Las Vegas.&nbsp; He said the player had made profits from playing the system over several years.

We can only summarise that this dice player was somebody by the name of Oscar.&nbsp;

As we continue, we’ll explain how the Oscar’s Grind system works, the sequence involved and what to consider when using the betting system.

As mentioned, this is a progression betting system with similarities to other betting systems such as the <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/labouchere-betting-system">Labouchere</a>, <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/fibonacci-betting-system">Fibonacci</a> and <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/does-martingale-strategy-work">Martingale</a> betting strategies.

All of these betting systems follow some sort of betting sequence based on <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/unit-betting-system">unit betting</a> stakes.&nbsp;&nbsp;

There’s three important principles that govern the Oscar’s Grind betting system:

We know the algorithm can seem a little daunting but here it is anyway.&nbsp; Don’t panic, we’ll walk through how it works to clear the murky waters.

Before we go through some examples of the the Oscar’s Grind betting system, let’s just do a quick recap on the parameters of the system:

The Oscar’s Grind Betting System In Action

Okay, is that now clear as mud?&nbsp; Maybe it’s time to run through an example to see it in action.

Just to keep things as simple as possible, we’ll stick to a unit stake of £10 and the <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/how-to-read-betting-odds">odds of your bets</a> are evens:

So, from the above example, the sequence was adjusted on the last bet.&nbsp; The normal sequence would suggest we increase the unit stake by 1 unit to 4 units (£40).&nbsp; However, after the 9th bet, we were only £10 down.&nbsp; As our target profit is 1 unit, we reduced the stake to 2 units in order to hit our target if the bet wins.

At bet 10, the sequence stops and you start again.

Of course, this is just a middle of the road example and there will be occasions when you go on a lucky streak or a bad run.

Here’s an example of when things are going well and the sequence is much shorter:

You may have noticed that we didn’t increase our stake when we had a win.&nbsp; This is because an increase in the unit bet size could have resulted in having a balance over our target of one unit.

What Is The Oscar’s Grind Betting System Suited To?

The Oscar’s Grind betting system was most definitely created to be used in <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/ultimate-guide-to-casinos">casino games</a>. Over recent years, the <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/types-of-bets">types of bets</a> that can be placed now has meant that this betting system can also be used in <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/sports-betting-guide">sports betting</a>.

<a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/how-to-play-blackjack">Backjack</a> is very popular amongst gamblers and is an easy game to play.&nbsp; It’s also appealing because the casino <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/what-is-house-edge">house edge</a> is low and the <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/what-does-rtp-mean-in-gambling">Return to Player</a> (RTP) is very high.

Blackjack is suited to the Oscar’s Grind method because the odds are almost evens (50/50).

It doesn’t matter whether you’re victorious with a double down or a split hand, it counts as a winning bet and you carry on with the Oscar’s Grind betting sequence.

A little like Blackjack, <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/how-to-play-roulette">Roulette</a> is very much suited to even money bets and Roulette provides an almost perfect split of 50/50.&nbsp; We say almost because there is a zero on the wheel.&nbsp; Other than that, the wheel is split into 18 black numbers and 18 red numbers.

This means you can place bets such as red / black, 1-18 / 19/36 or odd / even.&nbsp; Please note, the Oscar’s Grind system is not suitable for placing bets on specific columns or numbers.

For example, place a 1 unit bet on Red and if it wins, you place a 2 unit bet on your next choice (unless you have already achieved your goal of 1 unit).

Alternatively, if your bet loses and the ball lands on Black or Green, you place another 1 unit bet on your next selection.&nbsp; This continues until you win a bet.

We did mention that the Oscar’s Grind betting system could be used in <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/sports-betting-guide">sports betting</a> and it can.&nbsp; However, to apply the principles of this betting system takes a lot more effort than casino games.

That’s because even odds on a team winning a football match don’t happen that often which can result in you struggling to get into an uninterrupted betting rhythm.&nbsp;&nbsp;

If you’re adamant you want to apply the Oscar’s Grind strategy to football, you might need to move from win only bets and consider other football betting markets.&nbsp; Thai can include <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/first-goalscorer-bets">first goal scorer</a>, <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/what-is-goal-line-betting">goal line betting</a> and <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/what-is-scorecast-betting">scorecast bets</a> amongst others.

Basically, scour through all of the football betting markets to try and find any betting markets that have even odds.&nbsp; It doesn’t matter if each bet is on different betting markets as long as it works in the Oscar’s Grind betting system.

It’s a similar story to football when it comes to applying the Oscar’s Grind system to horse racing.&nbsp; In fact, it’s probably a bit harder to find regular even money bets.&nbsp;

Whilst there are plenty of <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/types-of-horse-bets">types of horse racing bets</a> you can use, most of them are not suited to the Oscar’s Grind strategy.&nbsp; In reality, you’re only likely to find the odds you need on <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/what-is-a-single-bet">win only</a> bets and sometimes, <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/how-does-an-each-way-bet-work">each way</a> bets.

Advantages And Disadvantages Of The Oscar’s Grind Betting System

There’s no such thing as a guaranteed system when it comes to betting.&nbsp; Every type of bet and betting system has its merits and flaws.

Shall we look at what’s good and not so good when it comes to the Oscar’s Grind betting system:

Relatively Low Risk - As the unit stake stays the same when you lose, your bankroll shouldn’t deplete too quickly.&nbsp; It’s lower risk than the <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/does-martingale-strategy-work">Martingale</a> system where the bets double after a loss.

Disciplined Betting - Stops bettors from placing impulsive bets and encourages systematic betting that is structured.&nbsp; This should help with managing your bankroll.

Simplicity - Thankfully, the Oscar’s Grind system is quite a simple betting sequence so it’s not difficult to get the hang of.

Longer Betting Sessions - Because you only increase the stakes when you win, you can have more sustained sessions of betting than if you were using more aggressive betting systems.

Lower Variance - As the Oscar’s Grind betting system uses a moderate progression method, your bankroll fluctuations shouldn’t be too drastic.

Slow Profits - Because you’re only aiming for one unit of profit each cycle, it can be extremely slow to show any substantial gains.

Bookie House Edge - Whilst the system is designed for even money bets, the bookies still have a slight edge in most games.&nbsp; This means that over the longer term, losses are possible and in fact, inevitable.

Recovering Losses Can Take Time - If you suffer long losing streaks, your bankroll can take a hit and take quite some time to recover.

Bankroll Risk - As with any betting system, the Oscar’s Grind betting system isn’t infallible.&nbsp; This means a long bad streak could potentially wipe out your entire bankroll.

Oscar’s Grind Betting v Other Progression Betting Systems

There are other types of progression betting systems similar to the Oscar’s Grind betting system. They are usually one of two types of system:

Positive Progression System - Increase unit stakes when you win and reduce unit stakes when you lose.

Negative Progression System - Increase unit stakes when you lose and reduce unit stakes when you win.

Tips And Considerations Of Using The Oscar’s Grind Betting System

Use on bets with even odds: Oscar’s Grind is designed to be used on bets with a 50 / 50 probability such as black or red in a game of roulette.

Establish a Budget: Set a unit stake that’s affordable to your bankroll.&nbsp; It’s recommended that you use stakes of 1 to 2% of your bankroll.

Don’t Chase Losses: Once you’ve established your budget, make sure you stick to it.&nbsp; Never increase stakes to try and recover any losses.

Track Your Bets: Keep records of the bets you make and the outcomes.&nbsp; Thai will help you know your current bankroll and ensure you’re following the strategy correctly.&nbsp;

Utilise Free Simulators: Practice implementing the Oscar’s Grind betting system on free online games.&nbsp; This will allow you to learn how the system works before risking your own money.

Set Limits: Have a predetermined plan of how much you’re prepared to lose in one betting session.

Expect Losses: There can be times when losing streaks happen.&nbsp; It’s important that you understand the exposure you might face.

Patience Is Important: The Oscar’s Grind system is not designed for get rich quick punters. It’s intended for small wins and slow loss recovery.

Is the Oscar’s Grind Betting System legal?

Yes, it’s totally legal. The system doesn’t involve any underhand tactics such as card-counting that can impact the outcome.

Can I use the Oscar’s Grind Betting System on football?

The system can be used on football, yes.&nbsp; However, as we mentioned earlier, finding the right bets to use it on is harder with sports than it is casino. This is due to the requirement to find even money bets.

Does the Oscar’s Grind System Work?

Hmmmm, good question and the answer depends on who you ask. In theory it does work but we don’t consider it to be a particularly good strategy.

If you have a bad run, you can accumulate losses easily and struggle to win them back.

Oscar Grind Betting System: How Does It Work?

Stephanie Sorrell

It may come as a surprise to some Brits, but basketball is one of the biggest sports in the world.

While it can’t come close to football, which dominates globally, in 2023 a study found that 3 out of 4 people in the 18 countries studied professed an interest in basketball, with a projected 3.3 billion fans worldwide.

Furthermore, worldwide interest in basketball had increased by an incredible 33% in the four years from 2019 to 2023, which is a pretty strong indication that global basketball’s popularity is on the rise.

Source: <a href="https://about.fiba.basketball/en/news/popularity-of-basketball-soaring-globally-highlighted-by-increased-interest-in-the-fiba-world-cup">FIBA basketball consumer research study 2023</a>

Of course, as this study was commissioned by the International Basketball Federation, you could reasonably assume that the data might have been interpreted with a degree of optimism.

Even so, it seems clear that basketball isn’t a solely American preoccupation by any means, and the presence of basketball markets on British bookie websites reflects that.

If you’re a <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/sports-betting-guide">sports bettor</a>, or a matched bettor, you might well have thought about placing bets on basketball but refrained, perhaps feeling a little under informed about the sport.

If so, we’re here to help! We’ll take you through everything you need to know about the sport to place bets with confidence, whether you’re sports betting recreationally or making <a href="https://outplayed.com/what-is-matched-betting">profit through Matched Betting</a>. So let’s get started!

Basketball is a comparatively recent game when set aside sports like <a href="https://outplayed.com/football-betting-guide">football</a> or <a href="https://outplayed.com/tennis-betting-guide">tennis</a>, which have existed in some form for centuries.

Unlike many other sports, basketball’s invention can be traced to a specific person, place and time. In 1891, a Canadian physical education instructor by the name of James Naismith invented basketball in Springfield, Massachusetts.

He had been tasked with inventing a brand new game by his boss at the YMCA International Training School, with the following parameters: it should be an indoor game, to allow athletes to stay in shape over the frigid New England winters, and ‘fair for all players and not too rough’.

Basketball was the result, and its popularity was instant. Just two years later, the game had become so popular that the YMCA started promoting it internationally, and in 1904, only 13 years after its invention, it was a demonstration sport at the Olympics in Missouri.

There were, however, some fairly significant differences between the game when it was first conceived and the sport we know today.

Originally, peach baskets were used, which had a closed bottom - meaning the ball had to be manually retrieved each time a goal was scored. It wasn’t until 1906 that modern baskets, with open nets and a backboard, were introduced.

Basketball spread internationally quite organically, helped along by the US army during WWI, but its progress was considerably assisted by the formation of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA, which stands for Fédération Internationale de Basketball Amateur) in 1932, which helped to ensure the sport’s inclusion in the Olympic games of 1936 in Berlin.

In America, the NBA (National Basketball Association) was formed in 1949, and is now firmly established as the most significant professional basketball league in the world.

Although we think of basketball as an American sport, in truth it has been an international sport for the vast majority of its history.

However, the NBA is still the biggest and most profitable basketball league in the world, and consequently most bookies will focus almost exclusively on American basketball in the markets they offer.

The National Basketball Association is made up of 30 teams - 29 of them American and one Canadian, meaning that it is technically ‘international’, despite its name.

The league is divided into eastern and western ‘conferences’ made up of fifteen teams each, and each conference consists of three regional divisions made up of five teams apiece.

During the season, which begins in October, each team will play a total of 82 games (41 home, 41 away). A team will play the other members of its division four times, other teams from its conference three or four times, and all the teams in the other conference twice each.

In April, the NBA playoffs begin, with the top eight teams in each conference competing for the league championship title - the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy. Each team plays an opponent in a best of seven series, with the first team to win four games advancing to the next round.

The final playoff is known as the NBA Finals, and is held in June (occasionally beginning in late May). The winner receives the trophy, and the league also awards the Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award to the best player of the series.

Another major event on the basketball calendar is the All-Stars Game. This takes place in February (during a pause in the regular season), and fans vote for the best players in the league.

The one-off game showcases 24 of the league’s star players, captained by the players who achieved the highest number of votes from each conference.

To keep the game competitive, teams play for a charity of their choice, and there are also a number of other novelty contests (e.g. the Slam Dunk contest, which calls for players to dunk the ball in the most entertaining way).

Most of us understand the absolute basics of basketball well enough - players compete to score by throwing the ball through the baskets at each end of the court, and aren’t allowed to run with the ball - but if you’re not a basketball fan, the complexities of the rules may be a bit baffling.

We won’t go into the finer points of the game, but we’ll do a quick summary of the most significant rules so that you never feel completely at sea when talking about basketball.

There are three ways to score points in basketball:

Basketball is considered something of a niche market for sports betting in the UK, despite its popularity worldwide.

The majority of bookies will offer it, and most will have a reasonable range of markets available, but it’s certainly not going to be their main focus.

You will see basketball promotions fairly frequently, as bookies are often quite keen to encourage their customers to expand their betting activity to less popular sports.

It can therefore be useful for matched bettors to be comfortable betting on basketball if they want to be able to take full advantage of the offers available to them.

We’ll take a look at some of the most common markets available for an upcoming game between the Toronto Raptors and the Boston Celtics.

It’s worth touching on the concept of ‘spreads’ in basketball, because it’s something that confuses a lot of British bettors.

In American sports, betting on ‘the spread’ means making a handicap bet - they’re exactly the same thing.

Some British bookies list spread markets for basketball (and other American sports), as we can see with William Hill below:

But many choose to refer to them as handicap markets, as we’ve seen earlier in this article, to remain consistent with other sports. This also avoids anyone mixing basketball spread markets up with the <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/what-is-spread-betting">British concept of spread betting</a>, which is something else entirely.

So long as you remember that handicap and spread markets are the same thing when it comes to basketball, you won’t go far wrong!

For most people keen to start betting on basketball, their biggest question will be how to stand the best chance of making a profit.

As with any kind of sports betting, there’s always a risk involved, and you should be very wary of diving in without putting proper thought into the matter. Emotional or uninformed betting is an excellent way to lose money rapidly.

Always do your research before you bet on any sport. You can’t rely on bookie odds to tell you how likely an outcome actually is - <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/how-are-betting-odds-determined">their odds are determined by profit</a> almost as much as by a team’s chances.

Performing your own independent research gives you a better chance of identifying a team’s real chances of winning - and also allows you to assess for yourself the value of the odds you’re seeing.

Consider team/player statistics and past performance. If you can identify a clear pattern of a particular player being crucial to a team’s success, it may be profitable to place a bet on that player to score a certain number of points and for their team to win.

This gets you better odds than a simple moneyline bet on the team in question, without much increasing your risk.

Handicap betting is popular with bettors in many sports, and can be useful when betting on a favourite in particular. If you’re confident a team is likely to win by a significant margin, betting on a handicap allows you access to far better odds than a simple moneyline bet.

If you bet outright on a future market - for example, on a particular team to win the NBA Finals - you may also get an opportunity to <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/what-is-hedge-betting">hedge your bet</a>, depending on how the season goes.

If you’ve placed a bet on an underdog early on, and they do unexpectedly well, you could end up in a position to bet on their opponents and guarantee yourself a profit - or at least significantly reduce your potential loss.

<a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/what-is-value-betting">Value betting</a>, meanwhile, can offer you excellent opportunities to make a profit if you’re able to track down high value bets. One way of doing this is through <a href="https://outplayed.com/products/steam-chaser">Outplayed’s Steam Chaser</a> tool, which locates over-valued bets, giving you the opportunity to capitalise on those high odds to make huge profits.

Whatever your strategy, you should always be careful with your betting. Never stake more than you can afford to lose, and if you feel yourself falling prey to unhealthy gambling habits, stop immediately and seek help.

An alternative to traditional sports betting strategies - which are rarely as reliable as you’d like - is <a href="https://outplayed.com/what-is-matched-betting">Matched Betting</a>, which guarantees you a profit so long as you do it right.

Matched Betting is the strategy of betting both for and against the same outcome. So for example, you might bet that the Boston Celtics win their upcoming game, and also that they don’t win.

You make your profit by combining this technique with the many promotions bookies offer to lure new customers. For example, you might see an offer where you have to place a £10 bet (known as a <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/qualifying-bet-guide">qualifying bet</a>) to receive a £10 free bet.

If you match both bets, you can roughly break even on the first bet, and then use your free bet to make a profit. Between sign up offers and reload offers, <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/how-much-can-you-make-from-matched-betting">you can make £300 - £1000+ a month</a>. A few people even make a living this way!

As basketball is a more niche sport in the UK, you don’t tend to see as many promotions as with other sports. However, bookies will also run promotions specifically designed to get punters betting on less popular sports, so if you’re comfortable Matched Betting on basketball, these can be a great way to profit.

As the NBA grows in popularity worldwide, it’s logical to expect that betting on it will do the same, even in the UK, where we’re generally far more interested in football and horse racing.

NBA Betting Guide For 2025

Simon Thatcher

Betting is big business, and bookmakers are keen to keep the money rolling in. To do this, they need to attract customers to their websites and betting shops and keep them coming back for more.&nbsp;

One of the ways to achieve this is to run offers that hand out free bets or other bonuses, usually after placing a <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/qualifying-bet-guide">qualifying bet</a> or completing wagering on casino games.&nbsp;

Some of these offers will be specific to certain events or one-off offers, but plenty of bookmakers run weekly bet clubs.&nbsp;

There’s a great article about how betting sites make money <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/how-betting-sites-make-money">here</a>. To find out all about how bet clubs work and how you can make consistent profits from them through <a href="https://outplayed.com/what-is-matched-betting">Matched Betting</a>, read on.&nbsp;

Free bet clubs are regular offers that bookmakers run to encourage their customers to keep betting with them. They often differ from one bookmaker to the next, but they’re all variations on a theme and are easy to understand.&nbsp;

The regularity of weekly bet clubs makes them ideal for <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/matched-betting-faq">Matched Bettors</a>. They give a reliable source of income and they’re perfect to add to your routine since you’ll get used to how to complete their offers (although it’s always worth checking to see if anything has changed from one week to the next).&nbsp;

Something that free bet clubs have in common is that they all require the customer to place a bet to get their reward. This could be a single bet or an accumulator, depending on the offer.&nbsp;

With this type of offer, you need to place one or more bets using your own money to qualify for the reward. The reward tends to be a free bet but could be free spins or a combination of a free bet and free spins.&nbsp;

Unless the offer states otherwise, your qualifying bet can be a <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/what-is-a-single-bet">single bet</a>. If you have the choice of placing a single bet, this is by far the easiest option.&nbsp;

Bookmakers generally have minimum odds requirements for the qualifying bet or bets, which will always be clearly stated. Bets also always need to be placed within a given timescale.

In addition, they often have other conditions attached to the qualifying bet, for example, placing it on a particular sport or as a <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/what-is-a-bet-builder">Bet Builder</a>.

Here’s BetUK’s current weekly bet club offer on <a href="https://outplayed.com/">Outplayed</a>, which involves placing a qualifying Bet Builder bet to get a £5 free bet:

With most free bet clubs you’ll be placing all your bets online, but a handful require placing them at a betting shop.&nbsp;

As of the writing of this article, there’s only one in-store bet club, and that’s with Boyle Sports. However, with 392 stores listed on their site, lots of people will have a local branch of Boyle Sports.&nbsp;

As you’d expect for an Irish betting company there are a large number of branches spread widely across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland:&nbsp;

There are far fewer Boyle Sports betting shops in the UK, with none in Scotland, a few spread across England, particularly in the North West, Yorkshire, and the Midlands, and a solitary Welsh branch in Cardiff:

You can find an up-to-date list of Boyle Sports stores <a href="https://www.boylesports.com/ShopLocator/List">here</a>.&nbsp;

The offer itself is quite generous - stake £50 across five different bets to receive a £15 in-store bet. At least one qualifying bet needs to be placed in-store using a BoyleXtra card.

Here’s the offer on <a href="https://outplayed.com/">Outplayed</a>:&nbsp;

Several bookmakers have free bet offers that require bets to be placed on <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/what-is-an-accumulator-bet">accumulators</a>. An accumulator, also called a multiple bet, involves betting on two or more selections.&nbsp;

An example is betting on both West Ham to win one football match and Brighton to draw against Chelsea in another. For your accumulator to win, you need both of your selections to win.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Here is DAZN Bet’s weekly accumulator free bet club, as listed on <a href="https://outplayed.com/">Outplayed</a>:

How Can You Make Consistent Profits From Free Bet Clubs?

Free bet clubs are a good way to get a little long-term value back from the bookmaker if you bet regularly with them.&nbsp;

Even better, through <a href="https://outplayed.com/what-is-matched-betting">Matched Betting</a>, you can lock in consistent profits by making use of recurring free bet offers.&nbsp;

Here’s an example of how you can make profits, week after week, from Midnite’s free bet offer. Below is a screenshot of the offer on <a href="https://outplayed.com">Outplayed</a>, which includes thorough but concise instructions telling you exactly how to complete it:&nbsp;

Here’s a breakdown of the stages when completing the offer:

2) Use Outplayed’s fantastic Oddsmatching tool to find suitable qualifying bets.

The filters have been set as follows:

You can also filter to only show results from your chosen betting exchange/s. There’s a filter that lets you choose from a list of football leagues, which allows you to only select the English Premier League and English Championship, for example.&nbsp;

3) Click on the calculator icon at the left of your chosen bet.

The Derby v Millwall bet was chosen as it’s a game in the English Championship, which is a higher-profile league than the results above it.&nbsp;

4) Click on ‘Go to Midnite’ to go to the bookmaker site. For Midnite, the link doesn’t take you straight to the game, but it’s easy to type in one of the team names to be taken to it.&nbsp;

5) Click on the ‘Derby County 2.45’ odds to add the bet to your betslip and enter the £5 stake.

It’s best to also get the bet on the exchange before placing your bookmaker bet. This allows you to check the availability at the exchange (the amount of money available to cover your lay stake) and to place the exchange bet immediately after you’ve placed the bookmaker bet.&nbsp;

6) Click on the ‘Go to Matchbook Exchange’ link to be taken to the game on the exchange.

7) Click the 2.54 lay odds (pink) for Derby County. There is £7 available (the amount under the odds), which is enough to cover the £4.82 lay stake.&nbsp;

8) Place your £5 back bet on Midnite, followed by the £4.82 lay bet on Matchbook.&nbsp;

9) Once your bets have settled, you’ll have made an overall loss of 17p or 18p, depending on the result. This is fine, as you’ll always make a loss from the qualifying bets. The profit comes from the free bet.&nbsp;

10) Repeat this process for the other qualifying bets on 4 different events.&nbsp;

11) After all bets have settled, you’ll receive a £5 free bet. You can then use Oddsmatching with the SnR slider to the right to find a suitable free bet, then back and lay this bet at Midnite and your betting exchange.&nbsp;

12) Assuming you make an average qualifying loss of 20p on your free bets and £3.50 profit from your £5 free bet, which is a reasonable assumption, you’ll make £2.50 profit overall from the offer.&nbsp;

Free bet clubs are a great way to get some long-term value from a bookmaker. If you’re a <a href="https://outplayed.com/what-is-matched-betting">Matched Bettor</a>, you can use them to make consistent profits week after week.&nbsp;

Bet clubs tend to be weekly affairs, so can be a consistent and reliable source of Matched Betting income, especially if you do them with several bookmakers.&nbsp;

Almost all free bet clubs involve placing all your bets online, allowing you to complete them from the comfort of your home, or on the move. If you have a local Boyle Sports that you don’t mind venturing out to, they have a nice weekly in-store offer.&nbsp;

To discover how to lock in profits from weekly bets clubs, Outplayed has everything you need. With Platinum membership, you’ll also have access to all of the worthwhile sportsbook sign-up and <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/matched-betting-reload-offers">reload offers</a>.&nbsp;

Better still, they have a <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1elxrcAakdfusbC019b3BUumpTro-7mhtSZS9dIcA9Bg/edit?tab=t.0">free trial</a>, which gives you access to all of their sportsbook sign-up offers.

How To Make Money From Free Bet Clubs

For a fairly niche sport, darts has become enormously popular in recent years. Major darts tournaments attract huge (and rowdy) live audiences and millions of viewers - and they offer staggeringly high prizes for the winners.

The total prize fund for the 2024/25 PDC World Championship was a staggering £2.5 million!

It’s therefore not at all surprising that <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/darts-betting-guide">betting on darts</a> has taken off too. More and more bookmakers are offering darts matches, and with broad ranges of markets.

As well as straightforward match winner markets, you’ll see match doubles and trebles, first 180, correct score, handicap markets, and more.

In this article, we’ll talk you through the way <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/what-is-european-handicap">handicap bets</a> work, both in general and in darts specifically, why you might want to place a handicap bet, and how they can be harnessed for <a href="https://outplayed.com/what-is-matched-betting">Matched Betting</a> purposes.

You’ll be a veritable expert by the time you reach the end!

If you’re into darts already, you probably don’t need this section - but if you’re newer to the world of darts betting, we’ll run you through the major markets bookies will offer on darts matches.

This one is pretty self explanatory; you’re betting on the overall winner of the match.

This is a bet on the outright winner of a competition, such as the World Championship or Premier League. In many cases, as well as a straight bet on the winner, you’ll be able to place an <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/how-does-each-way-betting-work-in-darts">each way bet</a> on a player to win or place, as you would in <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/how-to-bet-on-horses">horse racing</a>.

There are a few different options when betting on 180 markets. Depending on the bookie, you’re likely to encounter the following:

A bet on the total number of legs within the match. This will be in the over/under format, and you’ll usually have a default number as well as a range of other options under ‘alternative total legs’.

This can either refer to the number of legs won, or to the number of sets won, depending on whether the match in question is being played in sets (as is the case for the PDC World Championships, for example).

These markets are a bit more complicated, and refer to three of the most significant statistics in a darts match: who won the match, who got the most 180s, and who got the highest number of checkouts.

Match double markets allow you to bet on who will be the victor in different combinations of two of those statistics (e.g. you could bet that Gerwyn Price wins the match but that Luke Humphries gets the most 180s).

<a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/what-is-a-match-treble-in-darts">Match treble markets</a>, meanwhile, allow you to bet on who will be the victor in all three of those statistics. Traditionally, a match treble bet specifically involves betting on one player to win in all three categories, but some bookies (such as <a href="https://outplayed.com/bet365-review">Bet365</a>, as shown below), will allow you to mix and match your players and markets.

The ‘lead after’ market will usually refer to which player is winning after a certain number of legs. For example, in the market shown below you’d be betting on which player will have a lead after 4 legs.

This market allows you to bet on the player who succeeds in gaining the highest score for a checkout (the highest possible score being 170).

Generally, handicap in <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/sports-betting-guide">sports betting</a> means that a team or player has been given a hypothetical goal or points deficit in advance of the match, meaning that they have to win by at least that amount for your bet to win.

Particularly for very uneven match-ups, a handicap bet can be more worthwhile, and more interesting, for punters to bet on.

As an example, we’ll take a look at an upcoming match between Arsenal and West Ham. Arsenal are the favourites by a huge margin, meaning that the odds are heavily skewed in their direction.

However, if we give Arsenal a goal handicap of -2, meaning that they have to win by more than 2 goals for your bet to win (or that West Ham have to lose by less than 2), the odds become much more even, and the bet becomes much more interesting.

There are a number of varieties of handicap, two of the most common being <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/what-is-asian-handicap">Asian handicap</a> and <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/what-is-european-handicap">European handicap</a>, but they all work on these essential principles, across pretty much all sports.

The exception to this is horse racing, where handicap is an entirely different beast.

Although handicap in horse racing is a similar concept - that of giving stronger competitors a disadvantage to level the playing field - in practice it doesn’t work the same way at all.

Rather than giving a competitor a theoretical disadvantage that applies only to a betting market, <a href="https://outplayed.com/blog/how-does-handicap-work-in-horse-racing">in horse racing a handicap means a physical disadvantage</a>, in the form of weight that’s added to a horse’s saddle.

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