What are 'mug bets' and how often should I place them?

Account sustainability is arguably the most important part of matched betting. Every account will eventually get restricted, but how quickly that happens is largely within your control.

The main method of account sustainability is mug betting. This means placing occasional non-promo bets that blend your activity in with regular recreational punters, making it harder for bookmaker algorithms to identify your account as a matched bettor.

Bookmakers look for patterns. An account that consistently places cash bets at low odds and bonus bets at high odds is easy to flag. They can also detect when bets are placed at odds that are cut shortly afterwards, which is a common pattern among matched bettors chasing value. Mug betting breaks up these patterns by adding normal-looking activity to your history.

The general recommendation among experienced matched bettors is to mug corporate bookmakers at a 1:1 ratio, meaning one mug bet for each promo bet you place. This is a good starting point, though the ideal frequency will vary depending on the bookmaker.

You can use the ATM or HorsePower to find mug betting opportunities with a low Qualifying Loss, keeping the cost of each mug bet to a minimum. Dutching is also a great way to place multiple mug bets at once.

While we cannot say with certainty what the perfect mugging strategy is for every bookmaker, the principle is straightforward. An account placing 100% of its bets on promo markets is far more likely to be restricted than one where only 50% of bets are promo related.

For a full guide on account sustainability, including specific mugging strategies, check out our Account Sustainability course.