High Risk Arbs

Arbitrage is a reliable way to extract value from gubbed accounts, and the ATM and Dutching software surface opportunities throughout the day. Pro members in particular will find arbs appearing regularly across hundreds of markets.

Even on gubbed accounts, arbs require careful assessment before placing. Here are three things to consider with every arb, but especially large ones.

Is this actually an arb?

We do our best to keep the data in our software accurate, but with hundreds of thousands of data points being processed, occasional errors are inevitable. These can include reversed team odds, incorrect line values, or rule differences between bookmakers that affect how a market is settled. It is always your responsibility to verify that the bets you are placing are genuinely risk-free before committing any money.

Is it a palpable error?

Bookmakers make mistakes too. They may list teams the wrong way around or accidentally offer odds that are far outside the market. If it should be obvious to a reasonable person that the odds were offered in error, it is considered a palpable error, or palp.

Bookmakers are within their rights to void bets placed on palpable errors, and they will also review the accounts that placed those bets. If you spot a palp, avoid it entirely.

Is this going to get me flagged?

Even a legitimate, non-palp arb carries risk. Large arbs often exist because one bookmaker has been slow to react to a market movement. Placing a bet at that price can alert them to the discrepancy and flag your account as a sharp bettor. This can result in reduced liability limits that cost you more over time than you made from the individual arb.

The key to long-term arbing is staying off the radar. Assess each opportunity on all three of these points before placing.