What’s the Difference Between a Qualifying Bet and a Free Bet?
Understanding the difference between a qualifying bet and a free bet is essential for successful matched betting.
At Oddsmart, we help our members maximise profits by knowing exactly how to use both effectively.
A qualifying bet is a real-money bet you place in order to trigger a promotion — most commonly a free bet.
At Oddsmart, we help our members maximise profits by knowing exactly how to use both effectively.
A qualifying bet is a real-money bet you place in order to trigger a promotion — most commonly a free bet.
For example, a bookmaker might offer: “Bet £10, get a £10 free bet.”
To unlock the free bet, you first need to place a qualifying bet.
This involves placing a back bet with the bookmaker and laying the same outcome on a betting exchange (like Smarkets or Betfair).
Because you’re covering all outcomes, you’ll incur a small qualifying loss (often between £0.30–£1.00). This is the cost of unlocking the free bet.
To unlock the free bet, you first need to place a qualifying bet.
This involves placing a back bet with the bookmaker and laying the same outcome on a betting exchange (like Smarkets or Betfair).
Because you’re covering all outcomes, you’ll incur a small qualifying loss (often between £0.30–£1.00). This is the cost of unlocking the free bet.
Once your free bet is credited, you use it to make a profit.
A free bet is a stake provided by the bookmaker — you don’t use your own money.
A free bet is a stake provided by the bookmaker — you don’t use your own money.
However, when you win using a free bet, you only get the winnings, not the stake. For example, if you use a £10 free bet at odds of 4.0 and win, you’ll receive £30 (not £40).
A free bet is a stake provided by the bookmaker — you don’t use your own money.
A free bet is a stake provided by the bookmaker — you don’t use your own money.
However, when you win using a free bet, you only get the winnings, not the stake. For example, if you use a £10 free bet at odds of 4.0 and win, you’ll receive £30 (not £40).
That’s where the lay bet comes in — again you lay the same outcome on an exchange, locking in profit no matter what happens in the real event.
So, the key difference is:
So, the key difference is:
At Oddsmart, our tools help you find, calculate, and lock in profits from both stages — making sure you never miss a beat.
We provide our members with customer support by email, and we also have these useful resources:
We provide our members with customer support by email, and we also have these useful resources:
You may also find these tutorials useful:
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