Is arbitrage betting legal?

Placing bets at different licensed sportsbooks is legal in most places. Sportsbooks don’t like arbitrage bettors though, and may limit or close accounts that bet arbs regularly.

Is arbitrage betting really risk-free?

Mathematically, the profit is locked in once every bet is placed at the calculated odds. In practice there are risks: odds can change before you place the second bet, a bet can be voided, and your stakes can be limited.

How often do arbitrage opportunities appear?

Arbs are usually small (often 1–3%) and short-lived, because sportsbooks correct their lines quickly. Speed matters.

What is a 3-way market?

A market with three possible outcomes, like soccer’s home win, draw or away win (1X2). You need to back all three outcomes to lock in an arbitrage.

Why round the stakes?

Exact stakes like $493.97 can stand out to sportsbooks. Rounding to $5 or $10 looks natural — the calculator shows how much it changes your profit per outcome.

Arbitrage Calculator – 2-Way & 3-Way Sure Bets

Stake and payout per outcome
Outcome	Odds	Stake	Payout
Outcome 1	+110 · 2.10	$493.98	$1,037.35
Draw	+260 · 3.60	$0.00	$0.00
Outcome 2	+105 · 2.05	$506.02	$1,037.35
Total staked		$1,000.00

Outcome

Odds

Stake

Payout

Outcome 1

+110 · 2.10

$493.98

$1,037.35

Draw

+260 · 3.60

$0.00

Outcome 2

+105 · 2.05

$506.02

$1,037.35

Total staked

$1,000.00

What is an arbitrage bet?

Arbitrage betting (also known as sure betting) is a strategy that takes advantage of odds discrepancies between different sportsbooks. By placing bets on all possible outcomes of a match across different bookmakers, you can lock in a guaranteed profit — no matter who wins.

This happens when bookmakers disagree on the odds or react differently to market movement. With the right arbitrage calculator you can instantly spot these opportunities and calculate exactly how much to bet on each side to secure a profit.

Use our arbitrage calculator to lock in profits

Our arbitrage calculator helps you calculate the exact stake to place on each side of a bet to guarantee a return. Enter the odds from different sportsbooks and your total stake, and the calculator instantly shows your ideal bet sizes and profit margin. This free tool supports:

✅ American, decimal and fractional odds (mixed formats are fine)
✅ Two-way and three-way markets
✅ Instant profit and percentage return
✅ Rounded stakes that look natural to sportsbooks

Whether you’re a beginner learning about sports arbitrage, or an experienced bettor looking for fast, accurate results — this tool has your back.

How the arbitrage formula works

Market total = 1 ÷ odds₁ + 1 ÷ odds₂ (+ 1 ÷ odds₃) — decimal odds
Sure bet when the market total is below 100%
Stake per outcome = total stake × (1 ÷ odds) ÷ market total
Guaranteed payout = total stake ÷ market total

Example: one sportsbook offers +110 (2.10) on outcome 1, another offers +105 (2.05) on outcome 2. The market total is 96.40% — below 100%, so it’s a sure bet.

With $1,000.00 you stake $493.98 and $506.02. Whichever side wins, you get back $1,037.35: a guaranteed profit of +$37.35 (+3.73%).

Why use an arbitrage calculator?

Eliminate the result risk by betting on all outcomes
Capitalize on slow or inefficient sportsbooks
Instantly know how much to stake and where
Avoid manual math and costly errors

The risks of arbitrage betting

On paper an arb is risk-free, but in practice a few things can go wrong. Odds can change between placing your first and second bet, a sportsbook can void a bet or cap your stake, and books may limit accounts that bet arbitrage regularly. Always double-check the odds before you confirm each bet.

Our arbitrage calculator is part of a growing set of sports betting tools designed to help you find an edge, stay sharp and make smarter decisions.

Arbitrage calculator for sure bets

Arbitrage betting calculator