Betting for a Living: How to Become a Professional
Does the idea of betting for a living sound good to you? Perhaps you think that it is just too good to be true? In fact, is it even possible to bet for a living?
The fact is that it’s something that can be done. Indeed, plenty of people are already doing it. You may not have realised just how many people earn money in this way. It isn’t a scam or something to be afraid of. It really works and can change your life.
There are hundreds of people on our Profit Maximiser forum alone, making good money every month. It is becoming more and more popular with newcomers too. You certainly aren’t the only person asking about how to start betting for a living.
If you want to change your life then this is a great way of doing so. So, what do you need to know about becoming a professional bettor? How could you go about doing this? Let’s get started with the basics.
How Much Can You Make Betting Professionally?
The first point is hugely important. How much money can you hope to earn? Is this a job that will give you just enough cash to barely survive? Or can you expect to make a fortune on it every single month?
Naturally, not everyone who chooses betting for a living makes the same amount. Some professional bettors earn a lot more than others. However, many of them do very well indeed. The difference comes down to a number of factors.
Those factors include the following. How much time do they dedicate to it? What tools do they use? How good are they are adapting to changes in the market?
The upper end in terms of earning potential is in the 6 figure range. Does that sound like a lot more money than you expected to see? It’s not easy to get there, of course. It requires an awful lot of dedication and patience to earn that sort of money. However, it is something that has been done by others.
There is no reason to think that you can’t do this too. If you work hard you can earn as much as anyone else. There are no real limits in place. It all comes down to how much time you dedicate to it and how well you work. So, earning a fortune is in your hands and no one else’s.
Providing you know what you’re doing, you can carry out betting for a living. You should easily be able to clear £2000+ per month. Don’t forget that any money made through betting is tax free. It will vary from month to month, so it is worth setting a monthly target once you are up and running. This will give you the motivation to keep going each month.
For most people, this is a step up from their current wage. They might also work fewer hours and enjoy it more. Earning a lot more cash can genuinely change your life. What would you change if you had far more money to spend month on month? Would you enjoy life as a professional bettor more than ever before?
Yet, you shouldn’t look on this as an easy way to get rich. You will still need to put in the effort to make money. Betting for a living is like any other job in some ways. However, it also has some huge advantages. We will look at those benefits a bit later on.
What Are the Best Strategies Professional Bettors Use?
There are plenty of people who work as professional bettors. How exactly do they do this? What strategies do they use to make the maximum amount of money?
These tend to be matched betting and also arbitrage based systems. The reason for that is they are so much more profitable. They give the chance for far higher profits than standard betting strategies. I’ve previously written about full time Matched Betting here.
These are more loopholes than straight gambling. The edge you have over the bookmaker is massive. You aren’t relying on luck or inside knowledge to make you money.
This is an approach that has been proven to work over time. It isn’t a huge step into the unknown or a massive risk. If you want to be a professional bettor then it is a smart way of doing so. You can start off gently with no risk and grow in confidence as you learn.
Having said that, you might see other methods of betting for a living mentioned. Let’s look at them just now too. In this way, you can compare the various options that are available to you.
Can You Make a Living Value Betting?
What if you want to become a professional bettor using value betting? If so, is it possible to earn as much in this way?
To start with, yes you can make a living from value betting. However, your earnings are likely to be lower than with matched betting. Of course, it largely depends which systems you use. But, anything built around horse racing is most likely to give the best profit.
For example, Each Way Sniper value system gives 20% profit on back stakes. Straight horse racing value bets give roughly 10% profit on back stakes. There are a few extra points to bear in mind here too.
You need a deep understanding of where the value comes from. This isn’t something you can just dive into. You also to be able to deal with losing runs and bankroll management.
Some people really enjoy value betting. Are you more interested in earning a stable income with little or no risk, though? In this case, you should stick to matched betting and arbitrage systems.
What About Making a Living on Betfair?
Maybe you have heard about people betting for a living on Betfair. Is trading on this betting exchange a sensible way to become a professional bettor?
The truth is that it’s much more difficult to become a professional bettor on Betfair. It requires many years of learning the system before you will crack the exchanges. You can’t just make money like this from day one with little experience. Instead, you need to put in the time to become an expert.
Yet, there are people doing this. You too can make a living on Betfair if you are determined. Just be prepared to put the work in and be patient if you choose this approach.
If you are just starting out it makes sense to try something easier, though. You can earn while you are learning the ropes. Diving straight in with Betfair can be a tough experience for newcomers.
What Strategies Do You Use?
I’ve been betting professionally for 8 years now. People often ask me what betting strategies I have used in time. Are these methods that anyone can use? The honest answer is that anyone can learn to use the exact same strategies as me.
The main breading winning strategies I use are Profit Maximiser and Each Way Sniper value systems. I don’t just do everything on PM, though. My main focus is on the Bet 365 2 UP and high-risk casino as these are the 2 most profitable.
I get the most profit for the minimum amount of work. There is no need to spend endless hours on betting if you can avoid it. This is why I choose strategies that let me win big money while keeping a good lifestyle. I don’t want to be chained to the computer all day long but I still want good profits.
A good choice of strategies if the key to your success. Get this right and everything else will fall into place naturally. This is why I recommend putting some serious thought into your choice of strategy.
What Advice Would You Give to a Newbie Wanting to Be a Professional?
It is clear that plenty of people want to try betting for a living. Yet, most of them aren’t sure where to start. The right advice at the very beginning can help a newcomer to find the approach that suits them. If you are new to this then what can I advise you to do?
I would suggest that you start off with matched betting first of all. By doing this you can build your bank up risk-free. There is no need to start with a huge bank or take risks. The idea is that you progress from the first day onwards without any fuss.
You need to focus on building your bank as much as possible. This is the key to opening up other possibilities in the future too. Then you can take a look at other, similar strategies. However, stick with matched betting until you feel more comfortable.
Keep on scaling up until you find your own niche. You should eventually find the area where you are most comfortable and profitable. You can’t except to start up and automatically understand everything. It takes time to feel completely confident with something new like this.
Don’t feel desperate to move on to the next stage too soon. You should enjoy learning and making money every step of the way.
It takes practise and lots of learning to do well. Also, you should keep on modifying your approach. All betting markets constantly evolve and you don’t want to get left behind. You have to keep up with the times and adapt as necessary when things change.
Making the Jump to Becoming Professional
What if things go well for you? Maybe you will earn enough money to consider becoming a professional bettor. How should you go about this? Is it possible to give up your current job and do this full-time?
Well, don’t just go and hand your notice in at work. You shouldn’t rush into this move. Even if you love betting and hate your job, it isn’t a decision to take lightly. You need to be sure that it is the right move at the right time. Switching to betting for a living is a move you need to be sure about doing.
To do this, you need to be making at least twice as much from betting than your job. Don’t hand your notice in unless this is the case. A single month or two of decent profits isn’t enough to go on either. You need to be sure that this is a smart move for your future.
You should also have 6 months’ worth of money saved up. This will give you a financial cushion to remove some stress. You can use these savings to pay bills if things don’t go to plan.
You also need to make sure you fully understand the strategies. Becoming a professional bettor is a bold step for anyone. You have to be ready to use different strategies. If you haven’t learned enough then you will be floundering from day one.
Betting for a Living Major Benefits
The benefits you are most interested in will depend upon your priorities. For instance, you might like the fact that your profits are tax-free. This makes a massive difference on what you can spend each month.
Then there is the fact that you have no boss to answer to. You work completely for yourself when betting for a living. What does this really mean in terms of your lifestyle? It means that you can take time off whenever is suits you. No more pleading with your boss for a holiday. You have no-one to answer to but yourself.
In term of the money, we have seen that it pays very well. You can earn much more than in a normal job. Provided that you know what you are doing, you can earn more than ever before. This is a huge incentive to get started in the right and make money.
In addition, you get to watch lots of sports every day. If you love doing this then it is fantastic to do it for a living. You can focus on the sports that most interest you too. Work will never again be boring if you do what you most enjoy doing.
What about your future working conditions as a professional bettor? Working from home is a wonderful thing for many people. You can have a more relaxed routine from now on. There is no need to get up early in the morning and sit for hours in rush hour traffic.
Life is better when you are in control. You could even move around and work on a laptop if you prefer. The options are terrific once you start earning good money regularly.
Interestingly, becoming a professional bettor also gives you some useful skills. You will get a very good understanding of value. This is something that you can carry over to other types of investing. I’ve had a lot of success in the stock market and property in the last few years.
Overall, there are benefits that are of interest to just about everyone. Take a moment to think about which benefits are of most interest to you.
Who Might Suit Becoming a Professional Bettor?
Betting for a living isn’t right for everyone. So, you need consider first of all whether it suits you. What issues should you take into account? How can you be sure to make the right decision?
Well, this could suit you if you want to earn more money. Or you might feel trapped in a career that has limited earning potential. Becoming a professional bettor helps you unleash more of your potential.
Alternatively, you might be intrigued by the idea of working at home. There is no need for you to already be a sports expert to do this. You might love watching sports but this isn’t strictly a requirement.
There are any number of reasons why you might want to try this. Do you want to get out of the office and work at home? Would you like to travel and work at the same time?
Having some powerful reasons for doing this is great. But does it really suit you? Does betting for a living suit your personality and financial needs? Not everyone is happy to make such a massive change to their life. Are you?
The chances are that you simply want to earn more money. However, you might also fancy the change of lifestyle. Being independent and in control of your earnings is a huge benefit. If you want to change your way of working this could be a smart move.
Betting for a Living Conclusion
There are now lots of people betting for a living. It is easy to see why this is such an attractive option now. It is easy to get started on and you can soon pick up the basic knowledge needed.
Is it something that you could do too? The truth is that anyone can become a professional bettor.
By sticking to some basic strategies, you can make a successful living like this. Put in some effort and you can expect to see big rewards in the future.
Great article Mike,
I think it covers the subject from all angles, the benefits the risks and the potential to make a good living. I totally agree- this is not an easy decision to make and shouldn’t be taken lightly especially if you have a family and your bank roll is tight. Once decided you can only rely on yourself as you become practically self-employed so having a large enough bank roll, knowing the strategies and having a record of stable income from MB for at least 6m is a key to succeed in my opinion
Brilliant article Mike.
I took the jump 3 months ago but I weighed the decision up for about 2 years, making sure everything was in place and it has been great so far. Important for people to realise the pressure that comes with being your own boss and to stick to their strategies.
I am one of the full time bettors from the Profit Maximiser forum.
I went full time 6 months ago after a long time spend procrastinating whether I should do so. I knew the time I spent in my regular job was earning me so much less than I could potentially earn match betting, but still it’s a big step to take.
But I did it and have not looked back since, the amount of time you put into it reflects what you get out of it, some months I’ve made more than my entire yearly salary in my old job.
It is hard work, and it isn’t for everyone, and like Mike says you have to be willing to adapt with the times. If you can do that then you can change your life.
Hi Eddie, could you please explain “for at least 6m”. I don´t understand what you are referring to. I do understand MB as Match Betting. But 6m? Thanks!
Hi Peter, he means 6 months.
Do I have to bet on horse racing or can I bet on other sports and exclude it. Only because I don’t really support horse racing
Hi Karin, You don’t need to use horse racing. There’s plenty of money to be made on football betting doing strategies like the 2 UP offer https://mikecruickshank.com/2-up-offer/
Also casino bonuses are very profitable. I’ve written about them here https://mikecruickshank.com/matched-betting-casino-bonuses/
if you want to do this full time how do you survive when you get gubbed by bookies it dose happen how do you make this work if you go full time?
You need to adjust your approach Tom. Here is a list of strategies that work on gubbed accounts https://mikecruickshank.com/strategies-work-gubbed-accounts/
Here’s another one I’ve added recently https://mikecruickshank.com/lay-to-lose-guarantee/
The good thing is there’s always new bookies and casinos popping up which gives you more opportunities. Also the exchanges can be handy if you get a few systems working on them.
Mike …
You have peaked my interest.
I have had a few changes happen at work and I am really looking for an out. Combine that with a new baby, more time at home … etc etc … seems like a great idea!
Excited to learn .. take the first steps and grow. Been looking into this for far too long .. time to take the plunge, grow my account and become a part time professional .. then who knows
Hi Mike,do you have a system which works just on betfair (racing football etc) Many thanks Gordon.
Hi Gordon, take a look at this https://mikecruickshank.com/betfair-1percent-club-review/