Common Concerns and Confusion with Arbitrage Betting

Quick Review – Arbitrage betting is an exceptional strategy to mathematically guarantee profits without risking a dime to the sportsbooks.  This strategy involves making use of multiple different sportsbooks to bet on opposite sides of the same event in situations where their lines are crossed.  Let’s take a look at a real example:

Here are two bet slips for an arbitrage bet I made on a recent NBA playoff game.

• Bet 1: $95 to payout $304 on Derrick White 7+ Threes
• Bet 2: $200 to payout $309.89 on Derrick White under 6.5 Threes

In this situation, if Derrick White hits 7 or more threes, I win the first bet, and if he hits 6 or less threes, I win the second bet.  I bet a total of $295, and will get back either $304 or $309.89 because no matter what happens, one of these bets will win.

This is possible to achieve any time that the (+) Odds are greater than the (-) Odds.  In the example, 220 is greater than 182, and that’s what makes this an arbitrage bet.  No matter what the result is, I’m guaranteed to make a profit.

Do Sportsbooks Catch On?

Yes—sportsbooks are very good at detecting arbitrage bettors. In fact, most major platforms flag arbing behavior almost immediately. But here’s the twist:

They don’t ban you.

They usually just limit your bet sizes, sometimes drastically. Why? Because they’re not too mad—you’re providing valuable data.

You become a signal, not a threat.

When you place sharp bets—especially ones that only exist due to price discrepancies between books—you’re helping them identify where their odds are off. That’s incredibly valuable to them. Your bets act like high-frequency feedback that improves their pricing models. So as long as they can control and limit your bet sizes, it’s worthwhile for them to keep you around. You just have to accept that your risk-free profits are capped/limited.

In essence, you become:

• A risk-managed source of market insight
• A quiet line corrector
• A data point in their odds-setting algorithm

Or to put it simply:
You’re doing the job of a junior oddsmaker—in exchange for a small profit.

So while they may throttle your max bet size (to protect themselves), they rarely shut down accounts entirely—because you’re providing them with valuable intel they would otherwise pay employees or bots to gather.

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Other Common Concerns (Let’s Address Them)

❓ “Is this legal?”

Yes. 100%. Arbitrage betting is legal in every state where sportsbooks are legal. You’re just using publicly available odds across different platforms. Similarly to counting cards in BlackJack at a Casino, the private company/casino/sportsbook can technically decide they no longer want to service you, but only because you’re now costing them money. You’re well within your rights to use their provided services to make calculated wagers instead of thoughtless wagers that they rely on.

❓ “Is my money safe?”

Even if worst comes to worst, and a sportsbook decides to ban you, they still have to give you your money back. They are legally required to return your money.

❓ “Is this complicated?”

Nope. With tools like OddsJam, arbing opportunities are automatically flagged for you. OddsJam even has a feature called One-Click Bets, where it automatically opens two new tabs in each of the two sportsbooks with the exact bets pulled up. Just enter the amount you want on each one, which OddsJam calculates for you, and click Place. Boom, doesn’t get much easier.

❓ “Do I need a lot of money?”

Not at all. Even starting with a few hundred dollars can build momentum. And unlike investing or flipping, your money is always accessible—no lockups, no inventory, no waiting.

How do I find Arbitrage Bets?

Now unfortunately, there are thousands and thousands of bets available on each sportsbook at all times.  This makes it darn-near impossible to find arbitrage opportunities on your own, so you need a tool or site that can help you do it.

Enter OddsJam.  OddsJam is a website that scans all the odds on just about every sportsbook imaginable, and identifies arbitrage opportunities that you can bet on.

What OddsJam Does:

• Scans thousands of bets across major and offshore sportsbooks
• Identifies arbitrage opportunities in real time
• Refreshes every few seconds so you never miss a beat

Whether you’re a casual bettor or full-time grinder, OddsJam gives you the edge.

Access Every Arbitrage Bet Available Across All Legal Books

With One-Click bets, OddsJam will link you to the exact bet to place on both books for your guaranteed profit.

Start Your Free Trial Now

What Does it Cost?

Here’s a breakdown of OddsJam’s plans:

Plan	Cost (Monthly)	Cost (Annually)	Features
Gold	$200	$2000	Pre-Game arbitrage bets on domestic sportsbooks
Platinum	$1000	$10000	Live arbitrage bets and offshore sportsbooks

OddsJam also offers a 7-Day Free trial, and lots of discount codes to get 35% off on your initial purchase. Let’s go over the key differences between these two plans.

1. The Gold plan only has pregame odds, the Platinum plan has live odds

This is important if you’re interested in putting serious time into arbitrage betting. The lines move fast during live games, and sportsbooks can vary their odds significantly more, meaning that you can make more money off of arbitrage betting.  Note that this is time-consuming, and like arbitrage betting as a whole, requires monitoring of the OddsJam page to quickly take the bets as they appear.

2. The Gold plan has odds from domestic sportsbooks (Fanduel, Draftkings, Caesars, MGM, etc.), the Platinum plan also has odds from offshore books (Bovada, BetOnline, MyBookie, etc.)

Depending which sportsbooks you like to use, this can be important.  But ultimately, the more books you can access, the more arbitrage opportunities will arise.

Final Thoughts

Arbitrage betting becomes a powerful strategy to stack profit on top of profit. Whether you’re looking for a side hustle or just want to be smarter with your money, this is one of the few opportunities in sports betting where the edge is truly in your favor.