Spode said:
Has anyone tried this?
It sounds good but it seems like you need to pay for alerts about the opportunities, and there are a lot of scams out there.
And practically if bets are limited, you may not get far.
But I like the idea.
Like oz said, contingency betting exist in many markets, not just limited to sports arbs.
Off the top of my head as far as sports arb betting goes:
Pros:
If bookies pay, profits are guaranteed.
There are probably hundreds if not thousands of arb opportunities available every day.
It requires no skill, just time and organisation.
It is tax free.
You can do it at home.
Cons:
Bookies have different rules meaning one of your bets can be voided, leaving you with only one half of the arb (invariably the losing side) covered.
Some bookies are arb haters and will close your account with them if they get wind of your activities.
If either of the above occurs, it may wipe out all your profits (and even a portion of your capital) you have accumulated for months.
There are bet limits which limits the profits.
Time consuming with very low returns if you play it safely and try to stay below the radar.
Do not ever or even consider paying someone to provide you with expensive arb services. There are many different services available, ranging from free to about $18 000!!! The free ones are very limited (do a google search to find them), the $18 000 one of which I am aware requires a bank balance in excess of $40 000 and $2000 bets (that'll get you limited quick smart and you'll never get your money back) to put into practice and of course before you make your money make back most of the bookies would have closed your account or limited you, or worse, the arb selction service will close and do a runner with your dosh. I'm not personally familiar with the more popular services (do a google search) that operate on a monthly or yearly fee so I can't comment.
Be aware most bookies do not accept AUD, some bookies do not accept Australian citizens. Worse if you're a Yank though. As well, there are hefty fees for credit card withdrawals and deposits, this can be overcome using online wallets but you need to get yourself organised as there are restrictions in place about how much money you can transfer to bookmakers using these and direct services. They are nanny state laws but they have a very serious impact on the capacity to earn a decent income. Also, maximum limits on the amount of $ you can bet on an outcome can be as low as $30.
At best it's a part time job.