If you are interested in online betting, you may have come across the term ‘stake not returned’ or ‘SNR’. This is a common feature of many free bets and bonuses offered by bookmakers. But what does it mean and how does it affect your potential winnings? In this article, we will explain the concept of stake not returned, how to use it for matched betting, and some tips to maximize your profits.
What is a Free Bet?
A free bet is a type of bonus that bookmakers give to their customers, either as a welcome offer or as a reward for loyalty or special events. A free bet allows you to place a bet without risking your own money. However, there are usually some conditions attached to the free bet, such as minimum odds, expiry date, and stake not returned.
Stake not returned means that if your free bet wins, you will only receive the profit from the bet, not the original stake. For example, if you place a £10 free bet on a selection with odds of 3.00 and it wins, you will get £20 back, not £30. The £10 free stake is not returned to you.
This is different from a normal bet, where you use your own money to place the bet and get both the stake and the profit back if you win. For example, if you place a £10 normal bet on a selection with odds of 3.00 and it wins, you will get £30 back.
Why do bookmakers offer stake not returned free bets?
Bookmakers offer stake not returned free bets as a way of attracting new customers or retaining existing ones. They hope that by giving you a free bet, you will be more likely to sign up with them or continue betting with them. However, they also want to protect themselves from losing too much money, so they limit the amount of money you can win from the free bet by not returning the stake.
How can you use stake not returned free bets for matched betting?
Matched betting is a technique that allows you to make guaranteed profits from free bets and bonuses by covering all possible outcomes of an event. You do this by placing two opposite bets: one at the bookmaker using the free bet and one at a betting exchange using your own money. This way, no matter what happens, you will win one of the bets and lose the other, resulting in a net profit.
To use stake not returned free bets for matched betting, you need to follow these steps:
Find a suitable offer from a bookmaker that gives you a stake not returned free bet. Check the terms and conditions of the offer carefully, such as the minimum odds, expiry date, and any other restrictions.
Find a matching event and selection that meets the criteria of the offer. You can use an online tool called an oddsmatcher to help you find the best matches with the highest profit potential.
Place your qualifying bet at the bookmaker using your own money. This is usually a normal bet that triggers the free bet offer. You may lose some money on this bet, but this is normal and will be offset by the profit from the free bet later.
Place your lay bet at the betting exchange using your own money. This is an opposite bet that cancels out your qualifying bet. You should use a matched betting calculator to determine how much to stake on this bet to minimize your loss.
Wait for the event to finish and see if your qualifying bet wins or loses. If it wins, you will receive your stake and profit at the bookmaker. If it loses, you will receive your lay stake and profit at the betting exchange.
Claim your free bet from the bookmaker. This is usually credited to your account within 24 hours of your qualifying bet settling.
Repeat steps 2-4 with your free bet instead of your own money. You should use a different event and selection than your qualifying bet. You should also use a matched betting calculator to determine how much to stake on your lay bet to maximize your profit.
Wait for the event to finish and see if your free bet wins or loses. If it wins, you will receive only your profit at the bookmaker (stake not returned). If it loses, you will receive your lay stake and profit at the betting exchange.
Enjoy your risk-free profit from both bets!
Tips to maximize your profits from stake not returned free bets
Here are some tips to help you get the most out of stake not returned free bets:
Choose high odds for your free bet: The higher the odds of your free bet selection, the more profit you can make from it (stake not returned). However, this also means that you need more money in your betting exchange account to cover your lay bet liability (the amount you need to pay if your lay bet loses). Therefore, you should balance between high odds and low liability.
Choose low odds for your qualifying bet: The lower the odds of your qualifying bet selection, the less money you will lose on it. However, this also means that you need to stake more money on it to trigger the free bet offer. Therefore, you should balance between low odds and high stake.
Use an odds matcher and a matched betting calculator: These are online tools that can help you find the best matches and calculate the optimal stakes for your bets. They can save you time and money by doing the hard work for you.
Track your bets and profits: It is important to keep track of your bets and profits from matched betting, especially if you are using multiple bookmakers and betting exchanges. You can use a spreadsheet or an online tool to record your bets and profits and monitor your progress.