Free Bet Calculator
Turn a stake-not-returned free bet into locked cash.
| Outcome | Net profit |
|---|---|
| Free bet wins | +7.93 ₽ |
| Free bet loses | +7.93 ₽ |
| Free bet | Cash value | Extraction |
|---|---|---|
| 500 ₽ | 396 ₽ | 79.29 % |
| 1000 ₽ | 793 ₽ | 79.29 % |
| 3000 ₽ | 2,379 ₽ | 79.29 % |
| 10000 ₽ | 7,929 ₽ | 79.29 % |
At the back and lay prices above. The rate is identical for every amount — only the cash it turns into changes.
How it works
A free bet is usually stake-not-returned: if it wins you keep only the profit, not the token stake. To turn it into real money you lay the same selection on an exchange, so you collect roughly the same amount whether it wins or loses.
Because the free bet costs you nothing, the lay stake is sized on the profit alone: lay = amount × (back odds − 1) ÷ (lay odds − commission). Higher back odds extract a bigger share of the face value — typically 70–80% at odds around 6–8. The locked figure is your guaranteed cash.
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How the Free Bet Calculator works
A free bet is worth far less than its face value — but with a lay bet you can turn most of it into guaranteed cash. This free bet calculator works out the lay stake to place on an exchange, the liability it ties up, and the locked cash value and extraction rate you walk away with.
Why a free bet isn't worth its face value
Most free bets are stake-not-returned (SNR): if the bet wins you keep the profit but not the token stake itself. A £10 free bet at evens returns £10, not £20. So the real value is the profit you can lock in, which is always less than the face value.
To capture it you back the selection with the free bet and lay the same selection on an exchange. Because the free bet costs you nothing, you size the lay on the profit alone, leaving roughly the same amount whether the selection wins or loses.
Extraction rate and choosing odds
The lay stake is amount × (back odds − 1) ÷ (lay odds − commission), and the cash you keep is the resulting balanced profit. Divided by the face value, that is the extraction rate — typically 70–80%.
Higher back odds extract more, because the SNR profit is a larger multiple of the stake, so favourites are poor free-bet value. Most matched bettors use the free bet at odds around 6–8 where the extraction rate peaks against available lay prices.
Working through a free bet online
Tap one of the common token amounts, set the back price you intend to use, then copy the exchange's current lay price and commission rate. The lay stake, the liability the exchange will hold and the cash you end up with all update as you type — there is nothing to submit and nothing is stored.
One token is rarely the whole job. The qualifying bet that released it has its own cost, priced by the matched betting calculator, and if the same selection is available at two books at contradictory prices you may be looking at a surebet rather than an offer. Both use the same lay arithmetic as this page.
FAQ
How much is a free bet worth?expand_more
Usually 70–80% of its face value once converted to cash with a lay bet, depending on the odds and exchange commission. A stake-not-returned free bet is never worth its full face value.
What does stake-not-returned mean?expand_more
When a free bet wins you receive only the winnings, not the token stake back. A £10 SNR free bet at odds of 2.0 returns £10 profit, not £20.
What odds should I use a free bet at?expand_more
Higher odds extract more value — commonly around 6–8 — because the profit is a larger multiple of the free stake. Low odds leave most of the face value on the table.
Can I do this without an exchange?expand_more
Not properly. Laying the selection is what makes the outcome irrelevant. Covering the other results at a second bookmaker is possible but costs more, because you pay a margin on every leg instead of a commission on one.
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