What is Mug Betting and how does it work?
Bookies hate matched bettors as they take value from them. So when a bookie finds out that your a Matched Bettor they will normally restrict your account and stop giving you bonuses. This is refered to as “gubbing or gubbed”.
As you increase your matched betting activity - and therefore increase your profit - the chances of having your account limited or closed increases.
Bookmakers monitor customer behavior and look for patterns that suggest matched betting. They can close your account or restrict it without notice or warning!
So how can you prevent this from happening quickly? One of the most effective ways of throwing the bookies off the scent is by placing mug bets.
Mug Bets
To make you look like a regular customer or punter you would place a bet when no promotion or bonus is involved.
You can still lay your bet off on the betting exchange to ensure any loses are limited.
It is well worth sacrificing a small amount of your profits for the sake of keeping your account fully open.
There is more information on the Profit Accumulator forum on how to keep accounts healthy.
You can sign up for a free trial here:
Mug betting advice
Don't take the best odds:
Bookies know when the price they are offering is competitive and will soon spot customers who only use them when their odds are the best. So, from time to time, use a bookie even when you know they are not offering the best price.
Play in-play:
Regular punters tend to back in-play markets, so this is a good plan. Cashing out also makes you look like a normal punter - just be sure not to leave yourself exposed by cashing out if you've matched the other half of your bet.
Stick to the same markets:
If you mainly bet on football and horses, don't suddenly start betting on Russian Ice Hockey or some other obscure market. This might be tempting if you've found a good odds match but it will make you stick out like a sore thumb. Keep all your bets, (mugs, qualifiers and free bets), all placed on the biggest games possible. And keep it local - if you live in Scotland, bet on Scottish football.
Pick a team:
It's worth choosing a team to regularly bet on as it makes you look like a supporter. For example, bet on Arsenal to win regularly.
Spread your interest:
Play the bookmaker's other products, such as casino and poker. And use the mobile or tablet app from time to time.
Multiples and accas:
Placing doubles, trebles and other multiples are classic mug punter behaviour. Also look for accas that don't have refund or insurance offers.
Get involved in challenges:
You might have seen betting challenges along the lines of "turning £10 into £1,000.” This involves using your winnings to bet again, making look like you are trying to hit a target. Bookies love punters who do this (usually because they end up losing).
When do I need to mug bet?:
Ideally all of the time but its most important when you open a new account. The longer your account is active the easier it should be to keep it “healthy”.
Place bets on what everyone else is betting on. If you see a large amount of money in the exchange for a particular event then bet on it.
Unfortunately there is no full proof plan to keep accounts open and sometimes it is just down to luck. You could use all the promotions and free bets at one bookie and they won’t gub you. On the other hand another bookmaker will gub you after you use your first price boost/free bet!
Don’t go storming out of the blocks! Take it slow and build up your account health.
“Think of your matched betting career as a character you’re creating from scratch, every decision you make develops that character starting from the moment you register an account. What we ultimately want is to look like profitable ‘mug punters’ (hence the term, ‘mugging’).
”The most important thing we can do is to plan our mugging activities in advance and stick to it, how we bet (offers and mugs combined) determines our profile.”