About Robert Fraser | My Full Time Income Objective

It's not uncommon to hear the goal of 'making a full time income through sports betting'. However what is rare is an individual actually achieving this. Why is this? There are many significant obstacles in the way that must be overcome. Firstly, the punter needs an edge. If placing bets with a bookmaker or even a sports betting exchange (because of commission) there is always a profit margin integrated into odds. In other words we are already at a disadvantage in theory. For example if there is a tennis match and both players have a 50% chance of winning then fair odds would be evens (2.00) as its essentially a coin toss. In reality though bookmakers will offer odds around 1.80-1.91 in most cases. The difference may seem relatively small but amplified over large stakes and lengthy periods of betting it makes a significant difference.

My Approach to Finding Value in Sports Betting Markets: 

I have traded horse racing, soccer/football and tennis markets for over a decade now. Over this time I have enjoyed highly successful periods and endured times with the losses. I never measure my overall success by short term figures. Variance means that even with the correct analysis, stake size and investment strategy bets will lose. It's difficult but in my opinion essential that you measure success by whether the analysis was correct, stake size sensible and risk/reward ratio healthy. Not necessarily if the bet won. To give a basic example - a football team available at odds around 5/1 (6.00) dominate a match. Hitting the woodwork numerous times and denied clear penalty shouts on numerous occasions. In the 90th minute their opponents score with their only shot on target and win 1-0. They where available at odds of 1.90-2.00 pre-match. It may be an extreme example but the point stands that in this case the team at odds of 5/1 (6.00) where the best value. Even though short term those who bet on the winning team will have made money and you lost money - long term it was the correct investment. From my experience I would highly recommend following the hints and recommendations stated below:

- Focus on a single sport or small selection where you have an edge. This could be through expert knowledge of form and conditions in horse racing. Player performance data, court speed, ball bounce height etc in tennis. For my personally I have developed a statistical modal which I combine with personal knowledge to quantify and subsequently identify value in markets. 

- Use Bookmaker Accounts Cautiously: My primary accounts have been severely limited and restricted for years. Take it as a compliment - you are doing something right if the traders take the decision to limit you. Sports betting exchanges are a great alternative as you'll never have issues with restrictions. Remember a bookmaker is a company and has its own (and shareholder) profits to consider. If you where the bookmaker and you had a thousand players all playing low stakes and making profit some months and losses most - you would be happy, right? Imagine then a single individual comes along always betting on horse racing with large stakes. Beating the closing price in almost all cases and making significant profits. It's only logical to limit them or even close the account completely. It's incredible how many bookmaker accounts that won't take any sportsbook action from me but are more than happy to take my money if I want to play roulette or blackjack. My advice is simply. Open as many bookmaker accounts as possible. Use the welcome offers, free bets and loyalty rewards to their full potential. It's inevitable that after a while the bookmakers will limit your account if you are successful. At this point simply switch to using sports betting exchanges - in many cases the odds are better and even after factoring in commission the total profit is higher when directly compared to placing the bet at a bookmaker. 

- Record Results and Profit/Loss: It's vital to document exactly how much you have invested and the total returns. Return on Investment (ROI) is a vital statistic as its shows (in percentage form) the amount your money and hard work has made. Dealing with bad runs is another key area to consider. It's not realistic to expect to make a profit each and every day. Stay disciplined and control the stake size. Always focus long term - even an exceptionally poor week is unlikely to have a significant impact on results overall for an annual period for example. 

- Responsible Gambling: For an average sports bettor who places an accumulator on football over the weekend or backs their favorite team; the principles of responsible gambling are important. It's vital to keep it as a hobby and not to start risking more than they can afford to lose. Clearly the approach of a full time trader is far more professional but that doesn't mean the teachings of responsible gambling don't apply. Find out more about this at Gamble Aware.

Follow Robert | Email Subscription Service

I frequently receive requests to access my bets prior to the match/race start time. I wish to make it clear that I do not operate a 'tipster service' however I am always happy to work with a small group of people who share my goal of making a full time income. It takes a significant amount of time and effort to analyze matches and it's vital I don't share my selections with a wide audience (as this is likely to affect the price in terms of odds that I receive). If you are interested though I will share the vast majority of my selections for horse racing, soccer and tennis if you follow the steps below:

1.) Follow Robert on Twitter (turn on notifications)

2.) Subscribe via email (in the sidebar)

3.) Introduce yourself by sending me a direct message

I founded the Tennis Tips UK Network back in 2013.