Definition of Dutch Betting

dutch betting definition

❓How does Dutch betting work?
💬What is an example of Dutching?
✨Why is it called Dutching?
🏆What is the difference between Dutching and Matched Betting?
🚫Is Dutch betting illegal?

Part of the appeal of sports betting is the chance to win money when your results come in. Usually, that comes with a corresponding level of risk - risks you have to take in order to see potential winnings. As a result, it’s often tricky to balance wins and losses to make an overall profit from betting, a key reason bookies are such successful companies. But there are ways, in limited circumstances, where you can absolutely guarantee a profit - without the same risk profile as you would normally accept when you place a bet on sports. One of these methods is known as Dutch betting - but what does that mean, and how does Dutch betting work in practice?

How does Dutch betting work?

Dutch betting is betting on several interdependent outcomes in a way that guarantees you a profit. Like an arbitrage, it’s a bet where your results are guaranteed, by the application of maths and sophisticated formula, based on different odds and staking levels within your sports betting. In Dutch betting, you are calculating bets that would apply across all potential outcomes in a field, so that you are guaranteed a result. No matter who wins in the end, you win - because with Dutch betting, you have meticulously calculated the odds and stakes you need in place to be declared an overall winner.

Dutch betting has the advantage of no risk, and delivers the potential for long term profits from your sports betting. However, it does so at a much more gradual pace, and requires tools and/or a sophisticated knowledge of sports betting and odds to pull this off successfully.

What is an example of Dutching?

Consider this basic example of dutching. Team A is a 3-1, Team B is a 4-1, and a draw is at 3-1. Betting a £10 stake on Team A, Team B and Team C costs £30. In this example, if team A wins, you win £30, plus your original £10 back, for a total of £40. However, it costs you £20 to cover Team B and the draw, so your net profit is £20. If Team B win, you’re on for a £30 net profit on the same basis, while the draw comes in at the same odds as a Team A win. Whatever the outcome here, you’re a winner.

Of course, opportunities like this don’t come along too often, and in reality, you will often need to play off different stakes and odds at exact values, or settle for partial dutching opportunities where you cover all the most likely results, rather than every possible result. But the example above shows the basic idea and premise behind dutching as a betting strategy.

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Why is it called Dutching?

The assumption is that Dutch betting comes from a betting style pioneered in the Netherlands. But in reality, Dutching takes its name from an altogether different inspiration. Accountant to Al Capone in the 1900s, Dutch Schultz, is credited with inventing the strategy. He would lay horses, betting different amounts against multiple horses in a race to attempt to guarantee profits from his betting. By betting and laying horses across a race field, Schultz was able to build in reliable betting returns, and the inspiration behind Dutching as a betting strategy was born.

While Dutch Schultz isn’t usually the first thing that comes to mind with punters dutching bets today, it is his original strategy that serves as the inspiration for the modern day practice, giving gamblers the opportunity to deliver more consistent returns from the sports betting.

What is the difference between Dutching and Matched Betting?

Matched betting and dutching have many of the same features, but some key differences that set them apart. In matched betting, you would tend to bet at your bookmaker, but then lay corresponding outcomes at a betting exchange, in order to maximise the spread of odds between the two outcomes to give you a guaranteed chance of success. In dutching, the bets all happen directly with a bookmaker, with no need to bet on exchanges to pull off the strategy.

For all other intents and purposes, matched betting and dutching are very similar. They both attempt to find guaranteed profits in the gaps between the odds quoted on different outcomes in the same event, and both can be used to drive a steady stream of profits from sports betting.

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Is Dutch betting illegal?

Dutch betting is definitely legal. There are no laws that say you cannot bet on multiple outcomes on the same event, or that you cannot try to structure your betting in a way that gives you the best chance of a profit - that’s ultimately the whole point! However, bookmakers tend to take a dim view on anyone who is doing too well, and Dutch betting strategies may see you lose your betting account for a breach of terms and conditions, depending on the individual rules the bookmaker has in place.

It’s always worth reading the terms and conditions you’re signing up to when opening a betting account. While you may be able to get away with Dutching for a while, any breach of the rules leaves you liable to account closure, which can ultimately come back to bite you when you least expect it.

Dutching is a good strategy for minimising the risks of your sports betting. In a perfect Dutch scenario, you are totally covered, regardless of the outcome, meaning you will definitely walk away with a profit. Other scenarios do build in an element of risk, which could see you losing some money on the way, in the event that something wildly unexpected happens.

The key to a successful Dutch betting strategy is planning and effective structuring of your bets. We recommend using tools like Dutch betting calculators to help you double check any possible dutching opportunities, and to make sure you are covering your liabilities to prevent losing money. With the right picks and the right structure to your bets, it can be a good way to deliver guaranteed profits from your sports betting.

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Definition of Dutch Betting

Table of contents

How does Dutch betting work?

What is an example of Dutching?

Why is it called Dutching?

What is the difference between Dutching and Matched Betting?

Is Dutch betting illegal?

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