FAQ's
We want your sport betting experience to be the best possible, so we've created this simple list of FAQ's to help you on your way. If none of our FAQ's answer your questions please contact us.
How can I find the best odds?
Throughout the site, the best odds are automatically displayed. Clicking the outcome of your choice will put it in the Bet Slip, where you’ll see odds on this outcome from all the bookmakers.
How do I place a bet?
Select the match(es) of your choice and open the Bet Slip. In the Bet Slip you click on the odds of the bookmaker you choose and you’ll be transferred to their website where the selection must be made again. We’re currently working on a feature which will transfer you to the bookmaker’s bet slip, so you won’t have to make the same selection twice.
How do I add my picks?
Select the match(es) of your choice, and open the Bet Slip. On the Bet Slip click ‘Pick’, and the rest should make beautiful sense :)
Can I add videos to BetScout?
Not yet. We’re currently working on a feature which will give our Members the option of adding videos related to certain events, teams and players.
How often do you update your odds?
Constantly! The odds displayed at BetScout are fresh as they get, but they might have changed slightly by the time you’ve actually made the selection at the bookie.
How do I choose which bookmaker to use?
It really depends on your needs. Some people prefer placing their bets with one solid bookmaker only, others enjoy having accounts with all the bookies offering live streaming on their site. Check our honest bookmaker reviews and make up your mind about what’s best for you. Serious punters should however open accounts with all of the bookies on the site to ensure always getting the best possible odds.
I'm having an issue with a bookmaker, can you help me?
Yes – if the account in mention was created through BetScout, and you have contacted the support of the bookmaker first. This scenario is highly unlikely as we only list the best bookies in the business. But we’re here to do what we can, should run into a problem that their support can’t handle satisfactorily.
Is it possible to make a living of sports betting?
It certainly is, but the vast majority doesn’t. Most bookmakers have a payout percentage of 90-95%, and in order to make a profit in the long run you have to get these percentages on your side. The only way of doing this is to select value bets only. For a bet to have value (+100%), you must be able to estimate the chances of a certain outcome better than the bookmaker. In addition to selecting your bets carefully, you must also learn to bet the right amounts using a proper betting strategy for bankroll management. The best strategy for beginners is simply placing the same amount on each bet. Preferably 3 – 4% of your bankroll.
How can I edit my pick?
If you have made a pick you need us to edit or delete, simply email support@betscout.com within 10 minutes. If it’s only for taking advantage of odds change, this service will not be permitted.
I've heard about numerous betting strategies - which one is the best?
The list of betting strategies is endless, but only a few are actually useful. The only two we recommend is the unit system and flat rate betting. With the unit system (which is used here at BetScout (€10-€100 / bet)) you place 1-10 units on each bet depending on the betvalue of the bet. Each should be 0.5% of your bankroll. With flat rate betting you have the same stake on each bet – normally 2% of your bankroll. There are different variations of flat rate betting though. You can change the stakes constantly so it’s exactly 2% of your bankroll, you can adjust the stakes quarterly, or adjust it whenever your bankroll increases or decreases by 25%. Which strategy you should go for really depends on you. The unit system requires more skill as betvalue is very subjective, but our best advice is to use this system without letting your stakes differ too much and only on rare occasions.
What are the rules for adding picks?
You can add picks on any event and odds market with a stake of 10-100. Max stake on each event is 100. You can estimate the chances of your picks and write analysis if you want to share your thoughts with the community.
Do I have to pay taxes of my winnings?
If you’re based in the European Union, winnings are only tax free at bookmakers with an EU license. In our bookmaker guide, bookies with an EU license have the European flag icon next to them, symbolizing tax free winning. For most other countries winnings are not tax free, but you should also be more concerned with building your bankroll than withdrawing your winnings. Use the brilliant e-wallets Moneybookers or Neteller to manage your bankroll. Transfers to and from the bookies are quick and free of charge. Neteller even provides you with a Mastercard, and a revolutionary Virtual Mastercard which allows you to create a new card number for each purchase online eliminating every threat of fraud you may experience when buying stuff online.
Should I go for multiples, or singles only?
Assuming that your aim is to win in the run long run, singles are usually preferred. Why? Bookmakers usually work with a payout percentage of 92% on average. Assuming you’re not better at estimating outcomes than the bookie, these bets will give you 92% back of your stakes in the long run. If you make a coupon with 3 of these matches with a 92% payout, you’ll only win back 78% (0,92 × 0,92 × 0,92 = 0,78).
If you believe there’s betvalue in all 3 outcomes, then it’s not a bad idea though. It will even increase the betvalue, but betvalue is very subjective and you have to be very sharp to actually have betvalue in all outcomes. Multiples are therefore not recommended for average punters that want to be extremely serious about their betting, but it’s definitely still an option if you don’t mind risking a bit to win big. To be honest we often play multiples ourselves, even though most often we shouldn’t if we were to play “by the book”.
How do the bookmakers calculate their odds?
Bookmakers work with a payout percentage for each market. In a regular game the odds would be 3.00 – 3.00 – 3.00 (home – draw – away) if the payout percentage was 100%. The bookmakers naturally needs to make money, so they normally use a payout percentage of 90-95%. Let’s say a certain bookmaker has 93% payout on a match where they estimate the chances of the various outcomes to be: 45 – 35 – 20. It’s then calculated in the following manner: 93 / 45 = 2.06 (1), 93 / 35 = 2.66 (draw) and 93 / 4.65 (away).
It’s worth mentioning that not all bookies estimate the chances of every single outcome. That would be very demanding, and if they differ too much from the other bookies they could end up loosing quite a bit. It’s therefore often the first odds available on an outcome which sets the standard for odds on this outcome throughout the entire industry.
What is Asian Handicap?
Asian Handicap is an exciting variation of 1X2 where you cover more than just home, draw or away. If you want to place a bet on Liverpool to win but also fear a possible draw, you might want to cover that result somewhat by picking Liverpool -0.25 to get half your stake returned in case the match ends in a draw.
Get a simple overview of the various outcomes at Wikipedia (scroll down).
I made a Goalscorer pick, but the player never entered the field.
If you pick a player to score the first goal in the Goalscorer market, but the player does not start on the field before the first goal is scored, you must inform support@betscout.com and we will delete your pick. We have line-ups for the vast majority of football matches, but since we don’t have for every single match this manual alternative is the best solution at the moment. Make sure you check the lineups in the events for you Goalscorer picks.