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Bankroll Management for Sports Betting - Tips and Guide

Today, we’re going to look at sports betting bankroll management. We’ll explain everything you need to know about wagering carefully and strategically so that you can maximise your potential winnings.

Alyx Tzamantanis.
A. Tzamantanis

Last Updated: 2024-06-21

Jon Young

6 minutes read

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Setting Your Bankroll

Determining a safe and sustainable bankroll of money is the first step in good bankroll
management. 

Your bankroll should be an amount of money set aside specifically for betting that you canafford to lose without impacting your financial well-being. 

Below, we’ve outlined how to set your bankroll responsibly.

Assess your financial situation

Before you set your bankroll, take a thorough look at your finances. Calculate your monthly income and expenses, and determine how much disposable income you have.

Remember, your bankroll should come from your disposable income, not from money allocated for essential expenses like rent, bills, or savings.

Determine a comfortable amount

Decide on an amount that you feel comfortable with, one that won’t cause financial stress if lost. This amount varies for everyone, depending on individual financial situations and risk tolerance.

Set clear limits

Establish a maximum amount you’re willing to risk over a certain period, such as weekly or monthly. This helps prevent you from chasing losses or making impulsive bets.

Start small

If you’re new to sports betting, start with a smaller bankroll. As you gain more experience and confidence, you can gradually increase your bankroll within your financial limits.

Gamble responsibly

Always remember that sports betting should be treated as a form of entertainment, not a way to make money. Never use funds that are intended for other important purposes.

 If you find yourself struggling to manage your betting habits, seek help from responsible gambling resources.

Bet Sizing Strategies

To answer the question ‘how much of your bankroll should you bet?’, you need to consider that each bet is an important aspect of bankroll management. 

Various strategies can help you manage your bets effectively, minimising risks and maximising potential returns. Here are two popular methods.

Flat betting

Flat betting involves wagering the same amount on every bet, regardless of your confidence level or the odds. This method is straightforward and easy to implement.

Pros and Cons of flat betting

Pros:

● Simplicity: Flat betting is easy to understand and execute, making it ideal for beginners
● Consistency: By betting the same amount each time, you reduce the risk of large
losses from individual bets
● Discipline: It encourages disciplined betting, preventing you from chasing losses with larger bets

Cons:

● Limited growth: Flat betting can limit your potential winnings, as you're not adjusting your bet size based on the perceived value of each wager
● Ignoring value: This method doesn't account for the varying confidence levels in
different bets, potentially missing out on opportunities to maximise profits

Kelly Criterion

The Kelly Criterion is a more advanced betting strategy that calculates the optimal bet size based on the perceived edge and the odds. The formula is: f = (bp – q) ÷ b
Here’s what each letter stands for:
● f is the bet size based on a percentage of your bankroll
● b is the bet’s decimal odds – 1 (e.g. 3.0 odds – 1 = 2)
● p is the probability of winning the wager (e.g. 45% chance = 0.45)
● q is the probability of losing the bet, which is expressed as 1 – p (e.g. 1- 0.45 = 0.55)


Pros and cons of Kelly Criterion

Pros:

● Optimised growth: The Kelly Criterion aims to give you long-term growth by adjusting bet sizes based on the perceived edge, potentially leading to higher profits
● Risk management: It reduces the risk of ruin by avoiding overly aggressive betting on low-probability events

Cons:

● Complexity: The Kelly Criterion is more complicated to calculate and implement, requiring accurate assessments of probabilities
● Variance: It can lead to high variance in bet sizes, which might be uncomfortable for some bettors

Understanding a ROI in Sports Betting

Return on Investment (ROI) is a key metric in sports betting that measures the efficiency of your betting strategy. It indicates how much profit or loss you make relative to the amount of money you wager. 

Understanding ROI can help you evaluate the success of your betting approach and make any necessary adjustments.

Calculating ROI

To calculate your Return on Investment (ROI) in sports betting, follow these 4 simple steps:

  1. 1

    Determine your total profit: Subtract the total amount of money you started with from the total amount you have now. This gives you your profit. If you have less money than you started with, this will be a loss.

  2. 2

    Calculate your total amount wagered: Add up all the money you have placed on bets over a certain period.

  3. 3

    Divide your total profit by your total amount wagered: This will give you a decimal number.

  4. 4

    Multiply the result by 100: This converts the decimal into a percentage, which is your ROI For example, if you placed $1,000 worth of bets and made a profit of $100, you would divide $100 by $1,000 to get 0.1. Then, multiply 0.1 by 100 to get an ROI of 10%.

Interpreting ROI

  1. Positive ROI: A positive ROI indicates that you are making a profit. The higher the ROI, the more efficient your betting strategy is

  2. Negative ROI: A negative ROI means you are losing money, and you may need to
    reassess your betting strategy For more information on betting strategies, always come here to us at SportsBoom. We keep you in the know with our news reviews and guides.

Alyx Tzamantanis.
Alyx TzamantanisSports Betting Editor

With 10 years of experience in content writing, Alyx has produced countess guides, reviews and articles covering a wide range of topics in the iGaming industry. She loves anything to do with online casinos, as well as UK and international sports betting.

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