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What Is Dutching Betting?
Dutching betting is a special type of matched betting strategy that you can try out at all the top US online sportsbooks around today. It requires you to cover all the possible selections in a single market so that the profit will be the same, regardless of the outcome.
Specifically, you are covering all possible outcomes where the profit will be equal no matter which outcome is successful.
The meaning of Dutching dates back to the 1930s and comes from the numbers racketeer and American gangster Dutch Schultz, who used accountants to determine the right stake to manipulate trackside odds. This helped him profit greatly.
Ultimately, the Dutch betting strategy aims to minimize your risk of losing money. To do this, very precise odds and stakes are required to correctly take advantage of a dutch betting opportunity.
So, if you’re looking for a new strategy to add to your ever-growing repertoire, Dutching betting is an easy-to-learn valuable technique that can be used across a wide variety of popular sports. Our Dutching definition provides unique insights for expert sharp bettors.
Read on as we reveal the best Dutching strategies and meaning, and identify which US sportsbooks are perfect for finding the right odds.
Key Tips & Quick Wins
- Dutching betting involves placing bets on all possible outcomes in a market to guarantee the same profit, regardless of the result.
- The strategy requires precise calculations of odds and stakes to ensure a balanced payout, often using Dutching calculators.
- It is commonly used in sports like football, basketball, and horse racing but is most effective in two-way markets.
- While it reduces risk, finding the right odds can be challenging, and frequent use may lead to sportsbook restrictions.
- Unlike arbitrage betting, which aims for any profit, Dutching ensures an equal profit across all outcomes.
- Show Full Guide
How Dutching Betting Works
First, choose a market such as a two-way moneyline bet on a football game.
Next, place a bet on one winner.
Then, you’ll need to either wait until suitable odds become available for the opposite outcome or you’ll likely search for the right odds at another sportsbook.
Ensure the stakes and odds are balanced so that the payout for either outcome results in the same profit. Calculating these payouts is referred to as a Dutch betting formula.
Examples of Dutching Betting
Let’s take a look at some examples of a Dutch betting system in action to better explain how this technique works. We can look at betting on an NFL game between the New England Patriots and Denver Broncos.
| Sportsbook 1 | Sportsbook 2 | ||
| Patriots Odds | -200 | Broncos Odds | +250 |
| Stake | $30 | Stake | $12.86 |
| The total stake is $42.86 | |||
| Profit | $2.14 | Profit | $2.15 |
As you can see above, Sportsbook 1 priced the Patriots to win at -200. However, over at another sportsbook, the Broncos are priced at +250 to be victorious. Using a Dutching betting calculator, you can quickly determine that a $30 stake at Sportsbook 1 and a $12.86 stake at Sportsbook 2 will result in a guaranteed profit of $2.14, no matter which team wins.
This is because our total stake would be $42.86 and the payout for either outcome is $45.
Dutching betting can also be used to take advantage of free bets and guarantee profits with a relatively low stake.
| Sportsbook 1 | Sportsbook 2 | ||
| Patriots Odds | -200 | Broncos Odds | +250 |
| Free bet | $30 | Stake | $4.29 |
| The total stake is $4.29 | |||
| Profit | $10.71 | Profit | $10.72 |
You could place a $30 free bet at Sportsbook 1 and then place a real money bet at Sportsbook 2. Both bets would yield a profit of $10.71, no matter who wins. The free bet would pay out $45 but the stake is returned to the bookmaker, leaving $10.71. Your real money stake at Sportsbook 2 of $4.29 would also pay out $10.71.
Best Dutching Strategies & Tips
Dutching is relatively simple but there are still a few crucial tips that we can provide that will make finding an opportunity even easier.
These Dutch betting strategies, developed by our most analytical betting experts, can certainly help you develop your skills:
Some markets have more than two, or even three, possible outcomes. Keep the math simple by sticking to two-way markets. This way, you only have to work out the stakes for two outcomes.
You can find a myriad of helpful and accurate Dutching betting calculator websites and apps online. These calculators let you enter the odds of your chosen markets and you’ll be able to adjust your stake to see how much you need to wager to place a Dutching bet.
It can get messy trying to seek the perfect odds and stakes all the time, not to mention you risk exposing yourself to a bookmaker. You’re better off sticking to a sport you know, where you’ll naturally see Dutching opportunities while placing regular bets as well.
If you’re struggling to find any Dutching opportunities, keep your bets moderate and within a set budget you can afford to lose. It’s always good to do some research before wagering. Always gamble responsibly and never chase your losses.
Types of Sports for Dutching
Since Dutching covers every single selection in a market, the strategy works for just about any sport. However, there are a few sports that are among the most popular for Dutching in the US. These sports are fan-favorites and have several markets that suit Dutch betting.
The Dutching betting strategy for horse racing is to bet on as many of the top six as you can.
Bet Types for Dutching
Dutching is a very specific betting strategy that calls for fairly specific bet types if executed properly. You won’t be able to use this method on every market, but there are plenty of popular bet markets where you can advantageously find value using dutch betting strategies.
- Moneyline: This is the easiest market to use a Dutching strategy. There are usually only two possible selections, and you just need to bet on one outcome and then the other. Generally, a moneyline bet would be on which team or player would win a game.
- Totals bet: A potential Dutching opportunity across multiple sports, this market is heavily favoured by NFL Dutching bettors. The totals market requires you to predict whether a total combined score in a game will be over or under a certain number. For example, a scoreline of 32 – 15 (46) would be a great score if you bet over 44.5.
- Correct Score: This market is popular among soccer bettors because league matches are reasonably predictable to within a couple of goals. You just need to predict the exact soccer score in a single game. The strategy is riskier though as very unexpected scores still happen from time to time, and it is unlikely you’ll cover every possible score option.
Arbitrage vs. Dutching Betting
The Dutching system is basically a form of arbitrage and there are very few differences. Firstly, arbitrage betting typically requires access to a betting exchange. You would place a bet on one outcome and then lay the other outcomes on the exchange.
Secondly, Dutching betting aims to achieve the same profit regardless of the outcome, while arbitrage betting aims to secure any profit. This means one outcome could yield a $5 outcome while the other outcome may only produce a $1.75 profit.
Is Dutching Betting Legal?
Yes, there are no state or federal laws against the Dutching system. However, it’s worth noting that such techniques may be against the terms and conditions of some sportsbooks. This is especially true of betting strategies when using free bets.
It’s always a good idea to avoid using Dutch betting strategies too often. Analytical and mathematical bettors will space these types of bets out and mix the strategy in with other bets. If a sportsbook identifies that you are Dutching – and this typically requires very consistent Dutching – they may choose to ban your account.
More Betting Strategies
Dutching isn’t the only popular and profitable betting strategy that you can leverage to gamble online successfully. Check out a few of our other guides that cover both complex and simple strategies for sports betting:
- How to hedge a bet
- Live betting strategy
- Kelly Criterion gambling
- Martingale betting system
- Dalembert system
- Fibonacci sequencing
How to Place a Dutching Bet
To implement your very first Dutching strategy, you’ll need to register for a betting account. Top gambling sites have intuitive sign-up processes that only require a few of your personal details. We’ll be using BetOnline for this example.
Create an account
Head to BetOnline and click on the green “Join” button to reach the sign-up forms. Complete the sign-up forms by providing your details such as your name, number, address, and date of birth.
Claim your bonus
Head to the cashier, where you’ll also find the available BetOnline promo codes. Take note of which promotion you wish to claim because you can enter the code during the next step.Make your deposit
Select a payment method and enter your promo code. Choose how much you wish to deposit and then follow the prompts to complete the transaction.
Find a market and bet
Find a suitable market and place your first bet. Next, either shop around to cover the remaining outcomes at different bookmakers or use the odds at your sportsbook of choice should they shift appropriately to suit your Dutch betting formula.
Dutching Pros & Cons
Dutching is an incredibly simple betting strategy that requires a bit of math but is largely quite easy to accomplish. While there are many advantages to this popular strategy, there are a couple of drawbacks that should be considered before placing your first bets.
Pros
- Profits are effectively guaranteed
- Simple to understand and perform
- Can be implemented for any sport
- Can be used to guarantee profit from a free bet
Cons
- It can be difficult to find the right odds and stakes
- Overly frequent Dutching could get you banned from a sportsbook
The Bottom Line
Dutching betting is a strategy in which you place bets on all possible outcomes of a market to ensure the same profit, no matter the result. It requires careful calculation of odds and stakes and is commonly used in sports like football, basketball, and horse racing.
While it helps reduce risk and guarantees a balanced payout, finding the right odds can be quite challenging, and too frequent use may lead to sportsbook restrictions. In general, it’s a useful technique for bettors who want to maximize their chances of making a profit.
