How it works

The one idea

A bonus bet is betting credit from the book. When it wins you keep only the winnings, never the bonus amount itself. You put it on one team at the book that gave it to you, and bet the other team with your own cash at a second book. One of the two bets wins, and the cash bet is sized so you end up with about the same amount either way.

Where the money comes from

Welcome offers are how sportsbooks compete for new customers. You get one per book, and most states with legal betting have several licensed books. Converted this way, a bonus bet is typically worth 55% to 70% of its face value in cash, so a $200 offer usually ends up around $110 to $140. The value comes from the book's offer, not from picking winners.

Do it in BreadSync

Deposit Calculator

Pick your state and an amount. It shows what your state's welcome offers are estimated to return in cash once converted, not the number on the banner.

See what your state is worth Free, no account

The loop, book after book

1. 1Claim a book's welcome offer. Usually you opt in and your first bet unlocks it.
2. 2Convert what it gives you: the bonus bet on one side at that book, cash on the other side at your second book.
3. 3Let the games finish. One book pays out, and you are up about the same either way.
4. 4Move what the next offer needs to the next book on your plan, withdraw the rest, and log both (how).

Every book runs through the same four steps. Only the offer and the two books change, so the third book feels easy.

Where BreadSync does the work

You can do the math by hand, and these docs show how. What takes the time is finding the best pair across your books and keeping track of money spread over several apps. That is what the app is for.

Pro starts with a 7-day free trial. The free account needs no card.

What you need

• To be 21 or older, and physically in a state where the books are licensed. Books check your location when you bet.
• A valid, unexpired photo ID. Books verify who you are by law, and your first withdrawal usually asks for it.
• Money you will not need soon. Most people start with $1,000 to $2,000, and about $2,000 is typical. It moves between books, and you take it back out when you are done.
• A computer if you have one. A phone works, but a laptop with the app beside the sportsbook is easier and causes fewer typing mistakes.
• Time. Plan on 30 minutes to an hour a day while you learn, and about 15 to 20 minutes once it is a habit.

Questions people ask first

• Do I need to know sports? No. You never pick a winner. You need to read a plus and a minus sign (Reading odds takes two minutes) and check that each bet slip matches the screen.
• Isn't this just gambling? You are not betting on who wins. Both sides are covered, so the result only decides which book pays you.
• Is the result certain? No. It is locked in only if both bets are accepted at the prices you planned. A wrong stake, the wrong side or a price that moves can break it, and books can limit accounts. Every number in these docs is an estimate.
• Is there a catch? The offers run out: each book gives one welcome offer. And it only works the right way: your real name, one account per book, you in the state, and winnings are taxable income.

Watch out: place both bets at the prices you planned. If a price moves before the second bet, recompute before you place it.

Next: Set up. Pick your state and what you are starting with, and BreadSync works out which books to open and what to deposit at each.