Split one stake across two or three books, then count the fees

Tool · Arbitrage

When the best prices on every outcome of a market, taken from different sportsbooks, add up to less than 100 per cent, a stake can be split so that every result pays about the same. The calculator does the split and takes the network fees off, which is where many small arbs end.

Written by: Joana TeixeiraChecked by: Priya LakshmananUpdated 6 October 2026

An arbitrage calculator splits one sum of money across two or three sportsbooks so that whatever happens in the match, the return is the same. It only works when the books disagree enough: the best price for each outcome, taken from different sites, has to add up to less than 100 per cent in implied probability. Enter those prices, the total stake and the network fees each account costs to fund and empty, and the tool shows the stake for each book, the return and the profit that survives the transfers.

Arbitrage calculator

Enter the best price for each outcome, each from a different sportsbook, the total you want to put down, and the network fees it costs to fund and empty each account. The calculator splits the stake so every outcome returns about the same, then takes the fees off.

Odds format Outcomes Total stake Round each stake to

6 sportsbooks, longest coin list first

Rakebit

Verdict: Excellent
Coins in the cashier: 15
Payout ceiling: 10,000 EUR per day clause number not recorded
ID can be requested: case by case

Rocketpot

Verdict: Excellent
Coins in the cashier: 13
Payout ceiling: from 5,000 USD in instalments cl. 11.5
ID can be requested: US$2,500

Wild.io

Verdict: Excellent
Coins in the cashier: 12
Payout ceiling: US$100,000 per week cl. 9.6
ID can be requested: case by case

DuckDice

Verdict: Good
Coins in the cashier: 10
Payout ceiling: not read
ID can be requested: case by case

Vave

Verdict: Excellent
Coins in the cashier: 6
Payout ceiling: from 50,000 USDT in instalments cl. 8.8
ID can be requested: case by case

CoinPoker

Verdict: Good
Coins in the cashier: 5
Payout ceiling: not published
ID can be requested: case by case

How to use the arbitrage calculator

Pick the odds format and the number of outcomes: 2 for a tennis match or a two-way total, 3 for a football match result.
Enter the total stake, in the coin you will actually use on every book.
For each outcome, enter the best price you found. Keep a note of which book it came from; the calculator only needs the number.
In the fee box next to each price, enter what it costs to move coins into that book and back out: the deposit network fee, the withdrawal network fee and any cashier charge. Enter 0 if the balance is already there and you would not withdraw anyway.
Choose whether to round the stakes. Exact stakes give equal returns; rounded ones are easier to type and cost a little.

The output reads from the top: the book total, the arbitrage margin (how far the total sits below 100 per cent), what was actually staked, the lowest return, profit before fees, the fees, and profit after fees. The table under it shows each book's stake, what it returns if its outcome wins, and the net after all fees.

The arithmetic of an arb

Each price implies a probability of 1 divided by the odds. On one book those probabilities add up to more than 100 per cent, the margin. Across several books, using only the best price on each outcome, the total can fall below 100. That gap is the arb.

The stake on each outcome is in proportion to its implied probability: stake = total × (1 ÷ odds) ÷ book total. Every outcome then returns total ÷ book total.

A worked example with prices that illustrate the method rather than quote any site: a tennis match where one book offers 2.12 on player A and another offers 1.97 on player B, with 400 USDT to put down. These are the defaults the arbitrage calculator opens with.

Implied probabilities: 1 ÷ 2.12 = 47.17 per cent, 1 ÷ 1.97 = 50.76 per cent
Book total: 97.93 per cent, an arbitrage margin of 2.07 per cent
Stake on A: 192.67 USDT; stake on B: 207.33 USDT
Return on either result: 408.45 USDT
Profit before fees: 8.45 USDT
Fees, 1.50 USDT per book: 3.00 USDT
Profit after fees: 5.45 USDT, or 1.36 per cent of the 400 staked

That is the shape of most arbs: a few per cent at best, paid for with two accounts, two transfers and the attention it takes to place both bets before either price moves.

Network fees: where small arbs disappear

Fees on a blockchain are fixed amounts per transfer, not a share of the stake. That makes them heavy on small arbs and light on large ones. Change the total stake in the example from 400 to 100 USDT and the arithmetic turns over:

Total stake	Profit before fees	Fees	Profit after fees
400 USDT	8.45	3.00	5.45
100 USDT	2.11	3.00	−0.89

At a 2.07 per cent margin, every 100 USDT staked earns about 2.11 before fees, so 3 USDT of fees needs roughly 142 USDT in total stakes just to break even. The calculator prints a note when the fees take everything.

Three habits keep the fee line small. Leave working balances on the books you use often instead of moving coins for every bet. Choose the network for the coin you hold by what a transfer costs, which the cashier's deposit screen shows before you send; the comparison of BNB betting sites walks through one network on those terms. And keep the coin the same on every book, because converting between coins adds a spread that no fee box captures.

Low minimums help in a different way. An arb often needs an odd-sized stake on the book with the shorter price, and low deposit crypto betting sites let you fund a second account without parking a large balance on it.

Three-way arbs

A football match result has three outcomes, and an arb needs a price on each from wherever it is best. Set the outcomes to 3. An example, again illustrative: 2.60 on the home side at one book, 3.70 on the draw at a second, 3.45 on the away side at a third, with 400 USDT in total.

Book total: 94.47 per cent, a margin of 5.53 per cent
Stakes: 162.84, 114.43 and 122.72 USDT
Return on any result: 423.40 USDT
Profit before fees 23.40, fees 4.50, profit after fees 18.90 USDT

A gap that wide between three books is rare and usually short-lived; the prices were chosen to make the arithmetic visible. Three books also mean three sets of fees and three chances for a price to move before the last stake is placed.

Pre-matchFootball, cricket, tennis and racing, priced before the startFund the account in USDT, BTC or ETH and build a single or an accumulator on this week's fixtures.Bet now In playMarkets that move with the match, and cash-out where offeredPrices update as the game runs; the same balance covers the casino side of the account.Bet live

A sportsbook chosen for the country you visit from. 18+; the operator's terms apply to every bet.

Rounding and the lowest return

Exact stakes such as 192.67 look unusual on a betting slip, and some bettors prefer whole numbers simply because they are easier to type quickly. Set the rounding to 1 and the example becomes 193 and 207 USDT. The returns are then 409.16 if player A wins and 407.79 if player B wins. The arbitrage calculator reports the lower figure, 407.79, because that is the one you are sure of, and profit after fees drops from 5.45 to 4.79 USDT. Rounding to 5 or 10 costs more.

What the calculator cannot see

The numbers on the screen assume both bets stand at the prices you typed. Real arbs fail in a handful of ways.

One leg is voided. Sportsbooks reserve the right to cancel bets struck at an obvious pricing error, and an arb price is often exactly that. The other leg is then an ordinary open bet; the hedge bet calculator shows what it costs to close it.
The price moves between the two bets. Place the leg most likely to move first, and check the accepted price on each slip.
The book accepts less than you asked. A maximum stake below the calculated figure leaves the split unbalanced.
The rules differ. A tennis retirement may settle a match-winner bet at one book and void it at another, which leaves one side exposed.
The coin moves. With balances in bitcoin, the returns are equal in coins but the books pay out on different days. A dollar stablecoin keeps them equal in money; tether states each USDT is pegged 1-to-1 to the US dollar.
Withdrawals wait. Profit sitting in a pending withdrawal is not yet profit; fast withdrawal betting sites ranks operators on how long they give themselves to pay.

Accounts that arbitrage regularly tend to see their stakes limited. The guide to arbitrage betting covers why, and the home page comparison of crypto betting websites shows what each operator writes about limits and checks.

Open

How do I calculate arbitrage stakes?

Add up 1 divided by each price to get the book total. Each stake is the total you want to put down times 1 divided by that outcome's price, divided by the book total. With 400 USDT across 2.12 and 1.97 the stakes are 192.67 and 207.33 USDT, and either result returns 408.45 USDT.

How big does an arb have to be to cover network fees?

It depends on the stake, because fees are fixed amounts. In the example above, 3 USDT of fees across two books leave 5.45 USDT of profit on 400 USDT staked, but turn a 100 USDT version of the same arb into a small loss. That arb needs about 142 USDT in total to break even.

Can the arbitrage calculator handle three outcomes?

Yes. Switch the outcomes box to 3 and enter a price and a fee figure for each book. A football match result with prices of 2.60, 3.70 and 3.45 on three sites adds up to 94.47 per cent, and 400 USDT split across them returns 423.40 USDT on any result.

Why does the calculator show different returns after rounding?

Rounded stakes no longer match the exact proportions, so one outcome pays slightly more than another. The calculator reports the lowest return, because that is the result you are sure of. Rounding the example to whole units cuts the profit after fees from 5.45 to 4.79 USDT.

What happens if one sportsbook voids its leg?

The other bet stands on its own and becomes an ordinary open bet. You either let it run or hedge it at whatever price is then available. This is the main way an arb turns into a loss, and the reason to read each book's rules on obvious pricing errors first.

Sources for this page

USDT is pegged 1-to-1 to the US dollartether.to/en/faqs2026-10-06

Facts about a named sportsbook come from its own terms, payment and verification pages, or a licence register, with the clause number where one exists and the date we read it.