What does retaining the profit from a bonus bet mean?

Retaining the profit means turning a bookmaker's bonus bet into real, withdrawable cash. You place the bonus bet on an outcome at the bookmaker and a matching lay bet on Betfair, so the result of the event no longer decides your payout. You typically keep 70 to 80 percent of the bonus bet's face value as cash.

Why don't you keep 100 percent of a bonus bet?

Because the bookmaker doesn't return your stake on a bonus bet, only the winnings, your lay bet has to cover a larger liability than a normal qualifying bet. That gap, plus Betfair commission, is what reduces your retention rate below 100 percent.

What odds give the best retention rate on a bonus bet?

Higher odds generally retain better. Bonus bets placed on outcomes around odds of 3.0 to 10.0 typically return a higher percentage of the bonus value than bonus bets placed on short-priced favourites.

The Bonus Bet: How To Retain The Profit

The Bonus Bet: Retaining The Profit

Retaining the profit means turning a bookmaker’s bonus bet into real cash. You place the bonus bet on an outcome and a matching lay bet on Betfair, so the result of the event doesn’t decide your payout. Most bonus bets retain 70 to 80 percent of their face value.

Try The Free Calculator → What Is A Lay Bet? →

💰 Why It’s Different To A Qualifying Bet

With a qualifying bet, you’re using your own money, so you back and lay roughly equal amounts and only lose a few cents either way.

A bonus bet works differently. The bookmaker only pays out if it wins, and you never see the stake itself. That means your lay bet has to cover a bigger gap between the two sides, which is why you keep a percentage of the bonus rather than the full amount.

📈 Getting A Better Retention Rate

Higher odds generally retain better. A bonus bet placed on an outcome around odds of 3.0 to 10.0 will usually return more cash than the same bonus bet placed on a short-priced favourite.

Pick higher odds markets: Look for events priced between 3.0 and 10.0 where possible.
Watch the Betfair commission: Every percent eats into your final figure.
Select SNR mode: Make sure your calculator is set to Free Bet SNR before you run the numbers.
Lock in your lay bet early: Odds move fast close to kick off, so confirm your lay bet on Betfair as soon as your bonus bet is placed.

📊 Example

Say you receive a $50 SNR bonus bet and back an outcome at odds of 5.00:

You lay the same outcome on Betfair to cover the result either way.
If your selection wins, the bookmaker pays out the winnings and your lay bet covers the loss on Betfair.
If your selection loses, you lose nothing extra since it was the bookmaker’s money, and you keep the profit from the Betfair side.
At these odds, you’d typically walk away with somewhere around $35 to $40 in cash from the $50 bonus.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Do I place the bonus bet or the lay bet first?

Place your bonus bet at the bookmaker first, then lock in your lay bet on Betfair straight away using the odds available at that moment.

Can I use a normal calculator for bonus bet retention?

Yes, as long as it has a Free Bet SNR mode. The Bonusbank Matched Betting Calculator covers this.

Does the retention rate change with every bonus bet?

Yes. It moves with the odds you pick and the Betfair commission at the time, so it’s worth running the numbers each time rather than assuming a fixed percentage.