Profit Boost Calculator

The Profit Boost calculator is designed specifically for bookmaker promotions that boost your winnings by a percentage. These promotions are common and can be highly profitable when optimized correctly.

When to use it

Use the Profit Boost calculator whenever you have a promotion like:

• "50% Profit Boost up to $100"
• "100% Winnings Boost"
• "Double your winnings (max $50 extra)"

These promotions increase your winnings by a percentage, often with a cap on the maximum boost amount.

How the promotion works

A profit boost promotion increases your profit (not your total return) by a percentage. For example:

You place a $100 bet at 3.0 odds with a 50% profit boost:

• Normal profit: $200
• Boost: $200 × 50% = $100 extra
• Total return: $300 + $100 = $400

However, there's usually a cap. If the max boost is $50, you only get $50 extra, not $100.

Understanding the inputs

Boost details

• Boost Percentage: The percentage by which your winnings are boosted (e.g., 50 for a 50% boost).
• Max Boost: The maximum amount of extra profit the bookmaker will pay. This is crucial - without it, we can't calculate the optimal stake.
• Retention Rate: What percentage of the boost you expect to keep after converting it into withdrawable cash. If the boost is paid as cash, enter 100%.

Bet details

• Back Odds: The odds at the bookmaker offering the boost.
• Back Stake: The amount you're betting at the bookmaker. The calculator shows the optimal stake in placeholder text if you've entered a max boost.
• Lay Odds: The odds at which you can lay the same outcome at the exchange.
• Lay Commission: The exchange commission on winning lay bets.

Understanding the outputs

The calculator shows four key numbers:

1. Lay Stake: The amount to lay at the exchange to hedge your boosted back bet.
2. Win Boost: The estimated cash value of the boost if your back bet wins, after applying the maximum boost and Retention Rate.
3. Profit if back bet wins: Your profit if the back bet wins. This factors in your boosted winnings from the bookmaker and your loss at the exchange.
4. Profit if back bet loses: Your profit if the lay bet wins.

Finding the optimal stake

The calculator shows the optimal stake in the placeholder text. This is the stake that maximizes the boost amount you receive while ensuring you get the full max boost value.

The formula is: Optimal Stake = Max Boost ÷ (Boost % ÷ 100) ÷ (Odds - 1)

For example, with a $50 max boost at 50% on 3.0 odds:

• Optimal Stake = $50 ÷ 0.5 ÷ 2 = $50

If you stake less, you don't get the full max boost. If you stake more, the extra stake doesn't get boosted at all, making it a poor value bet.

Practical example

You receive a "50% Profit Boost up to $100 in Bonus Bets" promotion from a bookmaker. You find a market where:

• Bookmaker offers 4.0 back odds
• Betfair offers 4.2 lay odds with 5% commission
• You're confident you can retain 80% of the boost value

Enter these values:

• Boost Percentage: 50%
• Max Boost: $100
• Retention Rate: 80%
• Back Odds: 4.0
• Lay Odds: 4.2
• Lay Commission: 5%

The calculator shows the optimal stake is $66.67. At this stake:

• Your normal profit would be $200
• The boost tries to add $100 (50% of $200)
• You hit the $100 max boost cap (perfect optimization)
• You retain 80% of the boost = $80
• Your bookmaker profit plus the converted boost is $280, before accounting for the lay bet. Including the returned $66.67 stake, the total is $346.67.

However, you shouldn't place a stake of exactly $66.67 at the bookmaker for sustainability reasons. Instead, round to $65, $60 or $70.

Common issues

Should I always bet the optimal stake amount?

Once rounded, yes. Betting less means you don't get the full max boost value. Betting more means the extra stake gets normal odds with no boost, which is usually poor value unless the odds themselves are generous.

What if the bookmaker offers unlimited boost (no max)?

Double check, they almost certainly do have a limit. Otherwise, there probably isn't much value to be had. Leave Max Boost blank. The calculator won't be able to suggest an optimal stake, but you can still use it to calculate profits at any stake amount. Generally, the higher you stake, the more value you extract, but you'll need more capital at the exchange to hedge.