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No one likes a ‘know-it-all’, especially one that talks continuously about something weird called matched betting. No one can sympathise with this statement more than I. As the owner of a matched betting site, I eat, sleep, breathe and love matched betting – the question is, has matched betting caused me to lose friends?

Now, whilst my long working week does somewhat restrict me from seeing other human beings (let alone friends), I can still draw on experience from some rare ventures away from my bank of PC screens to answer the question posed in the title. Firstly, never open a conversation by shouting in a stranger’s face that ‘matched betting is the best thing since sliced bread!!’. This will, I’ve found, quickly alienate both individuals and crowds. That said, even a slightly softer approach doesn’t always aid in the quest for new friends. Gently explaining that you matched bet for a living is often met with concerned and empathetic looks, as those you’re talking to decide how best to approach your obvious gambling addiction. The irony being, of course, that matched betting is the antithesis of gambling – so much so that gamblers actually dislike matched betting because the outcome is pre-determined and there is no ‘buzz’.

Nevertheless, I will concede that when it comes to small talk at parties, I am normally on the back foot. It is often in these moments, as I see my friends faces fall when they realise that I am about to explain (yet again) why matched betting is not gambling, that I ponder why talking about what I do causes such a spike in social anxiety.

After all, money is money, the more you make the better things tend to be (well, up to a point). Why then is matched betting so unknown as a way of making money and, as a result, so stigmatised? I mean, I used to work in advertising – an industry that plagues the world with unwanted ads and manipulates people into buying things they don’t really need. Whereas matched betting carries no risk, and allows people to make a bit of extra money that can make all the difference in their lives. I mean, I certainly sleep better at night now!

The answer, most likely, is lack of understanding. Like all things, people will automatically become defensive regarding something they are unsure of or have never heard about. So, whilst this can make for some frosty conversations in public, it does still fill me with hope. The reason for that is that whilst my friend list may not be growing on Facebook, there are loads of people that are yet to try matched betting – which means matched betting is going to be around for a while yet. The problem is then, how do we spread the word…..because me trying to improve my lamentable social talks is clearly not the way forward.

Hopefully, explanatory “Guides to Matched Betting” like the one on MoneyMagpie, when combined with a lively comments section, will go some of the way to abating this misguided suspicion of matched betting.

Of course, if you are a matched bettor yourself, I do have some advice on how to talk about matched betting without losing friends! After many painstaking hours of research, the best way to tackle this problem is…….show them your profits. That is, save a screenshot of your profit figure on your Heads&Heads dashboard or your Betting Exchange balance. Then, simply flash this image triumphantly in front of those non-believers as you stride towards the bar to buy a round – courtesy of those matched betting profits. Suddenly your problems will change from losing friends to miraculously gaining the positive curiosity of all those within earshot.

Everyone loves someone who buys a round and everyone hates those who dodge said round. Matched betting helps you to be the former. So, you might find that, far from losing you friends, matched betting actually helps you gain friends! Quite the turnaround!

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