Lay Bet Calculator
Enter your back bet and the exchange's lay odds to see the exact lay stake and liability needed to hedge it — and the resulting profit whichever way it settles.
Lay stake
£9.78
Liability
£25.42
If back wins
£-0.42
If lay wins
£-0.42
Lay stake and liability are what to place on the exchange to hedge the back bet above.
FAQs
- What is a lay bet?
- On a betting exchange, laying means betting against an outcome instead of for it — you're offering the bet rather than backing it. Matched betting uses a lay bet to hedge a bookmaker back bet, so the result is the same profit/loss whichever way it settles.
- Why is the lay stake different from the back stake?
- Because the lay odds are usually slightly different from the back odds, and the exchange charges commission on net winnings. The lay stake is calculated to exactly offset the back bet's potential return after accounting for both.
- What's the difference between this and the matched betting calculator?
- This tool hedges a normal cash back bet (the stake is returned if it wins). Use the matched betting calculator instead for free bets, where the stake itself is never returned — that needs a different formula.