
Coral's been around since 1926, so they're not exactly new to this. They're part of the Entain group (the same group that own Ladbrokes) and fully regulated by the UK Gambling Commission.
You'll find their betting shops on most high streets, but we're using the online version.
Your numbers
£5 Coral + £95 Smarkets
Not spent – it moves between your accounts and comes back when you finish
The rules
Coral's welcome bonus is worth around £18 on average. You put £5 into Coral and place one qualifying bet (costs roughly 25p). They give you 4 × £5 standard free bets, which we lock in on the exchange for guaranteed cash, plus 2 × £5 bet builder free bets that you place yourself. That average already blends the guaranteed cash with the typical value of the bet builders.
This is the first offer in the matched betting sequence, so you'll need to set up your Smarkets exchange account too. You need about £100 total across both accounts, but none of that money is spent. It just moves between your accounts to cover both sides of the bet.
It takes about 35 minutes of actual work, spread over a couple of days. Once Coral's done, your exchange balance is boosted and ready for the next offer. Each offer after this gets that little bit quicker. I found the second one took half the time of the first.
Get Smarkets ready
Every matched betting offer uses the Smarkets betting exchange to lock in your profit. Set it up once and you're ready for all of them.
When you place a bet on Coral, you also place an opposite bet on Smarkets to cancel it out. If Coral's bet wins, Smarkets needs to pay the difference, and the £95 is there to cover that worst case.
You won't lose this money. It just needs to be in your Smarkets account while the bet settles. After the match, the unused balance is yours again.
This unlocks your £30 in free bets. We'll match your bookmaker bet on the exchange so your qualifying loss stays small, usually 10-40p.
Use the finder below to get a low-loss match with the exact stakes for both bets.
Your free bets were credited when you placed your qualifying bet.
Once the free bets are visible in your bookmaker account, use the finder below before placing anything.
Use one free bet per selection.
You also receive 2x £5.00 bet builder free bets but we deal with those in later steps.
Use one free bet for this step.
Use one free bet for this step.
Use one free bet for this step.
You also have 2 x £5.00 bet builder free bets to convert before they expire – we'll walk you through those in the next step.
Finished? Tick off each step above to view and track your total profit.
Operated by LC International Limited, licensed by the UK Gambling Commission (account 54743).
18+. Gambling can be addictive. If you feel you may have a problem, visit BeGambleAware.org. Matched betting involves placing bets with real money. While the mathematical approach minimises risk, losses can occur if instructions are not followed exactly.