Matched betting records: spreadsheet or app?

Why keep a record at all?

• To know your real profit. Bank balances move between bookmakers and exchanges constantly; only a record tells you what you've actually made.
• To catch mistakes. A wrong lay stake, a lay on the wrong selection or a bet that never matched shows up as a result that doesn't add up.
• To track what's outstanding. Unused free bets, refunds you're owed and bets that haven't settled.
• To see which offers are worth your time once you've done a few dozen.

What to record for each bet

Field	Example	Why
Date and event	Arsenal v Chelsea, 15:00	Find the bet later; know when it settles
Bet type	Qualifying / SNR / SR / refund	Changes the lay and what counts as profit
Bookmaker, stake, odds	£10 at 3.0	The back side
Exchange and commission	2%	Commission changes every result
Each lay fill: stake and odds	£5.00 at 3.05, £4.82 at 3.1	Partial matches have different liability
Liability	£20.37	Money tied up until it settles
Expected result	−£0.37 / −£0.38	Check against what actually happens
Settled outcome	Back won / lay won / void	Turns an estimate into a real number
Settled profit (cash)	−£0.37	The only number that goes in your total
Promotion earned	£10 SNR free bet	Tracked separately, never as cash

Counting profit honestly

The most common record-keeping mistake is counting a free bet as money. A £10 SNR free bet is worth around £7 to £8 once laid, and nothing if it expires. Keep three things apart:

• Settled cash — bets that have finished, at the amounts actually paid. This is your profit.
• Open bets — placed but not settled. Show the expected result, but don't add it in yet.
• Promotions — free bets and refunds you hold. Note them, and add them to profit only when you've used them and that bet has settled.

Also record what actually happened, not what the calculator said. If a lay matched at a different price, or a bookmaker voided a leg, the settled numbers will differ — and that difference is exactly what a record is for.

Spreadsheet vs app

	Spreadsheet	Matched Bets app
Cost	Free	Free
Lay stake maths	Formulas you build and check	Built in, every bet type
Partial lays at different odds	Extra columns per fill	Add each fill; remaining lay calculated
Settling a bet	Type the result and fix the formula	Back won, lay won, void or exact amounts
Free bets kept apart from cash	If you design it that way	Always
On your phone, at the bookmaker	Awkward	Yes, offline
Custom columns and charts	Anything you like	Built-in insights; CSV export for the rest
Privacy	Wherever you store the file	On your device; optional Face ID lock

A spreadsheet suits you if you enjoy building formulas, want custom analysis, and bet mainly from a computer. An app suits you if you place bets on your phone and want the calculation and the record to be the same step. Many people do both: record in the app, export CSV to a spreadsheet for their own analysis.

Habits that keep a record accurate

• Record the bet as soon as both sides are placed, not at the end of the day.
• Record each lay fill separately, at the odds it actually matched.
• Settle bets as results come in, and check open bets weekly.
• Compare your settled total with your account balances now and then; a gap means something's missing.
• Keep a backup. In Matched Bets, export a full backup from Settings; CSV is for spreadsheets.

Is matched betting profit taxable?

In the UK, gambling winnings are generally not subject to Income Tax or Capital Gains Tax for individuals. A record is still worth keeping for your own finances, for example if a lender asks about frequent gambling transactions on your bank statement. This is general information, not tax advice.

Start recording in the Matched Bets app, or work out your next lay in the free calculator.