Early payout and 2UP offers explained

How early payout offers work

• The condition. A lead at any point in the match: a set number of points in AFL or NRL, two goals in soccer. Some racing versions pay on a position during the race or a margin to the favourite.
• The payout. Once the condition is met, the bet settles as a winner at your original odds, usually as cash rather than a bonus bet.
• The fine print. Usually pre match bets only, on a named market such as head to head, sometimes with a maximum stake. Cashing out normally removes the bet from the offer.

Which Australian bookmakers run them

bet365 has run early payout offers on AFL and NRL head to head markets, and early payout or 2UP style offers on soccer. Other licensed operators run similar specials on selected matches and race meetings, and the list changes with the season.

The threshold, eligible markets and stake limits are what decide whether an offer is worth doing, so read them on the bookmaker's own promotions page every time. Our bonus bets by bookmaker hub covers what each operator typically offers.

How matched bettors use early payout

Back the team at the bookmaker. Lay the same team on Betfair with the stake that balances both outcomes. Now:

• If the offer does not trigger, you take a small qualifying loss, the same as any covered bet.
• If it triggers and the team wins, nothing changes: still the small qualifying loss.
• If it triggers and the team then draws or loses, the bookmaker pays you as a winner and your lay wins. Both sides pay.

That last case is the whole point. You accept a small cost on most matches in exchange for an occasional large return, so the offers worth doing are the ones with a tight back to lay gap and a realistic chance of a lead changing hands.

Worked example (AFL)

You back a team for $100 at 2.50 at a bookmaker running an early payout offer. On Betfair you lay the same team at 2.56 with 6% commission. Lay stake: $100 x 2.50 / (2.56 minus 0.06) = $100.00. Liability: $156.00.

Three of the four outcomes cost $6. The fourth returns $244. How often that fourth row happens depends on the sport, the threshold and the matchup, which is why an offer with a low threshold in a close game is worth more than one with a high threshold in a mismatch. Plug in your own prices with the early payout calculator.

Once it triggers

When the payout triggers, your bookmaker bet is settled and the lay is the only position left open. You are now simply hoping the leading team does not win. You can leave it, or back the same team on Betfair at its new, shorter price to close part of the lay and lock in a smaller amount whatever happens. Either is fine; just decide which before the match, not in a panic during it.

Mistakes to avoid

• Wrong market. If the offer is on head to head and you bet the line, it does not apply.
• Laying a different market. Lay the same selection in the matching market. A draw is a loss for a head to head back bet, so check how a draw settles at the bookmaker.
• Cashing out. It usually voids the offer on that bet.
• Wrong commission. NRL is 10% on Betfair, most other sport 6%. See Betfair commission by state.
• Chasing every offer. A wide back to lay gap turns a small qualifying loss into a big one. Skip those.

Where to go next

New to laying? Read lay betting explained first. Early payouts are one offer type inside matched betting in Australia, every tool is on the calculators page and common questions are on the FAQ. The free five episode bootcamp works through real offers, and there is a 7 day free trial if you want to do it with the community. You must be 18 or over.

Frequently asked questions