So, you want to become a professional gambler? No worries, anything is possible, especially in the world of gambling.
However, being a professional gambler is not only games and fun. Be prepared to work hard, study harder and sometimes fail along the way. Skill and dedication will take you far but be prepared for one and another curveball.
In this text, our editor in chief at Casino Captain will teach you all there is to know about becoming a professional gambler, including pros and cons, and how to make a living while being one.
Table of Contents
Gambling as a Profession
If you are being serious about becoming a professional gambler you’ll first need to choose a game. When choosing you should keep in mind that most games where you actually can influence your own faith, won’t really be classified as gambling.
Gambling does essentially mean that you take a risk on a game of chance. And since the house always has an advantage in games like that, it means that you most likely will lose in the long run.
With that being said, we can establish that trying to become a professional gambler in a game of chance isn’t the best option. Despite that, you have probably heard people talking about winning on roulette and craps “thanks to their system”.
Well, don’t worry about systems, we can guarantee you that there is no point choosing a game based on luck. If you are aiming to make your living as a professional gambler you should choose a game of skill.
In addition to skill games there are a few other ways to earn your living from gambling, today many people profit on gambling in various ways. Keep reading below to find out what you need to know about gambling professionally.
Can You Make A Living From Gambling?
The short answer is; yes you can! The best and easiest way would obviously be to have luck, win a giant jackpot and never have to worry again. However, this isn’t a very safe strategy as it doesn’t tend to happen very often.
So, your option is to resort to games that you can effect with the help of your own skills. In this way, it is possible to make a living as a professional gambler. But be aware, not everyone is made for it and it’s a risky job with no guarantees.
Pros and Cons
Even though it may seem like professional gamblers are living a dream life not all that glitters is gold. Here are a few pros and cons you should be aware of before deciding to gamble professionally.
Pros:
- Spending your days doing something you enjoy
- Possibility to make really good money
- It’s exciting
- You will keep learning while playing
Cons:
- You risk losing more money than you can afford
- There is no guarantee you will make enough money
- You are risking to be blocked from sports bettings sites and casinos that see what you are doing
- Can be addictive
7 Ways to Make Money Gambling
To have any chance at all to succeed you will need to pick an area where you give your very best effort for a good period of time and never lose your focus. If you decide to pursue becoming a professional gambler there are quite a few alternatives to choose between. Take a look at your options below.
1. Professional Bettor
One of the options is to become a professional bettor. This is certainly not an easy task and you’ll need to be very up to date with what going on in the sport/sports you choose to bet on. There are different strategies to use when it comes to professional sports betting:
- Matched Bettor
- Value Bettor
- Arbitrager
- Sports Trader
Matched bettor
A matched bettor is someone who takes advantage of the free bets that sports betting sites use as an incentive to attract players. In short, it means a player will create accounts in more than one site and use the free bet on one site to place a bet, and bet on the opposite on another site.
If you want to become a matched bettor good advice is that you sign up on a matched betting site where you can get guidance and help.
Value Bettor
A value bettor is simply someone that know the sports better than the bookies. This way, you will spot odds that are in your favour and take advantage of them. However, being a professional gambler with a focus on this type of betting isn’t easy. You will need to dedicate a lot of time and effort into knowing all there is to know about a specific market.
Arbitrager
An arbitrager is someone who is involved in arbitrage betting. Arbitrage betting a term that describes how someone takes advantage of different odds on different sports betting sites.
Basically, it means you will need to find betting sites with different odds. For example, one site where the odds say that team A will win, and another site saying team B will win. If the difference is big enough you have a chance to earn money whatever the outcome is.
Sports Trader
Doing sports trading is kind of like trading stocks on the stock market. Here the goal is to find good odds on betting exchanges like Betfair.
For example, in normal sports betting sites, you would place a back bet. This means you are betting that something will happen. The sports betting site will bet against you in a so-called lay bet. On betting exchanges, the sports betting site will not place a lay bet against your back bet.
You or other players are betting against each other. This means that you can “buy and sell” bets to make a profit, before and while an event happens.
2. Poker Player
Playing poker professionally isn’t easy, but for many people, it is easier than most of the other options we have mentioned. Poker is probably the best option when it comes to playing games professionally. Especially since there is a wide range of different selections, a constant flow of players with less experience and big prize money to win.
Poker is a game of strategy that you can study and practice to become better. This means that the more you learn the greater the chances are for you to be able to play poker professionally.
Online poker is a great option for professional gamblers
Playing poker online or in big casinos in Las Vegas are two different things and many people may find it a lot easier to play online since they don’t need to worry about their poker faces.
The selection of tournaments online is great and it will be easier to find people at your skill level or lower while playing online.
3. Stream Online Casino Games
So here is a different kind of idea how you could make money by gambling, or gaming for that matter. The last few years players have started to live stream their game sessions while playing online This has become really popular amongst onlookers.
Streaming online casino games means that you will be using a video service like Youtube or Twitch to stream your casino sessions, and earn money while doing so. Who would watch me play casino games you think? Well, think again! Popular casino gamblers are earning good money with this strategy.
There are a few different ways to earn money from these services including advertising, subscriptions, donations, brand partnerships and affiliate programs.
4. Start a Gambling Blog
Another way to earn money which isn’t exactly gambling but related to it is through a gambling blog. It takes hard work and dedication but if you manage to get enough visitors and good affiliate deals with casinos and sports betting sites you could potentially have a gold mine in this idea. But be aware, the competition is ruthless and having knowledge about the gambling industry alone won’t be enough.
5. Card Counter
Dreaming about an elegant lifestyle in Las Vegas instead of the boring old full-time job? Card counting has certainly gotten a somewhat glamorous reputation, mainly thanks to the It is possible to make money from counting cards while playing blackjack. However, don’t expect to be able to count cards on any online casino, it doesn’t work. Card counting is not illegal but once you start winning big the casino you are playing on will certainly ban you.
6. Live Dealer
As a live dealer, you won’t be playing but the one leading the game. This is the safe side of the table where you will be paid to take part in the games during your work hours. Live dealer work reminds much of the croupier work in a casino and if you were to take this career path you would be leading games such as roulette, baccarat and blackjack.
7. Fantasy Sports Expert
You might be thinking: Can you really make a living from fantasy sports? The answer is yes you can. Although most players play fantasy sports for entertainment purpose this is considered a game of skill based on statistics. With enough knowledge, you could definitely have made a fair share of the money.
What’s the Next Step?
In order to succeed in becoming a professional gambler, there are a few steps you need to take. This includes picking a direction. Will it be poker, sports betting or something else? Either way, this is what you need to consider:
Understanding the Risks
First and foremost you’ll need to make sure you understand the risk that you are taking. Gambling always includes a risk of losing, and being a professional gambler does not change that. The risk may be smaller when you are good at what you do, but anything can happen and you will need to be prepared for that.
Sometimes it doesn’t matter if you have laid down hours and hours to set up a strategy, lightning may strike and you may end up on a losing streak.
Researching the Gambling Sphere
One thing that most professional gamblers have in common is that they do research. Our advice is for you to make sure that you get all the facts straight before you start gambling. Join forums to read and discuss with another gambler, read books on the subject, get on top of anything that could be useful. The more you know, the smaller the risks will be.
Making A Plan
A professional gambler that works with sports trading won’t just place random bets. To be successful make sure you have a plan, and follow it.
You should also have a backup plan regarding what you will do if you end up without an income for a long period of time. To have a good amount of savings, or a job on side of the gambling career may be something to consider.
Start Learning
None of the active professional gamblers today were experts from the beginning. Once you’ve done your research, studying what can be studied it is time to start practising. If you are looking to learn the best is often to take your collected knowledge and get out there. The more time you spend on your new profession, the better you will become.
Starting out Small
Don’t go all-in from start, it most likely won’t result in you making any money. Start slowly with a carefully considered budget and work your way up. Whether you choose to involve yourself in poker, betting or something else you’ll want to be careful not to lose a lot of money just because you throw yourself in it too hard.
Is E-sports Considered Gambling?
Well, playing e-sports is generally not considered as gambling. Although the last few years the interest in this sports area has grown and especially when it comes to betting on e-sports.
So even if you have a big interest in e-sports you can use it to your advantage when betting. You can even earn big chunks of real money by playing e-sport tournaments in teams.
Besides, streaming on Twitch and Youtube while playing e-sports could be an option just like streaming online poker or casino games.
Do You Still Want to Become a Professional Gambler?
Are you still considering professional gambling? Sure, why not! Many professional gamblers manage to win big money while gambling online or in real casinos. If you enjoy the game you play it won’t feel like a job and that is surely an added incentive. Just don’t forget to play it smart, luck might strike a time or two but in the long term you will need more than luck to succeed.
Last updated January 14th, 2021