1. Sports Betting Glossary There are many words and phrases used in sports betting that may not make sense until you understand what they mean. To help you with that, we have compiled the following glossary of sports betting terms.
2. The following is a Glossary of Gambling Terms for: NFL betting, College Football betting, NCAA Football betting, Baseball Betting, MMA Betting, UFC betting, Boxing wagering, NHL betting, NBA betting, NCAA Basketball betting, College Basketball Betting and other major sports.

• Sports Betting Terms Odds
• Glossary Of Sports Betting Terms
• Sports Betting Terms

The following is a Glossary of Gambling Terms for: NFL betting, College Football betting, NCAA Football betting, Baseball Betting, MMA Betting, UFC betting, Boxing wagering, NHL betting, NBA betting, NCAA Basketball betting, College Basketball Betting and other major sports. Sports betting terms & glossary Accel Entertainment recently launched our new sports betting platform, AE.Bet. Since we're now embarking into this exciting new world, we thought it'd be a good idea to help educate our players with a glossary of common sports betting terms you may discover. Sports Betting Terms & Glossary Action – A wager of any kind. Added Game – A game that is not part of the regular Las Vegas rotation. Oftentimes this will be a rescheduled game or the second game of a doubleheader.

Slang used in the United Kingdom to describe the betting tax. This is sometimes also referred to as beeswax.

A mistake by sportsbooks which allows you to wager on every single outcome in a sport or event and make a profit.

A type of spread bet where a half point is added to the line because the chance of a draw is high in that particular sport.

When you support a particular team by placing a wager on them, you back them to win. This can also be called backing.

Losing on a bet that was all but a certainty is considered a bad beat.

A slang term used when a bet is expected by everyone to be a winner.

The amount of cash that a person has set aside for sports betting is known as their bankroll.

A person who places bets for another person who doesn’t want to be associated with sports betting.

A cash wager on the outcome of a particular event.

A person who places a bet on sports. Also referred to as a punter in some parts of the world.

A marketplace where people and bookmakers can retrieve odds on various sports and events in order to lay bets or make a wager.

A company or person that is licensed by the country or state they operate in to accept wagers on sports. Sometimes also called a bookie. This is a term used in the United Kingdom and Australia. In the United States, it’s called a sportsbook.

A $100 bet.

The favorite is known as chalk. A chalk player is a bettor who always just bets on the favorite.

A selection of the first and second teams or people to finish that way in any order. This is also called a quinella.

Sometimes wagering limits are lowered due to extenuating circumstances. The game is then known as a circle game when this happens.

The final line that a sportsbook has before betting is closed due to the game starting.

An amount of cash that is giving to you by a bookmaker to make bets. If you win you’ll just receive the winnings if you lose you’ll have to pay back the original bet.

If a result ends up as a draw and that result was not available to be wagered on initially, then there will be a rule in place to pay out winnings at a certain rate. This can vary between sportsbooks.

The total payout for a winning bet is known as a dividend. This dividend includes the amount won and the initial bet.

A $1000 bet.

The underdog in a sporting game or event, that is the team or person that is not likely to win.

In this type of bet, you receive your money back if the game ends in a draw. It’s a popular bet in soccer because so many games end in a draw in that sport

Covering a number of competitors in an event while ensuring you’ll be in profit if any of them win.

Sports Betting Terms Odds

Another type of a spread bet, however, only total points are used. So the bet can result in a push if the handicap pushes the loser up or down to equal points of the winner.

A bet which pays out at 1 to 1 is known as even money.

A bet on the first two places in a sport or event in the correct order.

A complete list of all competitors in a particular sporting event. Usually, this will be associated with golf, horse racing, snow sports, and athletics.

In this bet type, the odds are fixed and won’t change after the bet has taken place. You’ll know exactly what your payout is based on the amount you wagered and the fixed odds at that particular time.

A change of the odds listed on a tote board.

The number of outcomes contained within a parlay bet.

A record of a participant’s recent results in sporting events.

A wager placed on a long term result such as who will win the super bowl before the season starts. This is also known as an ante-post bet.

Slang for $1000.

A wager made at half time in a sport. The odds will be updated to reflect the game situation and how teams or people are performing.

A bet in soccer where you win if your team wins or the game is a draw.

A disadvantage or advantage for a team, this is used in spread and line bets.

Making separate bets which are in favor of the outcome against your main bet to provide you with some insurance if your main bet fails. In general, hedging your bets is not a good idea unless you have a lot of money on the line in a futures bet, or something similar.

A term to describe an outcome that is odds on favorite to happen and result in a win for those that have wagered on it.

This is slang used by bookmakers for the favorite.

The interest charged by illegal bookmakers on money that is owed to them by gamblers. Also sometimes refer to the extra amount you have to bet in a wager. When you bet 110 to win 100 some players call the extra 10 juice.

This is a bet on an outcome not occurring in a sporting event. You could lay a bet that a team won’t win a game throughout the season, so you’re backing all the other teams that will compete against them. Confusingly, lay can also refer to the act of putting the bet on something, you lay the bet in favor of an outcome occurring.

A bet made by a bookmaker with another bookmaker to reduce the risk of the bets he or she has sold.

When a team or person’s odds increase, they have lengthened. This means people have stopped wagering as much on them. This is sometimes also referred to as odds drifting.

The collection of odds that sports books are offering on games.

A wager on a sport or event that has already commenced is known as a live bet. It can also be referred to as an in-play bet, or an in the run bet.

A certain winner is known as a lock.

An outcome that is considered unlikely to happen, and as such, the payout will be much higher if it does. This is associated with the term long odds also.

In this wager, you select how much one team will beat another team by. You can either choose above or below a certain amount, ranges, or a specific amount.

A person who is bad luck and shouldn’t be associated with while betting.

A $500 bet is known as a nickel bet.

A sport or event that a sportsbook is not accepting bets on.

In this wager, you make a bet on whether the total score of two teams combined will be over or under a certain pre-determined amount.

A bet on multiple outcomes in different sports or games that occur in chronological order. Each bet leads into the next one, provided it’s a winning bet. If one bet loses, then the whole parlay is over and loses. This gives you the opportunity to link up many bets and keep rolling them into each other so as to get a larger payout if you pick everything correctly. This is also referred to as multi-bet, accumulator, or all up bet.

In this type of betting all wagers placed on a particular sport or event are placed in a large pool. The house or sportsbook will remove a percentage of the pool as their take and the rest remains to be shared by those who end up winning. The odds in this form of betting aren’t fixed and will fluctuate depending on how people are making wagers. This is also referred to as tote or totalisator betting in some parts of the world.

A bet on someone or something in sport finishing in the top 3, or sometimes the top 4 depending on the sportsbook.

This is a bet type which is focussed on an outcome in sport, other than who wins and who loses. It’s also known as an exotic bet as the types that are available are numerous and seem to get stranger and stranger. You can bet on first goal scorers, player statistics, who’s winning at half time, and much more.

A slang term for a person that gambles. This is most commonly used in Australia and the United Kingdom. In the United States, the term bettor is used.

Another term that is used to describe a tie or draw, and also to describe a situation where no money changes hands.

The amount you win on a bet is the return.

Someone who bets on the same sport or event with different sportsbooks to try and turn a profit no matter what the result is.

The opposite of lengthened, when odds shorten it means the outcome is now popular amongst those wagering on the event or sport.

Sports betting is the act of making a wager on a particular outcome in a sport in order to make money.

A company that operates sports betting as they’re licensed by the state or country to do so. These can be both bricks and mortars establishments as a stand-alone premise, or in a casino, and they can also be online. Many sportsbooks are now a mix of both, they have online betting and store fronts or space in casinos to make bets too. There are also Online Casino Sportsbooks where you can play games and place bets on sports.

In a spread bet each team or outcome receives either an advantage or disadvantage to their score in order to even the game up and provide similar odds for both outcomes. In a game where two teams play each other, the favorite will have to win by more than a certain amount, and if they don’t a bet on the other team will be a winner, even though the team lost. This bet is also commonly called a line bet, although in that circumstance the line is fixed by the sports book. You can also change the spread to whatever you like at some books, and the odds will change with it.

When you make a wager on a single outcome occurring in sport, it’s known as a single bet.

Betting methodologies that use complex mathematics and formulas to determine how to bet on a range of outcomes in order to be profitable in the long run. Although it’s possible to be successful doing this, it’s also very difficult.

A wager on a winner and that’s all.

A sportsbook profit margin that they make off players after all winning bets are paid out. This is determined by how they set the odds in the first place and how much action they can generate on each side of a bet.

A multi-bet where the spreads are altered to be in your favor in every game.

Advice or selections on who or what will win or do well in a sport or event.

A wager on the total score of the two teams or all competitors combined. Generally, you’ll choose a total range which will give you a higher chance of winning at lower odds. If you choose an exact amount on the total bet the payout will be much higher.

A system of betting where a pool is generated and odds are determined by popularity. The house will take a percentage out of the pool and the rest is set aside to pay out winners as per how much has been wagered and what the resultant odds are for all possible outcomes. The term tote is short for totalizator.

A wager made on the top three in an event. These must be picked in correct order for the bet to be a winner. You can also put on a box trifecta bet, in this bet, the order of the top three doesn’t matter.

A team, person, or thing that is unlikely to win and has long odds. This is also known as just a dog.

When you don’t pay off a gambling debt, it’s a welch.

• Find more Sports Betting Terms and slang definitions at DonBest.com

Like many other industries, the sports betting world has its own jargon and many terms, lingo can be confusing. Our Sports Betting 101 Glossary provides a quick and simple definition of often-used terms that you may read on VegasInsider.com or hear at your local sportsbook.

Sports Betting Resources and Terms

Action: Any bet.

Added Game: A matchup that is not part of the daily betting rotation. 'Added Games' are often make-up or rescheduled games that were expected to be played on a previous date. In pro baseball, it's likely Game 2 of an unscheduled double-header from a rainout.

Alternate lines: Some sportsbooks may offer different (or alternate) point spreads that pay different odds for the same game. These provide bettors more options to wager on certain games.

ATS: Against the spread

Arbitrage: Savvy bettors who try to scalp the market by playing both sides of a particular matchup, with hopes of cashing a middle. The hope is to guarantee getting money back regardless of the outcome.

Bankroll: The total amount of money a bettor can spend on a betting app.

Beard: Messenger bettor, used at brick and mortar casinos and sportsbooks if the real bettor wishes to remain anonymous.

Beef: Dispute

Betting Trends: Stats that show the total amount of money wagered on a game

Buck: $100

Buying Points: Paying additional money to move the point-spread in a direction of your preference. Often used in football, bettors will buy 'on' or 'off' key numbers to avoid losing by a point or two.

Chalk: Favorite in a game by a large margin

Chalk Eater:Bettor who is known for betting on the favorites consistently

Churn: The effect of betting and rebetting money, similar to Arbitrage

Circle Game: Game where action is limited due to uncertainties about weather, injuries, etc

Cover: Win by more than the point-spread

Dime: $1,000

Dollar: $100

Dog: Abbreviation for Underdog, team expected to lose the game

Draw: A tie, used often in Soccer and sometimes in Boxing or Mixed Martial Arts

Earn: Practical hold percentage

Edge: Advantage

Even Money: When a selection has no juice or vig involved. A $100 wager will win $100, while normal wagers would make bettors lay $110 to win $100.

Exotic Bet: Action other than a straight bet or parlay, often unusual bets you won't see in many places. Can be listed under prop bets in sportsbooks.

Exposure: The amount of money the house actually stands to lose on a game or a race.

Extension: The amount of money the house theoretically will risk losing on a game or a race.

Favorite: The team in a sports betting matchup that is expected to win. In football and basketball, the favorite gives points while in moneyline sports, the favorite has to lay a higher price in order to cash a ticket.

Figure: Amount owed by or to a bookmaker

Firing: Betting a lot. A player who is 'firing' is wagering large sums

Fractional Odds: Not used commonly in the United States. These are odds used mainly in Europe. Odds are listed in fraction form (1/10) instead of as a moneyline (-100).

Futures: Wagers where bettors can invest in the future outcome of a team to win a particular event, even if it isn't in the near future. Example – bettors often choose a team to win the World Series or Super Bowl and receive higher payouts based on the numbers from the oddsmakers depending on how far out the event is.

Grand Salami: A popular NHL wager where bettors handicap the total number of goals scored in all games for one day. Some sportsbooks may offer alternate versions for home, away, or periods of games during the day. Some sportsbooks may offer a similar bet for runs in Major League Baseball but this is mostly used in hockey.

Gross Win: Win before expenses

Handicapper: One who studies sports and predicts outcomes of teams and players.

Handle: Total amount of bets taken

Hedge: Bet the opposite of your original wager in order to reduce the amount of action you have on a game

Hold: The percentage the house wins

Hook: Half point in point-spreads, as in 'lost by the hook'

Home Field Advantage: Edge the home team is expected to have as a result of familiarity with the playing area, favorable demographics and effect of travel on the visiting team

Hoops: Basketball

Hot Tip: Information the bookmaker is not yet privy to

In-Game Wagering: The ability to bet on a sporting event after the game has already started and until it concludes.Also known as live betting.

juice: Bookmaker's commission, most often refers to the 11 to 10 football bettors lay on straight wagers; vigorish

Key Numbers: Most often heard in pro football, the key numbers are the most common margins of the final outcome. The key numbers in the NFL are 3, 7 and 10 points.

Layoff Bet: A wager made by one bookmaker with another to help balance his action and reduce his potential risk or losses

Limit: Bet the opposite of your original wager in order to reduce the amount of action you have on a game

Line: The betting proposition on a game and/or payoff odds on the bet

Live Betting: See In-Game Wagering. Becoming more popular as most betting apps seem to have this feature now.

Lock: An easy betting win.

Long Shot: Large underdog

L3, L5, L10: Last Three, Last Five, Last 10

Marker: Credit offered at Casinos.

Moneyline: Used often in sports like baseball, hockey and soccer -- these odds are set on the straight up winner of the matchup. There is no point-spread with moneylines. Just pick the winner!

Middle: To win both sides of a game. For example, if you bet the underdog +3 1/2 and the favorite - 2 1/2 and the favorite wins by 3, you've MIDDLED the book. The book has BEEN MIDDLED.

Neutral Site: Arena, court or field where neither side has a home field advantage. For example the Super Bowl most years.

Nickel: $500

Odds: Numbers used to determine the favorite and underdog of a sporting match. Unless the game is a pick 'em, there is always a favorite or underdog.

O/U: Over/Under

Off the Board: Game where bets are no longer being accepted. This often happens when there is unknown about a key player's injury status.

Overlay: When the odds on a proposition are in favor of the bettor rather than the house

Parlay: A bet with two or more teams where all the teams must win for the bettor to be successful. The more events in a parlay, the more money there is to cash in on but the harder it becomes to win the wager.

Past Post: To make a bet after an event has started

Pick or Pick'em: A game where neither team is favored

Point-Spread: A number or line set by oddsmakers to provide an advantage or disadvantage based on the margin of victory or defeat for the teams in the matchup. There is always a favorite (-) and an underdog (+). The most popular type of betting in the United States, mainly used in both football and basketball.

Practical Hold Percentage: The amount won by a bookmaker divided by the total amount booked

Press: To bet a larger amount than usual

Public Dog: When betting trends lean heavily to an underdog

Public Trends: Betting Percentages showing money and ticket count for games

Puppy: Underdog

Push: Tie. The bettor doesn't win or lose money, almost as if the bet didn't happen (Parlays not included).

(ROI): Return on Investment.The amount of money you win on a wager, or your return on your investment or stake.

Reverse-Line Movement: When a line (point-spread) moves in the opposite direction of the betting percentages. Some pundits believe you can follow sharp money with reverse-line movement, especially when the trends and lines differ drastically.

Round Robin: A series of parlays. A three-team round robin consists of one three-team parlay and three two-team parlays

Rundown: Line update

Run-Line: A popular pro baseball wager where the favorite (-1.5) must win by two plus runs to win or the underdog (+1.5) must win or lose by less than two runs to win.

Runner: See Beard

Score: To win a lot of money

Scratch: Withdraw or cancel

Sharp bettors: Money wagered by bettors be that a sportsbook operator respects. Sharp money often comes from large wagers placed by professional bettors. It should be noted that not all large wagers are considered Sharp.

Side: To win one side and tie the other. For example, if you lay -2 1/2 and take 3 on the same game and the favorite wins by 3 you have SIDED the book. The book has been SIDED

Steam: When the odds change because of the money wagered on a game or participant is primarily one-sided for a team. Some bettors will chase the steam thinking the other bettors know something they may not but instead they are just mostly all following the trend.

Glossary Of Sports Betting Terms

Straight Bet: A bet on just one team

Sucker Bet: Bet with a large house edge

Sports Betting Terms

system: When bettors and handicappers develop angles based on historical or seasonal stats.

Take a Price: Bet the underdog, take the points

Tapped Out: Broke, busted, common result of pressing

Teaser: A wager used in football and basketball that allows bettors to combine two or more selections together while adjusting the points on those selections.

Tissue Price: The initial odds offered by the sportsbook. This price is usually considered a much fairer deal for the bettor.

Toke: A tip or gratuity

Toss Up: Game where the line is close to a pick-em and either side is expected to win.

Tout Service: A business that sells opinions on sporting events

Trend: Daily, Weekly and Seasonal angles that bettors and handicappers often follow or fade in their wagers.

Triple Sharp: The sharpest of the sharp, (Note: There is no such term as 'Double Sharp')

Unit/s:Amount bet on a game.

Wager: A bet

Win Totals: A future wager that allows bettors to handicap the number of victories and losses of a team during the course of a regular season.

Underdog: The team in a sports betting matchup that is not expected to win. In football and basketball, the underdog receives points while in moneyline sports, the 'dog can net a positive return if it wins.

Underlay: When the odds on a proposition are in favor of the house

Value: An overlay

Wire-to-Wire Commonly seen in the NBA, a bet where a team will lead after every quarter for the entire game.