Sports Betting Terms

Understanding the Sports betting terms will help a bettor towards making an informed decision on any SportsBook, and it will also save bookies the stress of having players complain over bet settlement.

Below are a few Betting terms used by bookies in Nigeria, Africa, Europe, the US, and Canada.

Action – A bet or wager.
All Out – A horse or contestant trying their best.
All Weather – Sports played on all-weather surfaces, usually artificial.
Also Ran – Applies to racing where a horse or contestant finishes but doesn’t win or place.
Ante Post – Odds and prices are given on an event in advance of the commencement, usually months and weeks but at least 24 hours in advance.
American Odds – Referred to as US odds, this is an odds style displaying the amount that would be won if betting 100, if positive odds, or the stake required to win 100 when negative, e.g. evens (2.0) would be 100, 1/2 (1.5) would be -200.
Apprentice – A young contestant, generally a young Jockey.
ATC – Short for any-to-come, a conditional bet.
At The Post – Term used when horses or dogs are ready at the start of the race, the race will begin imminently.
Against the spread – The result of a game including the point spread.
Arbitrage – The simultaneous purchase and sale of the same game in different markets to profit from unequal prices.

Bad Beat – A bet that looks like the bettor is going to win but doesn’t.
Back – Wager an amount of money on a contestant or an event.
Banker – A bet or selection that is felt to be extremely likely to win.
Best Price – The odds that give you the best value on a horse, contestant, team, or event.
Betbuilder – A special market feature that allows different market options on a single bet.
Bet Receipt – A copy of your bet slip with a unique tracking number, this can be used if a bet is contested.
Bet Slip – The form or slip where you write your bets or if online the box in which your bet selections appear.
Betting in Play (BIP) – See live betting
Betting in Running (BIR) – See live betting.
Betmaker – Same as BetBuilder
Blinkers – Headgear fitted to horses to reduce the peripheral vision field, usually to prevent the animal being distracted.
Board Price – A term for the prices listed on the bookmakers’ board, usually at a horse race or dog race track.
Book – The total amount of money from all punters wagered on a specific event, selection or contestant.
Book – The size of a market offered by a bookmaker – all of the sports markets offered by a bookie.
Bookmaker – A company or an individual licensed to create betting lines and take wagers.
Bookie – Short term used for bookmaker
Bumpers – Also known as national hunt flat races a run under national hunt rules.
Buy Price – The price at which you buy your bet from an index bookmaker in spread betting. Opposite to sell price.
Buck – A $100 bet.

Cash-back – This is the percentage of the stake returned to a bettor by the bookie.
Chalk – The favorite in a game.
Century – 100, usually used to refer to £100 but may be used to refer to 100 of anything, such as 100 runs in cricket.
Chase – Chase or Chasing is where you place bets to recover losses, usually, on markets, you would not usually bet on.
Classics – One of the 5 classic UK flat horse races. The 1000 and 2000 guineas, Oaks States, Epsom Derby, and St Leger.
Co-favourite – A situation where one or more selection(s) or competitor(s) have the same odds.
Colours – The colour of the silks worn by a Jockey, determined by the owner of the horse.
Colt – A male horse under the age of 5, over 5 a horse is termed a stallion.
Course Specialist – A horse, contestant or selection that is known to perform well at a particular track.
Cover – Referred to as covering the spread, this is the number if points needed to beat the spread.

Dam – Mother of horse
Dead Heat – An event where two or more selections draw or tie in an event.
Decimal Odds – Odds displayed in decimal format, the most betting format in Nigeria
Dividend – A winning return from pool betting, payouts in the tote are referred to as dividends.
Dime – A $1,000 bet.
Double Up – This is the process of doubling a stake on a subsequent bet when a first bet loses.
Dollar – A $100 bet.
Draw – A tie in an event.
Draw – Fixtures in an event or round
Draw– The starting position, e.g. the order of horses in a stall.
Drift – The process of odds moving outwards (increasing) before the start of an event.

Early Price – Odds offered in advance, in horse racing this will be prices offered before those at the race course.
Edge – The advantage a bettor has before a bet is placed.
Evens – A bet with odds of 1/1 (2.0). You will receive the same amount as your stake in winnings.
Exchange Betting – A form of peer-peer betting.
Extra Time – A period added on to the end of a game, match or event when the event is tied and an absolute winner is required.

Favorite – A team favored to win a game. They usually have the higher odds.
Fillie – Name given to a female horse under the age of 5.
First Past the Post (FPP) – The first to pass the finish line, usually used in racing.
Fixed Odds – Odds that have a fixed price defined by the bookmaker.
Flat Races – Horse races on flat terrain.
Foal – A young horse that can be up to 1 year old.
Form – A process where previous records and performances are used to give an idea of a competitor’s chances.
Fractional Odds – Odds written as a fraction, the most common betting format in the UK.
Freebet – A bonus expected to be used one time.
Full Cover – A bet type where all possible multiple bets are included.
Full Cover with Singles – As a full cover bet with all individual singles.
Full Time – The end of a standard length game or match, used commonly in football to define 90 minutes.
Futures – Bets common in the US where prices are offered in advance of an event, similar to ante post.

Gelding – A male horse that has been castrated.
Going – The condition of the ground from hard to really muddy, termed soft.
Going Down – Horses making their way to the starting post.
Going In – Horses or dogs going into their stalls to start the race.
Going to Post – See going down.
Grand – Term used to refer to £1000.
Guineas – Term used to refer to the 2 classics flat races run at Newmarket, the 1000 Guineas and 2000 Guineas.

Half Time – An interval at the half way point in a game/event/contest of standard length.
Handle – The total amount of money wagered on a game.
Handicap Betting – System of virtually adding or removing points from a predicted outcome to make a one-sided event more attractive to a punter.
Handicap Races – A race in which horses carry weights, better horses carry more weight to even out the field.
Head – Referring to the head of a horse, “beaten by a head”.
Held Up – The process of a horse or dog being restrained behind other animals in the early phases of a race.
Hedging – Betting on two opposite outcomes of a bet, usually with different bookmakers, each offering favourable odds to either guarantee winnings or cut losses.
Heinz – A full cover bet on 6 selections consisting of 57 bets (15x double, 20xtreble, 15x 4-fold, 6x 5-fold and 1x 6-fold).
Home Advantage – When a team or contestant are competing at their home stadium/track or in their home town.
Holding Your Own – Neither winning or losing, generally breaking even.
Hook – A half-point in the spread
House – The bookie, casino, gaming institution e.g. “the house always wins”
Hunter Chase – A race for hunting horses.
Hurdle – A type of fence in national hunt racing that are at least 3 and ½ feet in height.

IBAS – The Independent Betting Adjudication Service. A service that deals with disputes that cannot be resolved between punter and bookie.
Injury Time – An additional amount of time at the end of a period within a game added on in lieu of time lost for injuries, substitutions and other stoppages.
In Play – An event that has already started, also termed in running, this may refer to a form of live betting.
Index Betting – See Spread Betting.

Jack – slang for £5
Jackpot – The top prize for a game or competition, usually enhanced.
Joint Favourite – If two or more selections have the lowest odds price.
Jolly – The favourite, usually referring to a horse race
Juice – Commission taken/won by a bookmaker or index.

Kite – Slang term for a cheque.

Lay – Betting against a certain outcome, usually peer-peer exchange betting.
Layer – Person or bookmaker providing the bet, the odds layer.
Length – Usually referring to the length of a horse or dog, e.g. “beaten by a length”.
Line – A single bet
Limit – The maximum allowed wager on a single bet.
Lock – A large favorite.
Long Odds – High odds value, e.g. 100/1.
Long Shot – A selection with high odds that is unlikely to win, also known as an outsider.
Lucky 15 / 31 / 63 – A form of full cover betting with singles on 4, 5 or 6 selections with all possible multiple combinations covered. Invented by Fred Done.

Maiden – In Cricket an over bowled without runs score or in horse racing a horse that is yet to win
Mare – Five-year-old or more female horses.
Martingale – A system of betting based on doubling your bet each time until you win.
Match – A game of defined length with 2 or more contestants or teams.
Match Betting – A bet on the outcome of a match
MLB – Major League Baseball (USA).
MLS – Major League Soccer (USA).
Monkey – Slang for £500.
Moneyline bet – A bet made if a team will win or lose outright with no point spread.
Multiple – Bets involving more than one selection, doubles, trebles, etc.
Nailed On – Bet that is considered a certainty to win.
Nap – A term used by tipsters and journalists to indicate their strongest selection, thought to stand for Napoleon.
NBA – National Basketball Association (USA).
NCAA – National Collegiate Athletic Association (USA).
Neves – Best bet of the day.
NFC – National Football Conference (USA).
NFL – National Football league (USA).
NHL – National Hockey League (USA).
No Action – A game that is no longer taking bets and all wagers are refunded.
Non-Runner – Selection that is withdrawn prior to a race or event.
Normal Time – The conventional length of an event, e.g. 90 minutes in football.
Not Under Orders – Any runner deemed that withdraws prior to the starter’s signal is deemed to have not come under orders.
Novice Race – In horse racing this refers to a race in which no horse has won a hurdle or chase previously.
Number Spread – A spread betting term based on the number of points, runs, etc scored in a match/event.
Nursery Race – All horses under two years old.

Oaks – Classic flat horse race, one of five held for 3-year-old fillies.
Objection – Contestant or owner objection to the conduct or result during a race or event, often followed by an investigation/inquiry.
Odds – Returns offered by a bookmaker relative to stake for a given scenario.
Odds Against – Odds higher than evens (2.0 / +100).
Odds Compiler – Also known as odds setter or odds trader, employee of a bookmaker who’s job is to set the odds.
Odds On – Odds lower than evens (2.0 / +100).
Off – The point at which a race begins.
Off the Board – Term (usually USA) given to a selection of 100/1+.
Off the Bit – Term used when a horse needs urging on.
Off the Top – The commission taken by a bookmaker, often used in pari-mutuel betting.
Off Track – Bets taken away from the track, also known as off course.
Official Result – The result on which bets are settled.
On the Nose – Back a selection to win only.
On the Bit – A horse that performs without encouragement from the jockey.
One Paced – A selection that runs or competes at one pace and cannot produce extra.
Outsider – Selection judged unlikely to win with high odds to match, generally over 10/1, see Rag.
Over – Betting for a score ‘over’ a predefined amount. In cricket referring to 6 balls bowed by a bowler.
Overbroke – Scenario where a book pays out more than it takes in in stakes.
Overlay – Selection that is deemed to have odds higher than its real chances.
Over Round – Another term for the profit a bookmaker builds into an odds price.
Oddsmaker (Linemaker) – Someone who sets the opening line on a game.
Over – The combined score of two teams is more than what the sportsbook set.

Pace – Speed at which a race or portion of race is run.
Paddock – The section of a racecourse where horses are paraded before a race.
Parlay – American term for an accumulator with 2 or more selections.
Pari-mutuel – Peer-to-peer bet type where stakes are pooled and winnings relative to the pool size.
Patent – A full cover bet of three selections and 4 lines, consisting of 3 doubles and 1 treble.
Permutations – All possible outcomes or bets possible on a given result/event or series of results/events.
Photo Finish – Method of determining victory if it is too close to see by eye.
Picks – Terms for individual selections.
Pitch – Refers to the ground on which sport is played, a bookmaker’s position at a course, or a throw in baseball from a pitcher.
Place – Positions in addition to the win paid out when place or each way betting.
Place Terms – The number of places allocated and the odds given relative to a win, e.g. 4 places at 1/5th the odds.
Placepot – A type of pari-mutuel bet.
Point Spread – The different between two contestants or the whole field.
Pool – The cumulative monetary amount of the number of bets in the pot when pari-mutuel betting.
Pony – Term used for £25.
Postponed – Contest or event that is cancelled and rescheduled at a different time or date.
Price – See Odds.
Punter – UK term for a bettor or someone who places a bet.
Pick’em – A game with no favorite or underdog.
Puckline – Hockey has a point spread of -1.5 for the favorite and +1.5 for the underdog.
Proposition bets (prop) – A bet on anything that is not directly tied to the outcome of the game. For example, it can be the first team or the first player to score in a game.
Push – When neither team covers the spread (the actual margin of victory lands exactly on the spread), no one wins the bet and all wagers are refunded.

Quinella – A US term for a forecast bet that predicts the horses that will finish 1st and 2nd.

Rag – Slang term used for an outsider.
Re-run – Race re-taken for technical reasons.
Related Bets – A situation where bets are contingent and so cannot be placed as independent events in a multiple bet.
Return – The amount you can expect back from a winning bet.
Reverse Forecast – A forecast bet predicting a minimum of 1st and 2nd place where either selection can finish in either place to win.
Ringer – A runner or contestant that is seen as significantly better than the rest of the field. Often brought in as a replacement.
Round Robin – Conditional bet type consisting of 10 bets: 1 treble, 3 doubles and 3 up and down bets (2 lines each up and down bet).
Rounder – A conditional bet with 3 selections: 3 singles and 3 any-to-come bets.
Roundabout – Same as rounder with double stakes on the any-to-come bets.
Roug – Slang for 4/1.
Run In – Distance from the final corner/turn to the finish line/post.
Runner – Contestant or selection or someone who places bets for someone else.
Rule 4 – Industry agreed deduction strategy for bets placed prior to a non-runner or void selection.
Runline – Baseball has a point spread of -1.5 for the favorite and +1.5 for the underdog.

Scout – Someone who waits for the best price or someone who works for a bookie to spot other bookies best prices.
Score – Slang term for £20. In the US this can be a term that means to win a race.
Scratch – US term for the withdrawal of a competitor.
Selections – The competitor(s) predicted to win in your bet.
Selling Race – The winner must be offered for sale at auction.
Settler – Bookmaker expert who calculates payouts.
Sharp (Wiseguy) – A professional sports bettor.
Shortening the Odds – Bookmakers decision to lower the odds price for an event due to heavy wagers or other factors.
Shoulder – Slang for 7/4.
Show – US terms for 3rd place and UK term for an odds list.
Shut Out – Too late to place a bet, book is closed.
Single – The simplest form of a bet, one line that can generally either win or lose.
Sire – The horses father.
Smart Money – Wager thought most likely to win, often with ‘insider’ information.
Special Bets – More unusual bets such as the Union Jack. Can also refer to bespoke betting lines e.g. Liverpool’s next manager.
Spread – Generally used to define the lowest to the highest odds for either an individual selection or an entire field.
Spread Betting – Bet type where winnings and losses are not fixed but based on the accuracy of a prediction.
St Leger – One of the 5 classics races for 3 year old fillies and colts during the flat season.
Stalls – Compartments designed to hold competitors prior to commencement of the event or race.
Stake – The amount of money wagered or bet.
Stake Unit – When placing a bet with multiple lines (e.g. Lucky 15) this is the amount of money wagered on each line.
Starting Price – The final odds of a selection at the start of an event when betting is closed.
Straight – US term for a win (Straight (1st), place (2nd) and show (3rd)).
Straight Forecast – Predicting the contestants, runners or teams to finish in a specific order usually 1st and 2nd.
Steeplechase – Form of National Hunt jump racing in which horses jump fences of varying height and consistency. Run over 2 miles to up to 4.5 miles.
Steward – Racecourse official.
Stewards Inquiry – Investigation held by the steward if the rules of racing are deemed to have been contravened, can be in response to an objection.
Steam – A quick change on a line due to heavy wagering.
Stoppage Time – See injury time.
Superbowl – American football championship (USA).
Super Heinz – A full cover bet on 7 selections consisting of 120 bets: 1 seven-fold, 7 six-folds, 21 five-folds, 35 four-folds, 35 trebles and 25 doubles.
Super Yankee – Also known as a Canadian, a full cover bet consisting of 5 selections and 26 bets. One 5-fold, five 4-folds, ten trebles and ten doubles.
Sure Thing – Very little chance of losing.
System – Method of betting, e.g. Martingale.

Tattersall – main auctioneer of race horses in the UK, named after Richard Tattersall (1723-95).
Tattersalls Rule 4 – See Rule 4.
Taking the points – Betting an underdog against the spread.
Teaser – Similar to a teaser, spreads are favored towards the bettor but has a lower payout.
Tic Tac – A system of hand signals that used to allow on course bookies to communicate market.
Tip – A selection chosen by an expert or someone with additional knowledge.
Tipster – Someone who either gives or sells tips to punters.
Totals – Bets placed on over/under markets.
Tote Board – information board at race tracks displaying Tote prices.
Tote Return – Defined by the amount in the pool divided by the number of winning bets.
Tout – Someone who sells either tickets or advice related to sports or betting, generally an illegal practice.
Trap – Name of an enclosed starting gate used in greyhound racing.
Trap Number – Inside trap is usually number 1 with 6 gates.
Treble – A single accumulator bet with three selections.
Tricast – Predicating the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place finishers in an event.
Trip – The distance of a horse or dog race.
Trixie – A full over bet with 4 lines on 3 selections consisting of 3 doubles and a trebles.
Turf Accountant – A slang name of a UK Bookmaker, usually referring to those present at the track.

Under – Referring to over and under markets, betting on a score to be below a certain number.
Underdog – A selection that is expected to lose, e.g. in football this may refer to a lower league club playing a higher league team.
Under Official Starters Orders – Or just under starters orders, this is the time when the official starter is happy that all the race is ready to begin, he will raise a flag to indicate this. Any horse failing to start after this point will not have bets refunded.
Union Jack – A special type of bet of eight trebles made on 9 selections, named the union jack due to the pattern matching the British flag.
US Odds – See American Odds

Value – The process of getting the best odds or returns.
Visor – Device fitted to some horses to restrict their vision to a forward direction, designed to prevent other runners distracting the horse.
Vig or Vigorish – Another name for a bookmakers margin or commission on a given book.
Void Bet – A wager that is cancelled and stake returned either because the event did not run or terms were contravened.

Walk over – Process of a selection going through the process to win without any competition, often a result of a foul or penalty.
Wager – A get placed at a sportsbook.
Weigh In – Used in boxing and racing in particular, the process of weighing a fighter/horse to make sure they are within preassigned weight limits for the contest.
Welch – Non payment of a fair bet, e.g. ‘bookmaker welched on payment’.
Win – Finishing in first place
Win / Draw / Win – Name sometimes given to a match betting market where there are three possible outcomes.
Winning Margin – Distance (physical or points) from the winner to the runner up. Also a bet predicting by how much a team/contestant/horse will win by.
Winnings – The profit made from a bet, minus the stake.
With a Run – Name given to an ante-post bet where your stake will be refunded if the horse does not end up running.
Withdrawn – A selection removed prior to the start of an event, may or may not be replaced by a reserve.

X – Short code to denote a draw or tie.
Yankee – Full cover bet with four selections and 11 lines, consisting of 6 doubles, 4 trebles and one 4-fold.
Yankee Patent – Yankee with 4 singles included, also known as a Lucky 15.
Yearling – Name of any horse from 1st January to 31st December the year following their birth.
Zoo – Mixture of very different selections or contestants in one event.