RoobetSports betting glossary
Every betting term you will meet, defined in one line each — from accumulator to yield.
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A – F
Scroll the table horizontally if needed.
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Accumulator | A single bet combining several selections. Every one must win, so the odds multiply and so does the risk. |
| Arbitrage | Covering all outcomes at prices that imply a theoretical profit. Price changes, stake limits, void bets and differing settlement rules can create losses. |
| Ante-post | A bet placed in advance of an event, often before the final field is known. Non-runners may be settled as losses; check the market terms. |
| Bankroll | The money set aside for betting, and nothing else. Staking plans are expressed as a percentage of it. |
| Bookmaker | The company taking the bet and setting the odds. Also called a sportsbook. |
| Cash out | Settling a bet before the event ends, for a price the bookmaker calculates. Convenient, and priced in their favour. |
| Closing line | The final odds before an event starts. Beating it consistently is the clearest evidence of skill rather than luck. |
| Dead heat | Two or more selections tie. The stake is usually divided by the number of tied runners and settled at full odds on that fraction. |
| Decimal odds | Odds expressed as the total return per unit staked, 2.50 meaning 2.50 back for every 1 risked. The format used across most of Europe. |
| Double chance | One bet covering two of the three football outcomes. Shorter odds, higher strike rate. |
| Draw no bet | The stake is returned if the match is drawn. A safety net paid for with lower odds. |
| Each-way bet | Two equal-stake bets: one to win and one to place. Place odds and the number of places depend on the race and offer. |
| Edge | An estimated advantage over the offered price, usually expressed as expected profit per unit staked. It depends on the probability estimate being accurate. |
| Exchange | A platform where bettors take each other's bets and the operator takes a commission, instead of setting prices itself. |
| Evens | Decimal odds of 2.00 (1/1): a winning cash bet returns the stake plus an equal amount of profit. |
| Free bet | Promotional betting credit. Many offers exclude the free bet stake from returns; check whether the stake is returned and whether winnings have wagering requirements. |
| Fractional odds | Odds written as profit over stake, 3/1 returning three units of profit per unit risked. The traditional British format. |
G – O
Scroll the table horizontally if needed.
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Handicap | A virtual head start or deficit applied to one side, used to level a mismatched contest. |
| Hedging | Placing a second bet against your own position to lock in profit or cap a loss. |
| In-play | Betting while the event is under way, with odds moving in real time. Also called live betting. |
| Juice | The bookmaker's built-in commission, visible as the gap between fair odds and offered odds. Also called vig or margin. |
| Kelly criterion | A staking formula that sizes each bet by your edge and the odds. Mathematically optimal, and aggressive enough that most bettors use a fraction of it. |
| Lay bet | A bet that something will not happen. Only possible on an exchange. |
| Line | The handicap or total a bookmaker sets on a market. |
| Longshot | A selection at long odds and low probability. |
| Margin | The bookmaker's pricing advantage. Overround measures how far the sum of implied probabilities across all outcomes exceeds 100%; it is not a guaranteed profit rate. |
| Matched betting | Hedging a qualifying bet or free bet to reduce exposure to the result. Commission, offer terms, execution and settlement rules still matter. |
| Moneyline | A bet on the outright winner, with no handicap. The American term. |
| Odds against | A price above even money, where profit exceeds the stake. |
| Odds on | A price below even money, where profit is smaller than the stake. |
| Over / Under | A bet on whether a total — goals, points, corners — finishes above or below a set line. Also called totals. |
P – Z
Scroll the table horizontally if needed.
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Parlay | The American term for an accumulator. |
| Profit | Returns minus the cash stake and any applicable costs. |
| Returns | The total paid back from a settled bet, including any returned stake. Also called total return or payout. |
| RTP | Return to player: a casino game's theoretical long-run return as a percentage of stakes, not a prediction for one session. |
| Push | The result lands exactly on the line and the stake is returned. |
| Rollover | Another term for a wagering requirement. Check the multiplier, its base amount and which bets count. |
| ROI | Return on investment: profit divided by total staked, as a percentage. The honest way to compare two betting records. |
| Spread | The points margin one side must cover for the bet to win. |
| Stake | The amount risked on a bet. |
| Steam | A sharp, widespread odds move, usually meaning informed money has arrived. |
| Sure bet | See arbitrage. |
| Teaser | A parlay where you move each line in your favour in exchange for shorter odds. |
| Tissue price | A bookmaker's own estimate of true odds, before margin is added. |
| Value bet | A bet where your estimated probability is higher than the odds imply. Value, not confidence, is what makes a bet worth placing. |
| Void | A bet cancelled and the stake returned, usually because the event did not take place as listed. |
| Wagering requirement | Qualifying turnover required before bonus-related winnings can be withdrawn. It may apply to the bonus or the deposit plus bonus. |
| Yield | Profit as a percentage of total stakes, used to judge a tipster or a season. |
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Also in this ranking: Rainbet, Thunderpick.
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