Betting Terminology: Betting Terms Explained

Betting terms can be found everywhere, from TV ads to roadside billboards, there is a whole dictionary of terms related to betting. Understanding betting terminology, it a must for any punter, in the long run it will make using betting sites and understanding odds a little easier. If you’re looking for football, horse racing or general betting terms then this is the place for you.

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Popular & Most Common Betting Terminology

Below are listed the most common and popular sports betting terms:

Acca/Accumulator: A combination of four or more single bets that are combined to increase odds and bigger winnings.

Bet In Play: This is hugely popular. Many bookies now a days accept bets while the actual event is taking place.

Cash Out: This is the option for a punter to settle a bet before the event has finished. The earlier you cash out the smaller your potential winnings.

Each Way: A combination of a Win and a Place bet – of equal size

Odds: The amount a bookie offers for a selection to win

Price Boost: This is where the price of an outcome is improved for a set period of time. Which aims to encourage more interest.

Void Bet: When a bet is cancelled and your stake returned to you. this can happen for a number of reasons.

Wager: Means placing a bet

Football Betting Terms

Football betting is extremely popular, there are many events, actions and things which have their terminology. Check out the most relevant football betting terminology:

Asian Handicap: This is a type of handicap betting that’s is popular in the far east.

BTTS: Both teams to score

Clean Sheet: Means in football terms when the team doesn’t concede a goal.

Correct Score: This is placing a bet on the actual score of a football match. This is one of the most popular types of football bets.

Extra Time: Is the extra 30 mins (15mins a half) which is added on in the event of a draw.

Double Chance: This is where the bookmaker offers odds on both win and draw together.

Draw No Bet: This is the offer of a cancelled bet when the team you select draws their game.

First Goal Scorer: A bet placed on a player to score the first goal in the game.

Over: This is common in football where bets are place for goals over or under a certain amount in a game.

Betting Terminology Horse Racing

Bar: This relates to the odds of horses which are not given an odd. These are horses that are consider well outsiders.

Chalk: The favourite.

Longshot: A horse which is unlikely to win

Non Runner: If a horse doesn’t make it to the starting line to race then the term for that horse and bet is called a non runner.

Withdrawn: Refers to a horse being removed from the race

Betting Terminology A-Z

Below is our betting terms glossary listed in alphabetical order

A For Alpha

Action: A bet of any kind

Against the Spread: This relates to spread betting. A bet in which you determine the team will cover the spread.

Ante Post: This is placing a bet before the actual event has taken place. This usual comes with better odds but higher risk of losing if the event doesn’t take place.

Arbitrage Betting: This is a betting tactic used by players who place multiple bets on all possible outcomes on the same event across multiple bookmakers. The aim is to win more then what is lost.

B For Bravo

Banker: The selection which is most likely to come through (the favourite).

Bet: To place money down on a prediction of an event.

Betting Exchange: A peer-to-peer betting network

Bookmaker/Bookie: A company or individual licensed to accept bets.

C For Charlie

Chasing: Placing bets on selection you wouldn’t in order to recover a loss.

Co-Favorites: When three or more selections are all favorites

Colt: The name of a race horse under the age of 5

Combination Bet:

Course Specialist: Refers to horse that has a history of running well at a particular track.

D For Delta

Dead Heat: When 2 or more selection tie

Doubles: This is an accumulator which involves 2 bets. Both must come in for the bet to win.

Double Result: This is a bet place on the outcome of first half and second half.

Drift: When the price of a selection gets bigger due to lack of bets on the selection.

Dutching: This is when you spread your stake across 2 bets,

E For Echo

Edge: The punters advantage in a bet

Early Prices: Prices which are offered on selected races that day in advance of racecourse betting

Evens: This means there is a 50/50 split chance the team or selection will won.

Exposure: The maximum amount of money a bookmaker stands to lose.

F For Foxtrot

Favourite: Mostly likely to win

First half bet: A bet place on the events of the first half of the game only.

Fixed Prices: A fixed price is the price you get if you choose to take a price on a particular selection

Foal: A young horse under the age of 1

Fold: A fold shows the number of selections in an accumulator. 5-fold accumulator = one bet with five selections.

G For Golf

Going: Refers to the state of the ground

Going in: When the greyhounds or horses are being set up

Grand National: Is the famous National Hunt horse race which is held in April at Aintree Racecourse.

H For Hotel

Half time bet: a bet placed on the result of the event at half time

Handicap: This is a system bookie use to make a bet more interesting. Usually this involves giving the team with lower odds a slightly better chance.

I For India

J For Juliett

K For Kilo

L For Lima

Lay: When a bookmaker accepts bets

Lengthen: This is when a bookie increases the odds due to lack of interest.

Line: Odds spread on a particular event.

M For Mike

N For November

Nap: A tipsters best bet

O For Oscar

Odds on: Refers to a price where the odds are less then evens

Odds Against: Refers to a price where the odds are higher than evens

Outright Bet: This is the most popular type of bet. This involves selecting a straight winner.

P For Papa

Price: Odds

Punter: A person who bets

Q For Quebec

R For Romeo

Runner: Someone who places a bet for another person

S For Sierra

Spread Betting: Bets placed on the movement of the market rather than a straight out come.

T For Tango

Treble bets: is any combination of three selections that a bookmaker offers combined odds on.

U For Uniform

Underdog: A selection that is unlikely to win

V For Victor

Value: Best odds on a wager

W For Whiskey

Win: 1^st Placed finish

Win-Draw-Win: This is the 3 outcomes of a sports game (home win, draw and away win).

Winnings: Profit from a bet

X for X-ray

Y For Yankee

Z for Zulu

Betting Sites:

Now that you’ve gotten to see and understand betting terms why not try out your knowledge and get started with some of the UK’s top sports betting sites!