Accumulator: A single bet consisting of selections from different games. Punters, usually, bet on the outcomes of games or options within games. This can include goals per game, first scorer or even bet on both teams scoring.
Across the Board: Betting on a horse or greyhound to Win, or finish in the top places.
Ante-post: A bet placed before the horse/greyhound betting market has opened when odds are often more favourable.
Asian Handicap: Most common in soccer, the better team is “handicapped” by 0.25 to 2.0 goals against. These are two-way bets since a draw/tie option is not offered.
Away Score Both Halves: Away team must score at least 1 goal in each half.
Banker: Similar to a round robin bet in the US where different teams are placed in a ‘system bet’ to make different ‘accumulator’ (parlay) bets.
Bet: Money staked on the outcome of a contest.
Bet code: Also known as voucher codes or promo codes, they are used to give clients discounts or a prize. They are given to new clients or for existing clients to try new games or betting options.
Bet slip: Print out of your wager. Detailed slips will include all possible returns on your bet.
Bonus: A financial perk offered to customers as an incentive to join or as a perk to try promoted games.
Book: Short for a bookmaker or sportsbook that posts odds and accepts bets.
Bookmaker: A licensed individual who sets daily betting odds and accepts bets. Also known as a bookie or linemaker.
Both halves over 1.5: 1st half must have 2 or more goals scored, and the same for the second half.
Both halves under 1.5: 1st half must have 1 or no goals scored and the same for the second half.
Cash Out: Withdrawing winnings before the market closes. There are also partial and automated cash-out options that allows you to withdraw only a portion of your wager or have your wager automatically cashed out when the offer reaches a specified amount.
Circle Game: A game is circled by a sportsbook because betting limits are lower than usual. This most often happens when there’s a questionable injury before a game. It can also happen if there’s potentially bad weather, or the possibility of ‘load management’ which might give a player a night off.
Clean sheet: When a team does not concede any goals in the match, and the opposite option, which is no, means that a team will concede in the match.
Closing line: The final betting odds posted prior to the start of a competition.
Co-favourite: Two or more sides with identical odds to win. Common with futures odds, bookmakers may post co-favourites to win the Champions League before the tournament begins.
Combined Bets: Also known as “Crossed Bets”, is a bet type that has a number of different bets from various selections.
Correct score HT/FT: A betting market where you predict the score at half time or full time. Punters can modify their bet to predict the goals scored by each team in the half.
Dead heat: When two or more competitors finish a sporting event with an identical place or classification.
Deposit: Paying into your betting account so you can start to wager.
Double chance/ First half: When you bet on multiple possibilities with just one bet. For example. Betting on Home Win or Draw, Home Win or Away Win. A First Half bet allows you to bet the same options, at lower odds. Most games are 90 Minutes Only bets, so Extra Time and penalty shootouts do not count toward the result.
Double result: A single betting option that combines the score of a game at halftime and the score at the end of the same game.
Draw: Any contest where the final score ends in a tie. In most instances, a draw is graded as a PUSH and original bet amounts are returned. A key exception is three-way lines that offer tie/draw as one of three betting options.
Drift: When odds grow longer after the opening line, they are said to be drifting.
Each-way: Common in horse and dog racing, an each-way bet splits a wager to cover first or second place. If the animal finishes first, both bets are paid out. A second-place finish, and just one of the split bets is paid.
Even money: Odds that return the exact amount as the original bet. A R100 bet on Fractional (1/1) American (+100) or Decimal (2.0) odds would return a R100 profit.
Exacta: Betting on the horses that cross the line first and second. Very rarely, exacta bets are offered in other sports.
Exact score: The same as a Correct Score bet, it is a bet on the result at the end of a game, excluding extra time and penalty shootouts.
Exotic bet: Betting options beyond point spreads, money lines and game totals. Proposition bets, specials and parlays are the most common types of exotic bets.
Extra Time: Time added at the end of a game where a winner has to be decided. In knockout football, a period of 30 minutes is added on to the end of a game if the game is tied after the normal 90 minutes.
Favourites: A favourite is the simply the most favoured selection and considered the most likely to win, consequently these have the lowest odds.
First goal: A bet on which player or team will score the first goal in the game, excluding overtime and penalty shootouts. Same as first player/first team to score.
First goal interval: Predicting the time of the first goal. Options are available in 15-minute periods.
First half: All bets are settled at half-time, based on the score of the first half of the game. Same as half time.
First Past the Post (FPP): The first to pass the finish line, usually used in racing. This does not necessarily have to be the official winner if that selection is disqualified, or a penalty applied post-race.
First player to score: A bet on which player will be the first to score in a game.
Fixed Odds: Odds that have a fixed price defined by the bookmaker. In horse racing you can choose to fix your price or take the starting price for example.
Fractional Odds: Odds written as a fraction, commonly used in the UK. These odds show the profit you stand to win excluding your stake, for example a R10 stake at 3/1 would win you R30 plus your R10 stake back.
Full Cover: A bet type where all possible multiple bets are included. A patent, for example, is a full cover bet with 3 selections comprising 4 bets, 1 treble and 3 possible doubles.
Full Time: The end of a standard length game or match. In football, FIFA rules stipulate 90 minutes to full time, excluding any time a referee may add on.
Futures: Common in the US where prices are offered in advance of an event, like ante post.
Goal/No goal: Goal is the option of choosing both teams to score. No Goal is a bet on just 1 team or neither scoring.
Goal/No goal: 1st half/2nd half: Betting on the goals in either the first or second half.
Goals Home/Away: A bet on the exact number of goals scored by either the Home or Away team during normal time.
Goal Line: Better known as Over/Under betting, goal line bets are placed on the total number of goals scored in a match with punters able to bet whether there will be fewer or more than the predicted total.
Going: The condition of the ground from hard to really muddy, termed soft.
Going Down: Horses or dogs making their way to the starting post.
Going In: Horses or dogs going into their stalls to start the race.
Handicap: Common in horse racing, where horses carry different weights to encourage closer competition. Better horses carry heavier weights. In other sports, such as soccer, betting odds are used to handicap the favourite team.
Half-time: A bet on the results of a match at half-time.
Half-time/Full-time: A bet on the results of the game at both half-time and full-time. Both selections must be correct for your bet to win.
Head-to-Head: A bet on which person or team beats the opposite team in the head-to-head match up.
Hedging: Placing multiple bets to minimise your risk of losing. ‘Hedging your bets’ is now a common term often heard outside the world of gambling.
Highest scoring half: A bet on which half will have the most goals, first or second half.
Home advantage: When a team or contestant are competing at their home stadium/track or in their hometown.
Holding your own: Neither winning nor losing, generally breaking even.
House: The bookie, casino, or gaming institution.
Injury time: Additional time added to the end of a half or game to make up for time lost to stoppages like injuries or substitutions.
In-game: A betting option where punters can place bets in real time, as the game is occurring. Also known as In Play betting.
Index betting: The same as spread betting, where losses or wins are not fixed, instead they’re based on the accuracy of the prediction.
Jackpot: The top prize for a game or competition.
Joint favourites: When both teams have an equal chance to win.
Lay: Most used on betting exchanges. Laying a bet means betting against someone else winning.
Last team to score: A bet on which team will be the last to score in a football match. Bets are placed on 90 minutes play only.
Lengthen: When odds are lengthened it means they have gotten larger. It simply means you will get higher returns the more the odds lengthen.
Live bets: Betting during an event. Live betting is more interactive, as the odds change during a game punters can choose to change their bet or place a new bet.
Live streaming: Many betting sites provide the opportunity to watch the event you are betting on as it happens by means of ‘live streams’. In some instances, you will only be able to use a live stream if you have placed a bet.
Long-shot: Refers to a pick believed to be extremely unlikely to win. Often referred to as an outsider.
Loyalty Programme: Any kind of promotion which rewards long-term use of the site can be considered a loyalty programme. Also known as VIP programmes.
Lucky 15 / 31 / 63: A form of full cover betting with singles on 4, 5 or 6 selections with all possible multiple combinations covered.
Matchflow: Predicting the team who scores first and the result of the game after normal time. To win punters must correctly predict both selections.
Maximum bet: Refers to the highest bet you can make while playing a casino game, be it poker, roulette, video slots, or any other game.
Minimum Bet: The lowest amount the bookmaker will allow you to bet. It can be different depending on the sport or event.
Mobile Betting: Any kind of betting done on mobile can be considered mobile betting, whether through an app or simply a mobile desktop version of the site.
Mobile slots: Refers to video slot games that can be played on handheld devices.
Money Line: An American term referring to Full-Time Result betting. It is named as such based on the plus and minus ‘lines’ on American Odds.
Multi-Goal Betting: Betting on a range of possible final goal amounts. For example, you could back a 2-4 goal market in a football game. If the total number of goals falls in this range, your bet is a winner; if it is under 2 or more than 4, your bet loses.
Multiplayer casino: Refers to online casinos and allows players to play against others.
Multiple: Also called an accumulator, a bet containing more than one selection, such as a double, treble, 4-fold, etc.
Multiplier: Used in video slot and slot machine games that refers to the mechanism that multiplies payouts.
Nailed on: If a selection is regarded as almost certain to win it will be referred to as ‘nailed on’. Similar terms are a ‘sure thing’ and a ‘certainty’.
Net winnings: Refers to your total payout minus your initial stake.
No Deposit Free Bet: This is a free bet you can get without ever having to make a deposit, usually rewarded after registration. You will have to make a deposit to take out your winnings as part of the terms and conditions.
Non-Runner No Bet: When a greyhound or horse you’ve backed cannot run that day, you should get a refund from decent bookmakers.
Normal time: The conventional length of an event, 90 minutes in football for example.
Odds: Refers to price offered for different results and can rise or fall depending on the likelihood of each outcome. Odds are presented in three separate ways. In the UK as fractions, as a decimal in Europe and a money line in the US.
Odds/Even: A bet on whether the total number of goals at the end of a game an odd number or an even number will be.
Online casino games: Refers to all the games that can be found in an online casino.
Outright bet: A bet on the outcome of a tournament or championship in various sports.
Over/Under: Refers to an option to bet on the total number of points or goals scored in a game or even the number of games a team may win through the season.
Parlay: A wager in which multiple teams are bet, either against the spread or on the money line. For the wager to win (or pay out), all of them must cover/win. The more teams you bet, the greater the odds.
Payline: Refers to a feature of slot machines. In order to win, you need to land a winning combination on a payline.
Penalty Yes/No: A bet on whether or not penalties will take place.
Place: When a selection ‘places’ it finishes within the positions that are stated to pay out. A small number of runners might mean only the first two finishers place. In a big field down to fifth or sixth might be considered a place finish.
Potential winnings: This is the potential winnings if every selection in a bet is correct as displayed on a betslip.
Progressive jackpot: Refers to the jackpot reward tied to a progressive video slot or slot machines. Unlike a fixed jackpot, the money you can win from a progressive jackpot continuously changes as a player makes a wager. Usually, a small portion of the players’ bet is added to the prize pool increasing the possible jackpot. When a jackpot is won, the pool is reset, and the cycle starts again.
Progressive slots: Games that present you with an opportunity to land a progressive jackpot. Each time you spin the reels of a progressive slot, a small portion of your bet is added to the progressive jackpot prize pool.
Punter: A slang term for a bettor or someone who places a bet.
Quinella: A US term for a forecast bet that predicts the horses that will finish 1st and 2nd, but not necessarily in the correct sequence.
Rapid Roulette: Is a variant of roulette that speeds up play. There are no outside bets, which means players can’t bet on red or black, odds or evens, low numbers or high numbers, or columns and dozens. The only types of bets available in Rapid Roulette are the numbers and neighbour bets.
Referral Bonus: Any kind of bonus you get for referring other people to a betting site. Generally, it is a free bet or a cash bonus. The bonuses differ from site to site.
Related bets: A situation where bets are linked and cannot be placed as independent events in a multiple bet. For example, a team to win a semi-final bet combined with an outright bet to win the trophy.
Reverse forecast: A forecast bet predicting a minimum of 1st and 2nd place where either selection can finish in either place to win.
Round robin: Refers to a three-selection wager that consists of 10 bets. These are three doubles, one treble bet, and six bets consisting of three up and down single stake about pairs. One or more winning selections will guarantee a return.
Second half: A bet on the result of the second half result only.
Single bet: The simplest form of betting, one wager for one event.
Spread betting: This is where a bet is won or lost according to whether you correctly predict the result of an event but where the winnings or losses can vary and are calculated in proportion to how right or wrong your prediction was. The risks and rewards are much higher.
Stake: This is the amount of money placed or invested in a bet.
Suit: Refers to different types of playing cards. There are four different suits in a standard 52-card playing deck, clubs, spades, hearts, and diamonds. In standard decks, every suit has one of each denomination, including face cards.
Table limit: Refers to the bet limits at a table game. In order to play, players must make the table limit minimum bet. Simultaneously, the same rule limits the top amount a player can bet at the same table.
Terms And Conditions: An online document which breaks down the rules of that particular subject, promotion, or the site in general. They are a vital component of the operations of any reputable bookmaker and should be read carefully by all punters.
Three-way bet: A bet on the result of a game out of the three possible options: home win, draw, away win.
Treble: An accumulator bet, with 3 selections. Each selection must be correctly predicted for this to be a winning bet.
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, a common example is a lower league club playing a team in a higher league.
Under official starters orders: Or just under starters orders, refers to the time when the official starter indicates, with a raised flag, the race is ready to begin. 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.
Value bet: Describes a bet where you think you have the edge on the bookmaker. Betting on a belief that the bookmakers have predicted the game probabilities wrong to a large degree, is the most common type of value bet.
VAR: Stands for Video Assistant Referee. A VAR match official has access to all the cameras in the stadium and reviews the decisions made by a match referee.
Vig: Or vigorish, an American term for overround. It can also refer to any fees charged.
Virtual sports: This is a version of popular sports that are rendered virtually. You can bet on these virtual sports just as you would on their traditional, real-life counterparts.
Void bet: This is a bet which is declared invalid. The stake is returned to your account without deduction or is removed from a multiple and the balance of the selections is recalculated accordingly.
Wagering requirement: A vital part of any promotion’s terms and conditions. The wagering requirement is the amount that the bonus needs to be played for any winning from a free bet to be paid out.
Welcome Offer: Broadly speaking, this refers to any kind of promotions that is only offered to new players. It is often where you find the most generous promotions.
Winning margin: This is the margin by which one team triumphs over another.
Withdrawals: The process by which you take money out of your account registered on a betting site. A withdrawal method is the option with which you choose to use to do this, and on many bookmakers, it will need to be the same as the deposit method used (where applicable).
Wild symbols: Refers to a group of special symbols found in video slots and slot machine games. To win, you have to land a winning combination of three or more symbols on an active payline. Every slot game comes with numerous symbols, making it more difficult to get three or more of each on a payline. However, wild symbols can substitute for every other symbol, apart from bonus symbols such as scatters, allowing you to make winning combinations much easier.
