• The implied percentage chances for any given set of outcomes will not add up to 100% exactly with the bookies, they build in their edge by setting prices that total more than that.
  • This would cost you £30 (£10 x3) and you would be guaranteed to get your £30 back. £10 x 2/1 = £30 (£20 winnings + £10 stake). This is what is sometimes referred to as a 100% book as, if you stake the market correctly, you’ll always get back 100% of what you.
  • Multiplying both a and b by the same number gives odds equivalent to a-b. Decimal odds are a single value, greater than 1, representing the amount to be paid out for each unit bet. For example, a bet of £40 at 6-4 (fractional odds) will pay out £40 + £60 = £100.
  • When it comes to betting on football each bookmaker will have a dedicated team that sit and work out the odds of each market for each match. The odds are basically based on the probability of.

Betting on sports has gone mainstream. But many, including sportsbook operators and players, don’t know much about how sports betting works. Understanding sports betting means understanding odds creation. So precisely, how do bookies set odds?

Now, have you ever considered why bookmakers like to encourage accumulators in sports like football where punters enjoy backing multiple selections in a single bet? Well it’s simple: if a bookmaker has an overround of 105% on each of five football matches, a punter placing a bet in all five of those matches is betting against an overround 125% because the extra 5% is factored in each time.

Sports betting popularity has increased ever since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a law that gave Nevada a monopoly on allowing bets on sports. Since then, gambling websites have popped up all over the internet.

Towards the end of 2020, over thirty states have legislation either on the books or in the works legalizing sports wagering. The move towards legalization shows us how mainstream backing teams against the spread or on moneylines has become.

Although some individual sportsbook owners may fear state legalization, we mustn’t forget that sports wagering is a historical U.S. past time. If anything, bookies should increase their profit and revenue by signing up clients who in the past didn’t want to wager on sports because they were afraid of doing something wrong.

Legalization will bring more acceptance. Acceptance lifts all boats, including individual pay per head bookmakers. If you currently run a white label sportsbook that offers free betting software, consider this blog a refresher.

If you’re considering starting a bookmaking operation and want information, this blog is essential. To understand how to run a successful sportsbook, you must first understand how do bookies set odds.

Sportsbook gambling business operators make money via ATS fees

Odds

Most everyone knows that bookmakers provide a service. Your sportsbook allows your clients to wager on sports events, casino games, and horse races in a racebook, but you don’t run a team in any sports event.

You don’t own the virtual slot machines or tables. You don’t own the racetrack that runs the horse races. Your ownership is in providing bookie software platforms that allow your clients to make bets on various wagering options.

Because you run a service-based business, you make most of your money on service fees. In the sports betting world, we call those fees “juice”.

Below is an example.

  • Las Vegas -6 (-105)
  • Los Angeles +6 (-120)

The above wager between Las Vegas and Los Angeles says that for every $100 bet on Las Vegas, the bookie makes 5% in fees. For every $100 bet on Los Angeles, the bookmaker pockets $20 in fees.

If a player bets $300 on Las Vegas, the fees associated are $15. If a different player bets $300 on Los Angeles, the sportsbook operator charges amounts to $60.

Juice, in most cases, is 10%, which means you are charging 10% on every against the spread wager that a player makes. 10% is a massive fee for providing a service.

How do bookies set odds? In a way that ensures a balance on both sides

All companies that offer services want to do one thing; keep as much of the fees they charge as possible. Sportsbooks are no different.

With against the spread wagers, your goal is to balance action on both sides. Our pph sportsbook agents use their layoff account to accomplish this. If you run a smaller book, make sure not to overuse your layoff account.

Take risks where appropriate. Sometimes, it’s wise to let betting money on one side of a spread ride without balancing the action.

Other gambling types you offer require a different point-of-view

The fee-based principle for running a profitable sportsbook only applies to against the spread wagers. Per head agents don’t charge fees on moneyline, racebook, or casino bets.

PayPerHead.com provides sportsbook software tools for bookies to handle any bet type. It doesn’t matter if it’s a wager in the live dealer casino, the digital casino, the racebook, or if it’s a future or moneyline sports bet. When you become a PayPerHead agent, you have tools that allow you to manage money on all bet types.

  • Moneyline / future sports bets – Use your layoff account or take risky bets off the board. Also, set max betting limits and max payouts for all moneyline and future sports bets like who wins the Super Bowl.
  • Horse racing wagers – Set max payout and max betting limits on all horse races. Horse races offer higher odds than any other betting options you provide.
  • Some agents turn on their racebook for Triple Crown races, the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, Belmont, and the Breeders’ Cup. The racebook remains closed for the rest of the year.
  • Casino bets – Use player management tools to set max betting and max payout limits. When you add a Premium Casino and Premium Live Dealer, you decide which platform, the standard or the prime, you want your players to access.

So that you know, the Premium Casino and Premium Live Dealer are more attractive and encourage more betting and longer wagering sessions. Many of our agents have shown an up to 15% revenue rise after adding premium platforms.

Provide top gambling software at a reduced rate

Now that you know how bookies set odds, there’s another thing you must know. You require a way to pay players and for players to pay you. Our Agent Payment Solution (APS) is the only one in the industry that allows for online collections and payments. Your players can even use it to fund their accounts. The APS accepts multiple banking methods, so make sure to check it out.

2020 was difficult for everyone, which is why at PayPerHead we’re offering a $3 per head for $3 promo from when you sign-up until Super Bowl LV on February 7. Contact customer service or sign-up on the site.

Bookmakers offer odds on a huge range of events but how do they work and how can that help punters be more successful at picking winners?

Bookmaker odds relating to different football events are everywhere.

Online firms now take bets on a wide variety of events - from the games themselves to next manager markets, potential transfers and seemingly everything in between.

Understanding how odds are calculated and what they mean in practice is an essential part of the toolkit for a successful punter.

Editors' Picks

It underpins everything else that follows so getting comfortable with both the prices and what they represent is an important skill that's well worth learning.

How do odds work?

Odds represent the probability of an eventoccurring. The price shown translates into a percentage chance of something happening or not.

The table below shows a range of fractional odds and how they relate to the implied chances of that selection being correct.

Fractional OddsDecimal OddsPercentage Probability
7/1812.50%
4/1520%
15/82.8834.78%
6/42.540%
Evens250%
10/111.9152.38%
4/71.5763.64%
1/31.3375%
1/81.1388.89%

How To Bookies Set Odds

This allows bookmakers to set the odds for any given event - including a house edge - but also means bettors can compare their opinion to those of the person setting the prices and see what their return would be if their bet is correct at the odds on offer.

As an example, if you want to back a team to win a game at 3/1 for £1, the total returns for this selection would be £4 should they be come out on top in the match. £3 of that would be the profit that the odds suggest, plus the initial £1 stake.

How do bookmakers set the odds?

Because bookmakers are the ones setting the prices on their own websites or in shops, they have the luxury of building in a house edge when doing so.

Much like the 0 on a standard roulette wheel (or the 0 and 00 on an American one) this is their opportunity to make their advantage count.

The amount of edge built into an event or a specific market can vary wildly across different operators and sports, but let's use football as an example.

The implied percentage chances for any given set of outcomes will not add up to 100% exactly with the bookies, they build in their edge by setting prices that total more than that.

This doesn't mean that you can't make money betting on sports (or anything for that matter) but knowing the odds and what you're up against is key.

Vegas Bookies Odds

What do odds mean in terms of betting probability?

Nfl Bookie Odds

Let's say Arsenal are 7/2 to beat Manchester City, who are 4/5 to win the same game. The draw is 3/1 with the same firm offering the former two prices in this real world example. Consider the implied percentages here:

Home win - Arsenal 7/2 (implied percentage chance of 22.22%)
Draw - 3/1 (implied percentage chance of 25%)
Away win - Manchester City 4/5 (implied percentage chance of 55.56%)

Total implied percentage chance - 102.78%.

That extra 2.78% is the 'edge' built into this market. Match results tend to be at the lower end of this spectrum but understanding what the total percentage of a market's outcomes adds up to will help bettors understand what they're up against.

How Do Bookies Set Odds For Football Game

Making money on the betting markets is not impossible. There are many factors that come into whether someone is profitable or not, several of which we'll discuss more in the Betting Basics series, but it's key to know how odds work and what that means for your betting activity if you choose to get involved.

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