Bookies and Bookmaking
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A bookie is someone who facilitates gambling by setting odds, accepting and placing bets, and then paying out the winnings. It's short for the term bookmaker. A bookie was a slang term more often used when online sports betting wasn't readily available. Most often, the gambling offenses that Wilson was dealing with at the criminal court level were smaller amounts of money being gambled. He said that 'they were number runners, small bookie joints, a neighborhood bookie place, a small storefront where they were taking bets on the numbers, on the horses, and taking bets on sports games. A bookie is someone who facilitates gambling by setting odds, accepting and placing bets, and then paying out the winnings. It's short for the term bookmaker. A bookie was a slang term more often used when online sports betting wasn't readily available.
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Bookie or Bookmaker: A Turf Accountant. A professional bettor. One who analyzes, determines, or simply posts the betting odds in games, especially horse racing and team sports, receives and records wagers from a number of people on a regular basis, collects from losers, and pays off winners. Bookmaking started around 1780 at Richard Tattersall's horse auction business. In fact, his name is immortalized at English racetracks today by bookmakers who set up their stands at the 'Tattersall Enclosure.' The term, bookie, originated with the activity of 'making book' or keeping a notebook of wagers. In the early days bookmakers were involved in handicapping. However, chaos prevailed both at the track and in betting shops throughout London until the tradition of the 'honest bookmaker.' A bookie's reputation of honesty was and is--very important for the success of the business, and apparently originated with the reputations of two famous bookmakers, Fred Swindell and Leviathan Davies. Around 1850, Davis also created 'lists of odds' that were posted throughout London, which made off-track betting possible. In 1866 the first American bookmaking business was established in Philadelphia.-- Link to Wikipedia for an extended definition -- |
Print titled: c.1890 Print titled: c.1900 Tobacco card 1901 Lantern c.1828 | Bookmaking Bibliography ---with a few key essays, articles and book chapters by or about bookies, handicappers and handicapping |
| [Anonymous], SECRETS OF A BOOKIE: DISCLOSING A METHOD OF BETTING THAT BOOKIES ARE DEATHLY AFRAID OF AND WILL NOT HANDLE, c.1951, 58pp. Shirley Abbott, THE BOOKMAKER'S DAUGHTER -- A MEMORY UNBOUND, NY: Ticknor & Fields, 1991, 290pp. Heather Abraham, THE BOOKIE'S DAUGHTER -- A MEMOIR OF GROWING UP IN A CRAZY, CRIME-RIDDEN FAMILY, NY: SagisBooks, 2012, 316pp. Michael J. Agovino, THE BOOKMAKER -- A MEMOIR..., NY: Harper Collins, 2008, 353pp. Peter Alson, CONFESSIONS OF AN IVY LEAGUE BOOKIE, New York: Crown, 1996, 228pp. Thomas Armstrong, PILLING ALWAYS PAYS [novel], London: William Collins Sons & Co., 1954,1977, 447pp. Cathal Bellingham, CONFESSIONS OF A TURF CROOK -- TOLD BY HIMSELF [biography], London: Philip Allan & Co., 1924, 179pp. Tony Betts, ACROSS THE BOARD, New York, Citadel Press, 1956, 320pp., glossary, illus. Alex Bird, ALEX BIRD, THE LIFE AND SECRETS OF A PROFESSIONAL PUNTER, London: Queen Anne Press, 1985, 255pp., illus., index. Kier Boyd, GAMBLING TECHNOLOGY, Washington, DC: FBI Laboratory, 1981, 62pp., illus. Malcolm Boyle, THE ART OF BOOKMAKING: HOW TO COMPILE ODDS FOR ANY SPORTING EVENT, London: High Stakes Publishing, 2006, 176pp., illus. Joe Brinton, HOW TO MURDER YOUR BOOKMAKER, Chicago, Henry Regnery Company, 1972, 220pp., index Harry Brolaski, EASY MONEY OR FISHING FOR SUCKERS, [emphasis on racetrack gambling scams] Cleveland, Ohio: Searchlight Press, 1911, 328pp., illus. Earl Brown, 'The Racing Racket,' [major article in LIFE, May 5, 1947, pgs: 112-126] Fred Buck, HORSE RACE BETTING, NY: Greenberg, 1946 (1st Ed.), 149pp. illus. (2nd Ed: 1962, 236pp.)(4th ed., 1978, 236pp.) Phil Bull, HOW TO MAKE A BOOK, London: Morrison & Gibb Ltd., 1948, 160pp. Christopher Bush, THE CASE OF THE BENEVOLENT BOOKIE [novel], New York: Macmillan Company, 1956, 222pp. J.T. Chenery, THE LAW AND PRACTICE OF BOOKMAKING, BETTING, GAMING & LOTTERIES, London: Street & Maxwell, 1961, (2nd. ed: 1963 390pp., index.) Carl Chinn, BETTER BETTING WITH A DECENT FELLER -- A SOCIAL HISTORY OF BOOKMAKING, London: Aurum Press, 2004 [revised 1991 ed.], 380pp., footnotes, illus., biblio., index Donald Clarke, IN THE REIGN OF ROTHSTEIN, New York: Vanguard Press, 1929, 306pp. A. J. Conroy, BOOKMAKING, CLERKING AND PUNTING 'A TO X,' Randwick, Australia: Telvent, c.1966, 86pp., charts Clarence L. Cullen, TAKING CHANCES, NY: G. W. Dillingham, 1900, 269pp. Tony 'Sonny' Daniels, THE WISE-GUY'S BIBLE, North Shore Press, 1993, 326pp., glossary, illus. Richard O. Davies and Richard G. Abram, BETTING THE LINE -- SPORTS WAGERING IN AMERICAN LIFE, OH: Ohio State University Press, 2001, 212pp., footnotes, biblio., index Elizabeth Dawson, MOTHER MADE A BOOK, London, Geoffrey Bles, 1962, 182pp. Thomas Henry Dey, LEAVES FROM A BOOKMAKER'S BOOK, London: Hutchinson & Co., c.1931, 384pp., illus, index Andrew Dowdy, NEVER TAKE A SHORT PRICE [novel], New York: Dodd, Mead & Co., 1972 209pp. Druid (or Dixon) THE POST AND THE PADDOCK WITH RECOLLECTIONS OF GEORGE IV, SAM CHIFNEY, AND OTHER TURF CELEBRITIES [especially: Chap. 3: 'The Betting Ring'], London: Rogerson & Tuxford, 1856 (3rd ed: The Hunting Edition, 1857, 376pp.) John Drzazga, WHEELS OF FORTUNE [especially: Chaps 3 & 4: Bookmaking & Pari-Mutuel Betting], 1963, Ill: Charles C. Thomas Pub., 369pp., notes, biblio. index. Capt. Frederick W. Egen, NYCPD (retired), PLAINSLOTHESMAN -- A HANDBOOK OF VICE AND GAMBLING INVESTIGATION, 1952, 1959 (rev.), NY: Arco Publishing Co., Inc., 230pp., illus., glossary, index Richard Epstein, THE THEORY OF GAMBLING AND STATISTICAL LOGIC, San Diego: Academic Press, 1967, index, (2nd ed: 1997, 449pp., index) Josiah Flynt, 'The Pool-Room Spider and the Gambling Fly,' [article in THE COSMOPOLITAN, March 1907, pgs: 513-521] Josiah Flynt, 'The Men Behind the Pool Rooms,' [article in THE COSMOPOLITAN, April 1907, pgs: 636-645] Bob and Barbara Freeman, WANTA BET, A STUDY OF PARI-MUTUAL SYSTEM, Freeman Mutuels Management, 1982, 302pp., illus., glossary, index. Milt Gaines, THE TOTE BOARD IS ALIVE AND WELL, Las Vegas: Gaines, 1981, 182pp., glossary. Nichola Garvey, BEATING THE ODDS, Australia: HarperCollins, 2011, 359pp., illus., biblio. Linda Gaze and Grantley Bernard, BRUCE THE BOOKIE, Australia: Wilkinson Publishing Pty. Ltd., 2009, 182pp. Andrew Goldstein, THE BOOKIE'S SON, Boston: Sixoneseven Books, 2012, 248pp., illus. Roy Granville, BAXTER VS. THE BOOKIES, Hayes Press, Hayes, England, 2004, 151pp., illus. Arthur Hagan, THE DAY THE BOOKIES TOOK A BATH [novel], Los Angeles: Sherbourne Press, 1971, 288pp. Hugh Hawkins, THE ROOKIE BOOKIE, Bloomington, Indiana: AuthorHouse, 2008, 676pp. Christopher Hill, HORSE POWER: THE POLITICS OF THE TURF, Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1988, 283pp., index. Joe Ward Hill, THE BETTING MAN -- A RACING BIOGRAPHY OF WILLIAM HILL, THE KING OF THE BOOKIES, Wilshire: Elcott Books, 1993, 136pp., illus. James Jeffries, Charles Oliver, THE BOOK ON BOOKIES -- AN INSIDE LOOK AT A SUCCESSFUL SPORTS GAMBLING OPERATION, Colorado: Paladin Press, 2000, Glossary, 152pp. Leo Katcher, THE BIG BANKROLL: LIFE & TIMES OF ARNOLD ROTHSTEIN, New York: Harper & Brothers, 1959, 369pp., illus., biblio., index Richard Kaye, THE LADBROKES STORY, London: Pelham, 1969, 304pp., illus., index. Kevin Kinnee, PRACTICAL GAMBLING INVESTIGATION TECHNIQUES, Indianapolis: Elseiver Science Publishing Co., 1992, 228pp., illus., Graphs/Charts, biblio., index. Michael Konik, SMART MONEY: HOW THE WORLDS BEST SPORTS BETTORS BEAT THE BOOKIES OUT OF MILLIONS, New York: Simon and Schuster, 2006, 360pp. Arne Lang, SPORTS BETTING 101, MAKING SENSE OF THE BOOKIE BUSINESS AND THE BUSINESS OF BEATING THE BOOKIE, Las Vegas: GBC Press, 1992, 193pp. biblio. Bob Litwin & Chip Silverman, THE LAST BOOKMAKER [novel], New Hampshire: Borderlands Press, 2000, 267pp. Bernard Livingston, THEIR TURF, New York: Arbor House, 1973, 302pp., illus., index Art Manteris, SUPERBOOKIE, INSIDE LAS VEGAS SPORTS GAMBLING, Chicago: Contemporary Books, 1991, 234pp. Joseph Freeman Marsten, 'The Maelstrom of the Betting-Ring,' [article in MUNSEY'S MAGAZINE, 1903, pgs: 705-711] Gary Mayer, BOOKIE: MY LIFE IN DISORGANIZED CRIME, Los Angeles: J. P. Tarcher, 1974, 258pp., glossary John McCririck, WORLD OF BETTING, DOUBLE CARPET AND ALL THAT!, London: Stanley Paul, 1991, 192pp., illus., index Paul Meskil, CHEESEBOX [life of Gerard Callahan], New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1974, 281pp. Chad Millman, THE ODDS -- ONE SEASON, THREE GAMBLERS, AND THE DEATH OF THEIR LAS VEGAS, NY: Public Affairs, 2001, 260pp., index Dan Moldea, INTERFERENCE -- HOW ORGANIZED CRIME INFLUENCES PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL, NY: William Morrow & Co., 512pp., notes, index. Ralph Nevill, SPORT OF KINGS [especially: Chap. 3: 'Bookmaking and Bookmakers'], London: Methuen & Co. Ltd., 1926, 247pp., illus., index W.H. Norris, THE BOOKMAKER'S CLERK'S GUIDE. BETTING SIMPLIFIED OR THE ART OF BOOKMAKING, London: Edmund Seale, 1896 (2nd ed: 64pp.) Sidney Offit, MEMOIR OF THE BOOKIE'S SON, NY: St. Martin's Press, 1996, 165pp. James O'Hara, THE 'SURE THING' BOYS OR WHAT YOUR BOOKIE DOESN'T KNOW WILL HURT HIM [novel about past-posting scam], New York: Vantage Press, 1972, 173pp. Mort Olshan, WINNING THEORIES OF SPORTS HANDICAPPING, NY: Simon & Schuster, 1975, 253pp., Graphs/Charts Joe E. Palmer, LOVE ME, LOVE MY BOOKIE [novel], Beverly Hills, Remlap Publishing Co., 1989, 257pp. David Graham Phillips, 'The Delusion of the Race-Track,' [article in THE COSMOPOLITAN, January 1905, pgs: 251-262] Herb Phipps, BILL KYNE OF BAY MEADOWS, New Jersey: A. S. Barnes, 1978, 174pp., illus., index John Prendergast, EDGE UP -- MEMOIRS OF A GLASGOW STREET BOOKMAKER, Glasgow, England: Prendergast Publications, 1992, 249pp. Ronald Probstein, HONEST SID: MEMOIR OF A GAMBLING MAN, Bloomington, IN: iUniverse, 2009, 209pp. John Philip Quinn, FOOLS OF FORTUNE OR GAMBLING AND GAMBLERS..., [especially: Part III, Chap. 1: 'The Turf'], Chicago: The Anti-Gambling Association, 1895, 640pp. illus. Beth Raymer, LAY THE FAVORITE -- A MEMOIR OF GAMBLING, NY: Spiegel & Grau, 2010, 228pp. Jamie Reid, A LICENCE TO PRINT MONEY -- A JOURNEY THROUGH THE GAMBLING AND BOOKMAKING WORLD, London: Macmillan Ltd., 1992, 294pp., glossary, index Sonny Reizner, SPORTS BETTING WITH SONNY REIZNER, Las Vegas: GBC Press, 1983, 166pp., illus., glossary, biblio. Harry Robinson, THE BOOKIE BOOK, Australia: John Fairfax Marketing, 1984, 1985 (rev. ed.), 176pp., illus. Frede Rombola, THE BOOK ON BOOKMAKING, California: Romford Press, 1984, 147pp. Charley Rosen, SCANDALS OF '51 -- HOW GAMBLERS ALMOST KILLED COLLEGE BASKETBALL, NY: Seven Stories Press, 1978, (reprint: 1999), 263pp., illus. Hon. Admiral Rous, ON THE LAWS AND PRACTICE OF HORSE RACING, ETC., ETC. [perhaps the first book on bookmaking--especially: Chap. 5: 'On the Rules of Betting,' and in the appendix: 'Betting Cases'], London: A. H. Baily & Co., 1866, 166pp., Charts. Michael Roxborough, RACE & SPORTS BOOK MANAGEMENT, Las Vegas: Roxborough, 1991, 128pp., glossary. John Samuels, DOWN THE BOOKIES: THE FIRST 50 YEARS OF BETTING SHOPS, Australia: Racingform, 2011, 256pp. Richard Sasuly, BOOKIES & BETTORS: 200 YEARS OF GAMBLING, 1982, 266pp., biblio., index John C. Schmidt, WIN PLACE SHOW, A BIOGRAPHY OF HARRY STRAUS, THE MAN WHO GAVE AMERICA THE TOTE, Maryland: Schmidt, 1988, 137pp. Anthony Serritella, BOOK JOINT FOR SALE: MEMOIRS OF A BOOKIE, Bloomington, Indiana: AuthorHouse, 2011, 227pp. Charles Sidney, THE ART OF LEGGING, London: Maxline International, 1976, 227pp., illus., biblio., index Jimmy Snyder, JIMMY THE GREEK BY HIMSELF, Chicago: Playboy Press, 1975, 247pp., illus. Trixie, COUNTERPAIN, REFLECTIONS ON LIFE AS A BOOKIE'S CASHIER, Aesculus Press, Shropshire, England, 1994, 61pp., illus. Joe Ullman, WHAT'S THE ODDS -- STORIES OF THE TURF, NY: Metropolitan Printing Co., 1903, 159pp., illus. US Congress Senate Special Committee to Investigate Organized Crime in Interstate Commerce., THIRD INTERIM REPORT OF THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE TO INVESTIGATE ORGANIZED CRIME IN INTERSTATE COMMERCE (KEFAUVER CRIME REPORT), NY: ARCO Publishing Co., 1951, 188pp. US Congress Senate Committee on Government Operations, GAMBLING AND ORGANIZED CRIME HEARINGS . . ., Washington, DC: USGPO, 1961, 3 Vols., 809pp., illus., maps, index. Bill Waterhouse, WHAT ARE THE ODDS?: THE BILL WATERHOUSE STORY [memoir], Australia: Random House, 2010, 519pp. Percy White, THE GRIP OF THE BOOKMAKER [novel], New York: R. F. Fenno & Company, 1901, 349pp. Robert Wood, HOW TO BECOME A BOOKMAKER, London: Postlib Pubs., c.1955, 39pp., illus. Richard Woolley, THE COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO BETTING AND BOOKMAKING -- SETTLING AND BETTING SHOP MANAGEMENT, Yorkshire, England: The Securi-Pen Co., 1976, 146pp., Graphs, Charts, ads William Ziemba, DR. Z'S BEAT THE RACE-TRACK, NY: William Morrow & Co., 1984, 392pp. (rev: 1987, 524pp.), Graphs/Charts, biblio., index. |
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| email | © 1998, 2001 H. Layer, all rights reserved updated January 2013 |
Internet sports betting will use a lot of gambling terms that you may not be familiar with as a lot of the language comes from the 'street' language of old school bookies. The following is a Glossary of Gambling Terms for: NFL betting, College Football betting, NCAA Football betting, Baseball Betting, MMA Betting, UFC betting, Boxing wagering, NHL betting, NBA betting, NCAA Basketball betting, College Basketball Betting and other major sports. You will find all the major terms that Internet sportsbooks use in posting their betting lines.
Gambling Terminology
Slang for gambling is hard, but we're here to help! Gambling terms vary far and wide, but we have assembled a gambling terminology glossary here. All the gambling terminology and gambler slang you could ever find will be made clear here. You'll be speaking the gambling vocabulary after a quick review of this page in no time, including betting terms, and slang for gambling itself. Most of these are specific to sports betting, but still find their way to other areas online. Whether you're into NCAA Football betting, NFL betting, NCAA Basketball betting, College Basketball Betting, College Football betting, Baseball Betting, MMA Betting, UFC betting, Boxing wagering, NHL betting, NBA betting, or all other major sports, you'll be speaking gambler lingo in no time! This can be particularly challenging without help, as sports betting lingo, bet slang, betting jargon, betting lingo, betting acronyms, sports betting terminology, and specifically basketball betting terms all have very specific sports betting terms that need to be mastered to even make a bet! Football betting terms and football betting terminology in particular can be challenging, but we've got you covered there too:Action
- Any time you make a bet, this counts as an action.Added Game
- Any betting line not typically part of the usual pool of games to bet on in the Las Vegas rotation, but is included to benefit those making wagers with a bookie.ATS
- The ATS betting term means Against The Spread. This is when you're betting on the underdog team to win by a wide margin, and along with it, ample winnings.Bet
- Any time you put down money on the outcome of a sporting event, you're betting.Book
- Originally, bookies were the ones that took bets on sporting events. Book is short for any sportsbook or related group that takes these bets.Bookie
- The original term that started them all, a bookie is someone that takes bets on sporting events.Bookmaker
- Another term referencing a bookie that takes bets on sporting events.Buck
- A $100 bet, being an example of a sports betting slang term.Buy (Points)
- If you are willing to pay more for it, you can get a half point or more in your favor on any point spread you bet on.Canadian Line
- Alternatively called a Puck Line, this is a mixture of a Point Spread and Moneyline.Chalk
- Another slang term, this one meaning the favored side to win.Chalk Player
- Anyone that typically bets on the favored side and never on underdogs.Circled Game
- Events of this kind have lower betting limits and limitations on how many people can get so a bookie won't carry as much risk. Sometimes called a Red Circle box. This happens when unintended circumstances may adversely effect the outcome of an event, such as player injuries, unusual weather conditions, and games being unexpectedly added. Doesn't include parlays and teaser wagers.Cover
- Any time a point spread is won.Dime Bet
- Another betting slang term that means a $1000 bet is placed.Dimeline
- When the favored party and the underdog only differ on their moneyline by 10 cents, such as the Yankees and Red Socks. This is used in baseball to attract eager gamblings looking for a decent risk to reward ratio.Dog
- The underdog not favored to win in an event.Dog Player
- A gambler that typically bets on the underdog.Dollar Bet
- Another betting slang term, here meaning $100. It's the same as 'Buck,' and they are used interchangeably just like the terms are outside of gambling.Even Money
- Any wager with 1:1 odds, meaning there is no juice or vigorish.Exotic Wager
- Wagers that aren't Straight Bets or Parlays count as exotic wagers, such as Teasers, Sweetheart Teasers, IF bet, Reverses, and Prop bets.Favorite
- Any side expected to win an event. The opposite of the dog or underdog.Fifth Inning Line (5 Inn.)
- Any bet placed on only the initial 5 innings of any baseball game.Fifty Cents
- Another betting slang term that means a $50 bet.First Half Bet (1H)
- Bets placed on a football or basketball game that only account for the score up to halftime.Future
- The betting odds calculated in advanced on future sporting events.Getting Value
- Gambling vocabulary for the best odds on betting line.Grand Salami
- The Total of goals scored in all hockey games played on the same day.Grading
- After you bet and the event has been decided, this is when the amount is put into your account.Half a Dollar
- Another piece of gambling slang for a $50 wager.Half Time Bet (2H)
- The opposite of a First Half Bet, this is any bet placed on the second half of a football or basketball game.Handicapper
- These are the people that look at all available information on a sporting event, and calculate the odds of the outcome.Handicapping
- This is the act of the above when calculating the outcome of an event.Handle
- The gross total of bets taken by a bookie on a sporting event.Hedging
- Betting on both sides of an event to keep losses at a minimum or guarantee a bare minimum amount of winnings. Considered to be a safe betting strategy that sacrifices maximum winnings for protection from losses.Hook
- When half a point is added to football or basketball betting through gamblers buying points. Also referred to as buying the 'hook'.Hot Game
- Any game attracting the attention of many professional handicappers.Juice
- A bookie's commission on the bets made, which is referred to as the 'vigorish' as well. A standard juice is typically 10%.Laying the Points
- Betting on the favorite in any point spread betting line.Limit
- A hard limit placed on the total betting amount for any event.Line
- The present betting odds on any event. Lines like these are always updated in real time.Linemaker
Bookie Gambling Costume
- Someone at a bookmaker that establishes an original betting line and all subsequent betting lines stemming from it.Longshot
- Any side of a sporting event unlikely to win, similar to the underdog.Middle
- A strategy of betting on both sides of an event at different amounts. Called the 'middle the game' someone wins, and similar to Hedging.MMA
- Stands for Mixed Martial Arts.Moneyline
- Any betting odds where the wager is settled when one side of an event wins. An example would be a -120 team requiring $120 to win $100 when that team won.Nickel Line
- This is when the commission a bookie receives on a betting line is 5%. Also called reduced juice.Nickel
- A betting slang term for a $500 wager.No Action
- When a bet is cancelled because the event did not happen (i.e. rain out in MLB). All money is returned to bettor.Odds
- How likely different outcomes of a sporting event are, which largely tends to determine the winnings potential.Off The Board
- When a bookie closes open betting for an event.Oddsmaker
- The one that determines the odds of a sporting event.One Dollar
- Another gambling betting slang term for wagering $100.Opening Line
- The initial betting line made public by a bookie for a sporting event.Over
- A bet placed on the total scores of both teams in a sporting event combined. Typically, bets are made that it will be above a specified total amount.Parlay
- Betting on two or more teams at a time. All teams must win in order to receive the highest payout. If one team loses, it is considered a loss.Pick ‘em
- An event where no side of a sporting event is favored to win. Sometimes called a ‘Pick'.Point Spread
- Using the handicap chosen by the bookmakers, this determines how much will be awarded to winning bets.Press
- Betting in an amount that is far higher than a typical wager.Price
- Determined by the point spread or the odds given on a moneyline.Prop (Proposition) Bet
- Betting on two or more outcomes that have nothing to do with an event's final score or winning team. They tend to be placed on specific players, an entire sport, political occurrences, celebrity gossip, and related things.Push
- This occurs when no one wins a wager. Wagers in this case are returned.Quarter Line (1Q, 2Q, 3Q, 4Q)
- Any bet placed on a specific quarter in a basketball or football game.Reverse Bet
- This occurs when two IF bets are placed.Risk
- The amount that is bet on a particular sporting event.Round Robin
- A style of tournament that allows many parlays to occur at the same time.Run Down
- A summary of the betting lines determined for a specific date, sport, or time.Run Line
- Particular to Baseball, this is their version of a Point Spread.Sharp
- A gambling term for professional or highly experienced bettors.Sides
- The teams in a sporting event.Single
- A simple wager.Sportsbook
- Much like a bookie, any company accepting bets, in this case on sporting events.Spread
- A short reference used in the same fashion as a Point Spread. Usually posted by the line maker, this is determined by the odds of the outcomes of a sporting event.Square
- Someone new to betting on sports.Bookie Gambling Definition
Standard Line
- When a betting line is -110 for all sides. Standard lines have 10% juice.Steam
- When a betting line changes and is reposted because of how popular it is among bettors.Stake
- The specific amount of a placed bet.Staight Bet
- A bet placed on a single sporting event.Straight Up (SU) Bet
- When a bet is won despite the point spread. This is commonly known as a moneyline wager as well.Sweetheart Teaser
- A teaser which brings together 3 or 4 football or basketball bets and allows for gamblers to adjust their total and point spread in their favor.Bookie Gambling Terms
Taking The Points
- Wagering on the underdog in the Point Spread.Taking The Price
Teaser
- A parlay that allows for an increased point spread or total in exchange for reduced payout odds.Ticket
- Used interchangeably with wager because real world sports betting used to involve giving tickets as proof of a wager. Many still do, such as horse races!Tie
- Also known as a Push. Risk amount of wager is returned to the bettor.Total
Bookie Gambling Definition
- The score of both teams in an event combined, including any overtime.Totals Bet
- A bet made on the total score of both teams added together.Tout
- Someone selling services as a sports handicapper.Under
- A bet on the sum score of all teams in a sporting event with the Total amount being under a certain value. The opposite of an Over.Underdog
- Any team expected to lose an event. Also called the 'dog'.Value
- Getting the best possible odds on a wager.Vig or Vigorish
- A bookmaker's commission. Also called the 'juice,' which is assumed to be at least 10% on a losing wager.Wager
- Risking money on the outcome of an event. Also called a bet.Wise Guy
- A highly successful sports bettor.You're Now a Sports Betting Terms Definition Master!
With the knowledge you've gained here on gambling terms for sports, slang for gamblers, and betting terminology, you're now fully equipped to bet like a Wise Guy, beat the Spread, and walk away a winner with any Bookie you happen to Wager with. Best of luck in your Sports Betting!