53 terms explained
Betting glossary A–Z
Plain-English definitions of the betting words you will see on Zimbabwean bookmaker sites, from 1X2, GG and NG to accumulator, cash out, void bet and wagering requirement.
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- 1X2Also: match result, full-time result
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The match result market. 1 = home team wins, X = draw, 2 = away team wins. Settled on the score after 90 minutes plus stoppage time.
Example:In Dynamos vs CAPS United, a bet on "2" wins only if CAPS United win.
A
- AccumulatorAlso: acca, accumulator bet
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One bet that combines two or more selections. The odds are multiplied together, and every selection must win for the bet to pay out.
Example:Three selections at 1.50, 2.00 and 1.80 give combined odds of 5.40. A $1 accumulator would pay $5.40 if all three win.
- American oddsAlso: moneyline odds
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An odds format used mainly in the USA. A plus number (+150) shows the profit on a $100 stake; a minus number (−200) shows the stake needed to win $100 profit. +150 equals decimal 2.50.
- Asian handicapAlso: AH
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A handicap bet with no draw option. Whole-number lines can refund your stake, and quarter lines (such as −0.75) split your stake across two lines.
B
- Banker
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A selection a punter feels very confident about and builds a bet around, often used as the fixed selection in a system bet or included in every accumulator.
- BankrollAlso: betting budget
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The total amount of money you have set aside for betting: money you could lose without affecting essential spending.
- Bet builderAlso: same game multi, betbuilder
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A bet that combines several selections from the same match, such as the result, total goals and both teams to score, into one bet priced by the bookmaker.
- Bet slipAlso: betting slip, betslip
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The area of a betting site or app where your chosen selections collect before you enter a stake and confirm the bet.
- Booking codeAlso: book a bet, booking number
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A short code that saves the selections on a bet slip so they can be reloaded later, on another device or at a betting shop, without picking them again.
- BookmakerAlso: bookie, sportsbook, betting company, betting shop, betting house
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A company that accepts bets on sports and other events at odds it sets, and pays out winning bets. In Zimbabwe, bookmakers are often called betting shops or betting houses, and they are licensed by the Lotteries and Gaming Board.
- BTTSAlso: both teams to score
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Both Teams To Score. "BTTS Yes" wins if both teams score at least once; "BTTS No" wins if at least one team does not score. Shown as GG/NG on many Zimbabwean sites.
C
- Cash outAlso: cashout, cash-out
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An offer from the bookmaker to settle your bet before the event finishes, for an amount it sets at that moment. The offer usually includes a margin for the bookmaker.
- Clean sheetAlso: to keep a clean sheet
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When a team finishes a match without conceding a goal. "Clean sheet" markets ask whether a team will keep one.
Example:If Highlanders beat FC Platinum 2–0, Highlanders kept a clean sheet.
- Correct score
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A market where you predict the exact final score of a match, such as 2–1. It is hard to get right, so the odds are high.
D
- Decimal oddsAlso: european odds
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The odds format used by bookmakers in Zimbabwe. The number shows the total return per $1 staked, including the stake. Odds of 2.50 return $2.50 for every $1.
- Deposit
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Money you add to your betting account, for example from EcoCash, InnBucks, O'mari or a bank card, so you can place bets.
- Double chanceAlso: 1X, X2
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A bet that covers two of the three match results: 1X (home or draw), X2 (draw or away) or 12 (either team wins). It wins more often than 1X2 but pays less.
- Draw no betAlso: DNB
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A bet on one team to win where a draw returns your stake. Win: paid. Draw: stake back. Lose: stake lost.
E
- European handicapAlso: three-way handicap, handicap 1X2
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A handicap bet with three outcomes (handicap home, handicap draw, handicap away) using whole-number handicaps. There are no refunds.
F
- FavouriteAlso: favorite
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The team or player the bookmaker thinks is most likely to win, shown by the lowest odds. Favourites still lose often.
- Fractional oddsAlso: UK odds
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An odds format common in the UK, written like 3/2 or 5/1. It shows profit relative to stake: 3/2 means $3 profit for every $2 staked. 3/2 equals decimal 2.50.
- Free betAlso: freebet, free bets
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A bet token given by a bookmaker, usually as a promotion. If a free bet wins, you normally receive only the winnings, not the value of the token itself.
G
- GGAlso: goal goal
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"Goal goal": both teams score at least one goal. GG wins with scores like 1–1, 2–1 or 3–2, and loses with 0–0, 1–0 or 3–0. Same as BTTS Yes.
Example:Highlanders 2–1 FC Platinum is GG, because both teams scored.
H
- Half-time/full-timeAlso: HT/FT, HTFT
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A market where you predict the result at half-time and at full-time in one bet, for example "X/1": level at half-time, home win at full-time.
- HandicapAlso: handicap betting
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A virtual head start or deficit given to a team before the match. You add the handicap to the real score to settle the bet.
Example:Manchester City −1.5 wins only if City win by two or more goals.
I
- Implied probability
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The chance of an outcome suggested by its odds: 100 ÷ decimal odds. Odds of 2.50 imply a 40% chance. Because of the bookmaker's margin, implied probabilities in a market add up to more than 100%.
Example:Odds of 4.00 imply a 25% chance.
- In-playAlso: in play
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Betting on an event after it has started. Odds change constantly and markets are suspended around goals, penalties and red cards. Also called live betting.
J
- JackpotAlso: jackpot bet
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A bookmaker promotion where you predict the results of a fixed list of matches for a large prize. The chance of getting every result right is very small.
K
- KYCAlso: know your customer, account verification
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"Know your customer": the checks a bookmaker makes to confirm your identity and age, usually by asking for an ID document and sometimes proof of address.
L
- LegAlso: selection leg
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One selection inside an accumulator or multibet. A five-leg accumulator has five selections.
- Live betting
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Placing bets while a match is in progress. Also called in-play betting.
M
- MarginAlso: overround, vig, vigorish, juice
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The profit built into a bookmaker's odds. Add up 100 ÷ odds for every outcome in a market: anything above 100% is the margin.
Example:Odds of 2.50, 3.10 and 2.90 add up to about 106.7%, a margin of about 6.7%.
- MultibetAlso: multi bet, multiple
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Another name for an accumulator: one bet with several selections, all of which must win. The odds are multiplied together.
N
- NGAlso: no goal
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"No goal": at least one team does not score. NG wins with scores like 0–0, 1–0 or 3–0. Same as BTTS No.
Example:Dynamos 1–0 CAPS United is NG, because CAPS United did not score.
O
- Odd/evenAlso: odd even
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A market on whether the total number of goals will be odd or even. A 0–0 draw counts as even.
- Odds
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The price of an outcome. In decimal format, odds show the total amount returned per $1 staked if the bet wins. Lower odds mean the bookmaker thinks the outcome is more likely.
- Over/UnderAlso: totals, over 2.5, under 2.5, over 1.5
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A bet on the total number of goals (or corners, cards and so on) being over or under a line. Over 2.5 goals needs 3 or more goals; under 2.5 needs 2 or fewer.
P
- PayoutAlso: return, returns, gross payout
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The total amount a winning bet pays back: stake × decimal odds. The payout includes your stake; it is not the same as profit.
Example:$2 at odds of 2.50 has a payout of $5.00.
- ProfitAlso: net winnings
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What you gain from a winning bet: payout minus stake, before any tax or fees.
Example:$2 at odds of 2.50: payout $5.00, profit $3.00.
- PunterAlso: punters
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A person who places bets. The word is widely used in Zimbabwe and the UK.
- Push
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A result that lands exactly on a whole-number line, such as exactly 2 goals on "over 2". The bet neither wins nor loses and your stake is returned.
Example:You bet over 2 goals and the match ends 1–1: it is a push and your stake comes back.
S
- Selection
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One outcome you choose on a bet slip, such as "Dynamos to win" or "over 2.5 goals".
- Single betAlso: single, singles
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A bet on one selection only. It wins or loses on that one outcome. The payout is stake × odds.
- StakeAlso: stakes, staking
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The amount of money you put on a bet. If the bet loses, you lose the stake.
Example:If you bet $2 on Highlanders, your stake is $2.
- Suspended marketAlso: locked market, market suspended
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A market that temporarily stops accepting bets, usually during live play when a goal, penalty, red card or video review is likely or happening.
- System betAlso: system bets
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A bet that turns your selections into several smaller accumulators so that you can still win something if some selections lose. Each combination costs a stake.
U
- UnderdogAlso: outsider
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The team or player the bookmaker thinks is less likely to win, shown by higher odds.
V
- Value betAlso: value betting
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A bet where you believe the true chance of an outcome is higher than the chance implied by the odds. It is an opinion, not a guarantee, and estimating "true" chances accurately is very hard.
- Virtual sportsAlso: virtuals, virtual football
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Computer-simulated matches and races with results decided by a random number generator. They run every few minutes and carry a built-in house edge.
- Void betAlso: void, voided bet
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A bet that is cancelled and settled as if it never happened: a single bet returns your stake, and a void selection in an accumulator counts as odds of 1.00.
W
- Wagering requirementAlso: rollover, playthrough, wagering requirements
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The amount you must bet before bonus money (and winnings from it) can be withdrawn, usually written as a multiple such as "3x" or "30x" the bonus.
- Welcome bonusAlso: sign-up bonus, first deposit bonus
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A promotion for new customers, often a percentage added to the first deposit. It almost always comes with wagering requirements and other conditions.
- Withdrawal
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Moving money from your betting balance back to your mobile wallet or bank account. Bookmakers may require verification first.