The New Language of Sports Betting: Terminology and Slangs

Sports betting in the US is evolving fast as technology evolves. The youth are attracted to sports betting more, and they have developed new terms and slangs. If you are new to sports betting, this new language might confuse you. You only need a little effort to learn the language, and you will fit well in the field.

Bonus – A bonus in an online sportsbook means to receive a reward or token of appreciation. It is given under different circumstances, such as after signup, depositing, placing bets, and so on.

Chalk – When a team or an individual is favored in a match, they are termed “chalk.” A chalk bettor means a person who bets on a favorite team or individual.

Dog – The full name for a dog is an underdog, and it means a team or individual player who is likely to lose a game. The opposite of a dog is chalk.

Action – Action is widely used in movies to mean to begin acting. When using slang in conversations, action would mean placing a bet. Another word that means the same as placing bets is wager or wagering. Wagering is the action of placing bets in sports betting.

Handle – Someone might ask you something like – “what was your handle in this bet?” What they want to know is the total bet you placed or the value of your bet.

Crypto casino – When you see the term crypto casino, it means that the casino allows the use of crypto coins when betting. Some may restrict to a specific crypto coin, while others may allow betting with different types of coins.

Hook – You will often notice bets with points such as 2.5, 3.5, 1.5, and so on. The 0.5 is what is called a hook. It can also be called half a point, and it prevents the opportunity for a bet to tie or push.

Bookie – In the betting field, you will likely come across illegal bookmakers. They operate in states or countries where sports betting is not allowed. They are mostly individuals and not companies operating in what you might call the back street market. These are the ones referred to as bookies.

Edge – This means the profit margin a bettor or casino is likely to get after a bet is placed.

Juice – Sportsbooks ensure they get a commission after every bet. This is what is called juice.

Parlay – A bettor may, at times, combine more than one bet into one to increase the chances of a good payout. This combination is what is called a parlay. It attracts other names such as combo bet, multi-bet, and accumulator.

Bad beat – Sometimes, a person may place a bet, and they are almost certain they will win. Something might happen that suddenly changes that probability, and the person loses their bet. In this case, the bettor would say they had a bad beat.

Circle game – When a player or a team is favored, the bet limits are generally higher. The casino might foresee a problem in a game. They might foresee the game results not being good due to bad weather, injury, or bad rumors. In such a case, they lower the betting limits than usual. This is what is called a circle game.

Dead heat – When a bettor experiences a tie at the finishing point, they use the term dead heat.

Even money – There are chances when a bettor gets almost a 50% chance to win a bet. For example, if they bet $10, they have a chance to win $10. The person would say they have even money.

Hedging – To hedge means to place a bet that is exactly the opposite of what you placed last. It helps increase the chances of winning.