Quick answer: this glossary explains 58 sports betting terms in plain English, from 1X2 and Asian handicap to rollover and xG. Each entry is a short definition. Where we have a full guide on the topic, the entry links to it so you can read the details before you bet.
Melbet Casino Guide is an independent guide, not a bookmaker. Market names and settlement rules vary between sites, so always read the rules on the betting site itself.
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- 1X2
- The three-way result market in football: 1 is a home win, X is a draw and 2 is an away win. Because there are three outcomes, each price is longer than in a two-way market. Read the guide →
A
- Accumulator (acca)
- One bet that links several selections together. Every selection has to win, and the odds multiply, which is why the payout grows fast while the chance of winning shrinks.
- Accumulator insurance
- A promotion that refunds your stake, usually as a free bet, if exactly one leg of a qualifying accumulator loses. Check the minimum number of legs and minimum odds. Read the guide →
- Against the spread (ATS)
- Betting on whether a team wins or loses by more than the points line, rather than simply who wins. Common in basketball and American football. Read the guide →
- Alternative lines
- Extra handicap or totals lines offered beside the main one, such as over 2.5 and over 3.5 goals. A safer line pays less and a harder line pays more.
- Ante-post
- A bet placed well before an event, often before the final field is known. Prices can be bigger, but in racing your stake is usually lost if your pick does not run. Read the guide →
- Asian handicap
- A handicap that removes the draw by giving one team a goal start, including half and quarter lines. On whole-number lines a tie in the handicapped result returns your stake.
B
- Banker
- In an accumulator or system bet, the selection you are most confident in and include in every combination.
- Bet builder
- A bet that combines several markets from the same match, such as a result, a goalscorer and a corners total. The legs are related, so the price is not simply the odds multiplied.
- Bet slip
- The panel where your selections, stake and potential return appear before you confirm the bet. Always check the odds and stake here before you tap place bet. Read the guide →
- Bookmaker (bookie)
- The company that sets the odds and takes bets. Its margin is built into the prices, which is how it makes money over time.
- Both teams to score (BTTS)
- A football market on whether both sides score at least one goal. The final result does not matter, only that each team finds the net. Read the guide →
C
- Cash out
- An offer to settle your bet before the event ends, for less than the full return if it is winning or a partial refund if it is losing. The offer includes the bookmaker’s margin. Read the guide →
- Correct score
- A bet on the exact final score. It pays long odds because many scorelines are possible.
- Cover
- When a team beats the handicap or spread you backed. A favourite giving 5.5 points covers by winning by 6 or more.
D
- Decimal odds
- Odds shown as one number, such as 2.50, that already include your stake. Multiply the stake by the odds to get the total return. Read the guide →
- Double chance
- A bet that covers two of the three 1X2 outcomes, such as home win or draw. It wins more often but pays much less. Read the guide →
- Draw no bet
- A bet on a team to win where your stake is returned if the match is drawn. Read the guide →
E
- Each way
- Two equal bets in one, common in horse racing: one on your pick to win and one on it to place. An each-way bet costs double the stated stake. Read the guide →
- Even money
- Odds where a win returns the same amount as your stake in profit: 2.00 decimal, 1/1 fractional or +100 moneyline.
- Exotic bets
- Racing bets on several finishers, such as an exacta (first and second in order) or a trifecta (first three in order). They pay big because they are hard to hit. Read the guide →
F
- Favourite
- The selection the market expects to win, shown with the shortest odds.
- First goalscorer
- A bet on which player scores the first goal of a match. Own goals usually do not count, so read the rules for how they are settled.
- Fractional odds
- UK-style odds such as 5/2, showing profit relative to stake. A 5/2 bet returns ₱5 profit for every ₱2 staked, plus the stake back. Read the guide →
- Free bet
- A bonus stake from the bookmaker. If it wins you usually keep only the profit, because the free-bet stake itself is not returned. Read the guide →
- Futures (outright)
- A bet on the result of a whole season or tournament, such as the PBA champion. Your money is tied up until the end of the competition.
H
- Half-time/full-time
- A market where you predict the result at half-time and at full-time together, such as draw/home.
- Handicap
- A head start or deficit applied to one side so the market is closer to even. The bet is settled on the result after the handicap is applied.
- Hedging
- Placing a second bet against your first to lock in profit or reduce a possible loss. It lowers risk, but you pay the bookmaker’s margin twice.
I
- In-play (live betting)
- Betting while the event is already under way, with odds that move after every play. Read the guide →
K
- KYC
- Know Your Customer: the ID checks a betting site runs before it lets you withdraw. Doing it early avoids delays on your first payout. Read the guide →
L
- Longshot
- A selection with long odds and a low implied chance of winning.
M
- Method of victory
- A combat-sports market on how a fight ends: knockout, submission or decision. Read the guide →
- Minimum odds
- The lowest odds a bet must have to count for a promotion or bonus rollover. A bet at lower odds is placed normally but does not count. Read the guide →
- Moneyline
- A bet on who wins outright, with no handicap. In American odds, -150 means you stake ₱150 to win ₱100 and +130 means ₱100 wins ₱130. Read the guide →
O
- Odds boost
- A promotion that raises the price on a chosen selection for a limited time. Read the guide →
- Odds-on
- Odds shorter than even money, such as 1.50, where the profit is smaller than the stake.
- Over/under (totals)
- A bet on whether a combined number, such as goals, points or games, finishes above or below a line set by the bookmaker. Read the guide →
P
- Parlay
- The American name for an accumulator: one bet that links several selections that all have to win.
- Pick'em (PK)
- A handicap line of zero, where neither side gets a head start. Whoever wins the match wins the bet.
- Place
- In racing, finishing in one of the paid positions. How many places pay depends on the number of runners and the race type. Read the guide →
- Player props
- Bets on an individual’s numbers rather than the result, such as a basketball player’s points or rebounds. Read the guide →
- Push
- A result that lands exactly on the line, so the bet is neither won nor lost and the stake is returned.
R
- Race to (billiards)
- The format of most pool matches: the first player to win a set number of racks wins the match. Handicaps and totals are based on racks. Read the guide →
- Rollover
- How many times you must bet a bonus or deposit before you can withdraw it, also called wagering. Minimum odds and deadlines usually apply. Read the guide →
- Round betting
- A boxing or MMA bet on the exact round, or group of rounds, in which a fight ends. Read the guide →
- Run line
- Baseball’s version of the spread, usually set at 1.5 runs. Read the guide →
S
- Set betting
- A bet on the exact set score of a match, such as 2-1 in tennis or 3-1 in volleyball. Read the guide →
- Settlement
- When the bookmaker grades a bet as won, lost or void and pays any return. Each market has its own settlement rules, for example whether extra time counts.
- Single
- A bet on one selection only. It is the simplest bet and carries the bookmaker’s margin once.
- Spread
- The points handicap set to balance a match, such as -6.5 for the favourite. Read the guide →
- Stake
- The amount you put on a bet.
- System bet
- A set of accumulators covering combinations of your picks, such as a Trixie or Yankee, so the bet can still return something if one selection loses.
T
- Tipster
- A person who sells or shares betting picks. A long, verifiable record matters far more than a short run of wins.
U
- Underdog
- The selection the market expects to lose, shown with the longer odds.
V
- Void bet
- A bet cancelled by the bookmaker, for example because a match was abandoned or a player did not start. The stake is returned.
W
- Walkover
- When a player or team advances without playing, often through injury. Many tennis markets are voided after a walkover. Read the guide →
X
- xG (expected goals)
- A football stat that rates the quality of chances, where each shot is valued by how often similar shots are scored. Read the guide →
Final thoughts
Knowing the terms will not change the odds, but it stops you placing a bet you did not mean to place. If a market is new to you, read its settlement rules first and start with a small stake.
21+ only. Bet only what you can afford to lose. If betting stops being fun, see our responsible gambling page for free help in the Philippines.