What is the vig in sports betting?
The vig, or juice, is the bookmaker’s cut, built into the prices. When both sides of a bet are −110, the two prices add up to more than a fair bet would, and the difference is what the book keeps: about 4.5% of the money staked.
With −110 on both sides, the implied chances add up to 104.76% and the book keeps 4.55% of the money staked. In 2025, New Jersey’s sportsbooks kept 4.9% of the money bet on everything except parlays.
See what the vig does over 500 betsThe house edge of every sports bet
Where the vig comes from: one bettor on each side
| One game settled | Units |
|---|---|
| Staked by the two bettors | 220 |
| Paid to the winner, stake included | 210 |
| Kept by the book | 10 |
| Share of the money staked | 4.55% |
Why
A fair bet on a coin flip would pay even money: risk 100 to win 100. The book offers −110 instead, so the winner collects 100 while the loser pays 110, and the book keeps the 10 whichever side wins. To find the vig in any set of prices, turn each one into the chance it implies (1 divided by the decimal odds), add them up, and see how far the total is above 100%.
The vig in other sets of prices
| Prices | Implied chances add up to | House edge |
|---|---|---|
| −105 / −105 | 102.44% | 2.38% |
| −110 / −110 | 104.76% | 4.55% |
| −115 / −115 | 106.98% | 6.52% |
| −120 / −120 | 109.09% | 8.33% |
| −115 / −105 | 104.71% | 4.50% |
| −150 / +130 | 103.48% | 3.36% |
| −200 / +170 | 103.70% | 3.57% |
| −300 / +250 | 103.57% | 3.45% |
| +120 / +230 / +250 | 104.33% | 4.15% |
Turn each price into the chance it implies, which is 1 divided by its decimal odds, and add the chances up. Whatever the total has above 100% is the bookmaker’s margin. Spread evenly over the outcomes, it gives every one of them a house edge of 1 − 1/total.