Betting Glossary

Returns

The amount the customer collects including the original stake. Sometimes customers mistakenly refer to returns as winnings.

Selection(s)

The horse, greyhound, football team etc. that the customer has predicted as a winner of a particular event. The selection can be identified in one of these ways:

1. By name

2. Trap or race card no.

3. Football - home (1), away (2), draw (X)

4. Horses 1st fav., 2nd fav., 3rd fav.

5. Greyhounds - 1st fav. Only

Show

A list of prices on an event publicised by SIS or a similar source.

Stake

The amount of money a customer wishes to wager on a particular selection.

Stake unit

The minimum stake needed for a particular speciality bet.

Starting prices/SP

The odds at which a wager is settled unless an alternative price is previously agreed.

Stewards enquiry

An investigation carried out by the stewards into any suspected infringements of the rules during a race.

Joint favourites

When 2 selections are at the same shortest price in an event.

Odds against

A betting price where the odds are greater than evens, i.e. the winnings are larger than the stake.

Odds on

A betting price where the odds are lesser than evens i.e. the winnings are smaller than the stake.

Pari-mutuel

Pari-mutuel is the French totalisator. English bookmakers frequently pay Pari-mutuel returns on major French events.

Permutations/perm

A term used most frequently in football betting meaning "any", e.g. "perm three from five" means trebles in five selections.

Balloted out

The process by which the number of runners in a race is reduced, on the occasions when more horses have been entered for a race than is permitted for safety reasons. This is done in ascending order of weight.

Bar price

Those runners in an event quoted without a price during early betting shows by SIS.

Dead-heat

Two or more runners that are considered to have finished the race together, i.e. the judge cannot separate them even after seeing the photo finish print.

Each-way

A term for a selection backed to win or be placed.

Favourite

The most backed entrant, i.e. the one with the shortest price. First show

The first list of prices for an event.

Forecast

A bet where you must predict the 1st and 2nd in a horse or greyhound race in the correct order.

Early prices

Prices offered on selected races that day in advance of racecourse betting.

Evens

A price in which the winnings are equal to the original stake money.

Full cover

The total number of doubles, trebles and accumulators in a given number of selections.

Handicap

A race in which competitors do not start on equal terms, e.g. horses carry extra weights, dogs have extra yards/metres to run.

If lose

A condition to the placing of a bet in which subsequent wagers depend on whether or not a previous selection loses.

Accumulator

A bet involving two or more selections. The returns from the first selection are invested on the second selection, the returns from which are invested on the third selection, and so on until the bet finishes.

All weather track

The surface of the track is designed to reduce the impact of the bad weather conditions, thereby reducing the likelihood of racing being unable to take place.

Ante-post betting

Ante-post prices are the prices offered on all major events before the day of the event. Bets are normally taken on the understanding that if the selection does not take part in the event (e.g. the horse does not run) the wager is lost.

Any to come betting ( a.k.a. If cash)

A term used when part of the returns from one bet are re-invested on a later bet.

Acceptance stages

The dates on which owners and trainers must decide whether or not to run their horses in a particular race.

Across the card

Betting on races at the same time at different meetings.

At the post

A term indicating that all the horses are at the starting point of the race.

B.A.G.S.

B.A.G.S. stands for Bookmakers' Afternoon Greyhound Service.

B.A.G.S. forecast

The computerised forecast dividend declared at B.A.G.S. greyhound meetings.

Board prices

The prices relayed from the racecourse during pre-race betting. These may be taken by customers and, if so, they are the price at which the bets are settled, regardless of the final returned starting price.

Co-favourite

When there are 3 or more selections at the same shortest price in an event.

Computer straight forecast (CSF)

Dividend declared to a £1 unit and paid to customers who successfully forecast 1st and 2nd in the correct order in a horse/greyhound race.