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A bookmaker is a person or company that accepts and pays out bets on various events, most commonly sports events, but sometimes also political events, reality TV outcomes, or other competitions. Bookmakers, also called “bookies,” set the odds for each possible outcome, which helps them manage risk and ensure profitability over the long term.
Here’s a quick breakdown of their role and how they work:
Setting Odds: Bookmakers analyze events and calculate odds based on likely outcomes. For example, in sports, they consider player stats, weather conditions, and other factors. These odds reflect the probability of an outcome and influence how much a bettor stands to win or lose.
Taking Bets: Bookmakers allow people to place bets on outcomes, from which they may collect a small commission or margin. This ensures they make money regardless of the outcome, provided they balance the bets correctly.
Managing Risk: By adjusting odds based on incoming bets and other factors, bookmakers try to keep their risk minimal, aiming to ensure that they pay out less than what they collect from losing bets.
Payouts: After an event concludes, bookmakers pay winners based on the odds at the time they placed their bets.
Today, many bookmakers operate online, offering a wide variety of sports, e-sports, and special events for betting. The largest companies even have complex algorithms and AI models to refine their odds and stay competitive.