Sports Betting Terms Glossary
Betting apps throw jargon at you from the first screen. Here's what the common terms actually mean, in plain English, for South African punters.
By Dilgo Media Ltd · Last updated: 28 August 2026
- Accumulator (Acca)
- A single bet combining multiple selections, where all of them need to win for the bet to pay out. Higher potential payout, higher risk: one losing leg loses the whole bet.
- Bankroll
- The total amount of money you've set aside for betting, separate from money needed for anything else. See our budget calculator for working out a sensible amount.
- Cash Out
- An option to settle a bet before the event finishes, for a payout the operator calculates based on the current state of play. Usually less than the full potential payout, in exchange for certainty.
- Decimal Odds
- The odds format used by almost all South African bookmakers, where your total payout equals your stake multiplied by the odds. See our odds converter to switch between formats.
- Draw No Bet
- A bet type on a two-outcome market (e.g. Team A or Team B) where your stake is refunded if the match ends in a draw, instead of losing.
- Each Way
- A bet split into two parts: one on the selection to win outright, one on it placing in the top positions (common in racing). Both parts are settled separately.
- FICA Verification
- The identity-check process (named after the Financial Intelligence Centre Act) that licensed SA bookmakers must run before paying out a withdrawal, typically an ID document and proof of address.
- Fixed Odds
- Odds that are locked in at the price you placed the bet, regardless of how the odds move afterwards. That's different from pool or tote betting, where payouts depend on the total pool.
- Handicap
- A points or goals advantage/disadvantage applied to a team before betting, used to level an uneven match-up. Also called a spread in American terminology.
- In-Play / Live Betting
- Betting placed on a match or event after it has already started, with odds updating in real time as the action unfolds.
- Margin (Overround / Vig)
- The built-in edge a bookmaker holds on a market, reflected in odds that add up to slightly more than 100% implied probability. It's how bookmakers make money over the long run regardless of individual results.
- Moneyline
- American-style odds format showing a plus or minus number (e.g. +150, -200) instead of a decimal. See our odds converter for quick conversion.
- Odds
- A number representing both the bookmaker's assessment of an outcome's likelihood and what it will pay out if you win, expressed in decimal, fractional or American format depending on the platform.
- Outright
- A bet on the overall winner of a tournament or competition (e.g. league champion), rather than a single match.
- Over/Under (Totals)
- A bet on whether a statistic in a match (usually total goals or points) will be above or below a number set by the bookmaker.
- Provincial Gambling Board
- The regulator that licenses and audits bookmakers in South Africa. Gambling regulation is provincial (e.g. Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal), not national. See our legal betting guide.
- Push
- A bet that's neither won nor lost because the result landed exactly on the handicap or total line. Your stake is simply refunded.
- Stake
- The amount of money you put on a bet. Your potential payout is calculated from this and the odds.
- Tote / Pool Betting
- A betting pool where all stakes on a market are combined and the payout depends on the size of the pool and how many people picked the winning outcome, rather than a fixed price agreed upfront.
- Underdog
- The competitor or team considered less likely to win, reflected in higher odds (and a larger potential payout) than the favourite.
- Value Bet
- A bet where you judge the true probability of an outcome to be higher than what the odds imply. Identifying genuine value requires honest analysis, not wishful thinking, and no app can reliably do this for you (see our note on predictor claims).
- Wagering Requirement
- A condition attached to bonus funds, requiring you to bet a multiple of the bonus amount before you can withdraw related winnings. Always read the specific number and time limit before relying on a bonus offer.
- Yield
- A measure of long-term betting performance: total profit or loss divided by total amount staked, expressed as a percentage. Used by more serious bettors to track results over many bets rather than judging by a single outcome.
Understanding these terms doesn't change the underlying risk of betting. It just means you're reading the same language the app is speaking. If you're working out how much to responsibly spend, start with our budget calculator.