Knowledge Base
Glossary
Plain-English definitions for the terminology used across Football Compass.
- American Odds
- Odds expressed as a positive or negative number indicating how much you win on a 100‑unit stake.
- Arbitrage
- Exploiting differences in odds across bookmakers to guarantee a profit regardless of the result.
- Bankroll Management
- The practice of setting aside a specific amount of money for betting and deciding how much to stake per bet.
- Bet Slip
- The digital record that lists your chosen bets, the stake, and the potential payout.
- Bonus Abuse
- Taking advantage of promotions in ways not intended, such as creating multiple accounts to claim bonuses repeatedly.
- Cash Out
- A feature allowing you to settle a bet before the event ends, either to secure a win or cut a loss.
- Decimal Odds
- A way to express odds as a single number (e.g., 2.50) that includes the stake in the total return.
- Expected Value (EV)
- The average amount you can expect to win or lose per bet if the same odds were offered many times.
- Fractional Odds
- Odds displayed as a fraction (e.g., 3/1) showing the profit relative to the stake.
- Futures Bet
- A wager placed on the outcome of a tournament or award that will be decided weeks or months later.
- Hedge
- Placing a second bet on the opposite outcome to reduce risk or lock in a profit after an original bet.
- Juice (Vig)
- The commission a bookmaker takes on a bet, usually built into the odds so the total implied probabilities exceed 100%.
- KYC
- Know Your Customer; a verification process where the bookmaker checks your identity and age to comply with regulations.
- Line Movement
- Changes in the betting line or odds over time, often caused by betting volume or new information.
- Live Betting
- Placing bets on a match while it is in progress, with odds that update as the game unfolds.
- Moneyline
- A bet that picks the outright winner of a match with odds shown as a number.
- Over/Under
- A bet predicting whether the total score in a match will be higher or lower than a number set by the bookmaker.
- Parlay
- A single bet that combines two or more selections; all must win for the bet to pay out.
- Prop Bet
- A bet on a specific event within a match, such as which player scores first, not related to the final result.
- Rollover
- The same as a wagering requirement; the total amount you need to bet before bonus funds become withdrawable.
- Self-Exclusion
- A tool that lets you temporarily or permanently block your own account to help control gambling behavior.
- Spread Betting
- A bet on whether a team will win by more or less than a set margin of points/goals.
- Unit
- A standard measurement of a bet size, typically a small percentage of your total bankroll.
- Wagering Requirement
- The number of times you must bet a bonus amount before you can withdraw any winnings from it.