Calculator · no operator data
Margin calculator: what the bookmaker charges on each odds
The odds in a market hide a fee: if you add up the probability implied by each odd, the total goes over 100%. That difference is the margin. Enter the decimal odds for a match and the calculator does the math.
The math
sum = 1/odds₁ + 1/odds₂ + …
margin = sum − 1
payout = 1 / sum · the betting site keeps = 1 − payout
Odds without margin = odds × sum. These are the odds a betting site that charged nothing would pay.
Calculate the margin
accepts a comma or a period: 1.85 or 1.85
How it is calculated, step by step
- Home: 1 / 2.10 = 0.4762
- Draw: 1 / 3.20 = 0.3125
- Away: 1 / 3.60 = 0.2778
- Sum: 0.4762 + 0.3125 + 0.2778 = 1.0665, or 106.65%
- Margin: 1.0665 − 1 = 6.65%
- Payout: 1 / 1.0665 = 93.77%; the betting site keeps 6.23%
- Home odds without margin: 2.10 × 1.0665 = 2.24
Two examples, calculated
sample odds, not from a real site
A Liga Profesional match, 1X2
Odds 2.10 · 3.20 · 3.60 for home, draw and away.
106.65% in total · the part over 100% is the margin: 6.65%
Over or under 2.5 goals
Odds 1.85 · 1.95.
105.34% in total · the part over 100% is the margin: 5.34%
How to read the result
What it tells you
How much the betting site keeps, on average, of everything wagered on that market if the money is split according to its odds. With the 1X2 example, out of every $ 1,000 wagered, $ 938 is returned and the betting site keeps $ 62 (6.23%).
The margin (6.65%) is another way of saying the same thing: it is measured on the sum of probabilities, not on the amount wagered, so it comes out a little higher. Sites and articles usually use the margin; to compare two markets, always use the same one of the two figures.
What it does not tell you
Who will win the match or whether a bet is worth it. A lower margin does not change the fact that, in the long run, the betting site takes its share. If you feel gambling has stopped being a game, the helpline is below.
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