Venues
Sportsbook
A licensed bookmaker that sets odds and takes the other side of customers' bets.
A sportsbook profits from the vig and from managing its book so that it wins whatever the result. It can limit or ban winning customers, shade lines against public money and offer promotions to recruit losing ones. State licences, taxes and responsible-gambling rules apply.
Exchanges and prediction markets differ in kind: they match customers with each other, do not limit winners and have no vig. That is why the sportsbook industry has fought the arrival of sports event contracts.
BetG8 compares sportsbook and exchange prices so readers can see the margin they pay.
📱 Compare how the same event is priced across venues on Polymtrade.Referral link. 18+.
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Frequently asked questions
- What does "Sportsbook" mean?
- A licensed bookmaker that sets odds and takes the other side of customers' bets.
- Why does sportsbook matter for prediction markets?
- BetG8 compares sportsbook and exchange prices so readers can see the margin they pay.