What Does ‘Hold’ Mean in Sports Betting?
In sports betting, the “Hold” is essentially the sportsbook’s profit margin.
It is the percentage of all the money bet (the “Handle“) that the sportsbook actually keeps after paying out all the winners.
Think of it as the “price” of doing business with the house.
How It Works (The Math)
If a sportsbook takes $1,000,000 in bets on the Super Bowl (the Handle) and pays out $930,000 to the winners, they have $70,000 left over.
- Their “Hold” is 7%.
Hold vs. Handle
These two words are used together constantly in business reports, but they are very different:
- Handle: The total amount of money wagered by bettors. (The volume).
- Hold: The total amount of money kept by the house. (The profit).
Why Should You Care?
As a bettor, you want to bet into markets with a “Low Hold.”
- High Hold: Means the sportsbook is charging a high price (bad odds) and keeping a lot of the money. You see this in Parlays and Futures, where the house advantage is huge.
- Low Hold: Means the sportsbook is taking a smaller cut. You see this in standard NFL Point Spreads (-110 odds), where the house advantage is small.