What Does ‘Limit’ Mean in Sports Betting?
In sports betting, a “Limit” is simply the maximum or minimum amount of money a sportsbook will allow you to bet on a single game.
Every bet you see posted has a limit, from the Super Bowl to a regular-season baseball game.
The 2 Main Types of Limits
- Maximum Limit: This is the one most people talk about. It’s the most you can bet.
- Why it exists: To protect the sportsbook! They use limits for risk management. They don’t want a single person to place a $10 million bet, win, and put them out of business.
- Limits vary: The limit for a huge event like the Super Bowl (e.g., $100,000) will be way higher than the limit for a smaller market, like a player prop or a weekday college basketball game (e.g., $500).
- Minimum Limit: This is the least you can bet. It’s usually very small, like $0.10 (10 cents) on an app or $5 at a casino window.
⚠️ The #1 Thing to Know: Limits Aren’t the Same for Everyone
This is the most important concept. Sportsbooks will often set individual limits for different types of bettors.
- Recreational Bettors (The Public): The majority of people (known as “squares“) who bet for fun will have high limits. The sportsbook is happy to take their action.
- “Sharp” Bettors (The Pros): A “sharp” is a professional, long-term winning bettor. Sportsbooks are terrified of them! If a book identifies you as a sharp, they will severely lower your limits, sometimes to as little as $20 a game. They are essentially saying, “You’re too good, and we don’t want your business.”
So, while “limit” just means the most or least you can bet, it’s also a powerful tool sportsbooks use to control their risk and decide who they want to take bets from.