Part V: Regional & Cultural · Casino Slang & Historical Terms

6.12 Juice (Sports Betting)

Slang — Sports Betting

In sports betting, “juice” refers to the commission or fee that bookmakers charge on wagers, typically expressed as part of the odds. Standard American odds of -110 mean a bettor must wager $110 to win $100, with the extra $10 being the juice. Reducing juice (e.g., to -105) is a common promotional tool used by sportsbooks to attract customers. In Asian handicap betting, which dominates Asian sports betting markets, juice is built into the handicap line itself.

In practice

Asian bookmakers often operate on much lower margins (juice of 2-3%) compared to European or American sportsbooks (juice of 5-10%), making them attractive to professional sports bettors.

One entry from the Casino Industry Glossary — 1,157 terms written for surveillance, compliance and operations professionals rather than for players. Definitions describe industry usage; where a term carries a regulatory meaning, verify against the instrument that governs your jurisdiction.