What is Vig?
Vigorish, or vig for short, is the extra margin that sportsbooks build into odds to ensure profit. It's the bookmaker's fee for offering bets.
Vig can also be referred to as juice, cut, commission, hold, or house edge.
How is Vig Calculated?
You should use a vig calculator when possible, but here's a quick example:
Example: Liverpool 1.67 odds, Manchester City 2.00 odds
- Liverpool: (1 / 1.67) × 100 = 59.88% implied probability
- Man City: (1 / 2.00) × 100 = 50.00% implied probability
- Total: 59.88% + 50.00% = 109.88%
- Vig = 109.88% - 100% = 9.88%
This means that sportsbooks pay €100 for every €109.88 in wagers accepted for this matchup. The extra 9.88% is pure profit for the bookmaker.
Understanding Vig with No-Vig Calculator
A no-vig calculator is used to back out "fair" odds from a market. This tool can be used to compare markets and odds, as well as find the true win percentages.
If you learn how to calculate fair odds with no vig or juice, you'll know when your bets are mathematically profitable—when you have positive expected value.
The business of sportsbooks is to charge a "spread" on all wagers—the prices they offer are typically not "fair." This is the vig, juice, or house edge.
How Much Vig Do Sportsbooks Charge?
Vig by sportsbook type:
- Pinnacle: Under 2% on liquid markets (lowest in the world)
- Bet365, William Hill: 4-6% on standard markets
- DraftKings, FanDuel: 4-7% on most markets
- Smaller books: 6-10%+ on standard markets
- Niche markets: 8-15%+ regardless of bookmaker
Lower vig = better value for bettors = higher long-term profit potential.
Finding Low-Vig Markets
This vig calculator shows you how much bookmakers charge, but FairOdds Terminal automatically finds low-vig markets across 60+ sportsbooks.
The terminal displays vig percentage for every market, helping you identify the best value opportunities.
Start your free trial to find low-vig markets and +EV bets.
Vig Calculator FAQ
What is vig in sports betting?
Vigorish (vig), also called juice, is the extra margin sportsbooks build into odds to ensure profit. It's the bookmaker's fee for offering bets. Vig can also be called cut, commission, or house edge. Lower vig = better value for bettors.
How is vig calculated?
Convert both sides' odds to implied probability, add them together, subtract 100%. Example: 1.91 + 1.91 = 52.4% + 52.4% = 104.8% total. Vig = 104.8% - 100% = 4.8%. This means sportsbooks pay €100 for every €104.80 wagered.
What is a low vig?
Under 2% vig is excellent (Pinnacle level), 2-4% is good, 4-6% is average, 6%+ is high. Pinnacle charges under 2% vig on liquid markets. Recreational books charge 4-8% vig. Lower vig gives bettors better value and higher potential profits.
How much vig do sportsbooks charge?
Pinnacle: under 2% on liquid markets. Bet365, William Hill: 4-6%. DraftKings, FanDuel: 4-7%. Smaller books: 6-10%+. Vig varies by market—popular markets have lower vig, niche markets have higher vig.
Is vig the same as hold?
Yes. Vig, hold, juice, overround, and margin all refer to the same thing—the bookmaker's built-in profit edge. Different terms for the same concept. Calculated identically regardless of which term you use.
How does vig affect my profits?
Higher vig means worse odds and lower profits. At 5% vig, you need to win 52.5% of 1.91 odds bets to break even. At 2% vig (Pinnacle), you only need 51% to break even. Lower vig dramatically improves long-term profitability.