Bookmaker Margin (Vig / Juice)
The built-in profit the bookmaker takes on every market, embedded in the odds.
The bookmaker margin (also called vig, vigorish, or juice) is the built-in fee charged by bookmakers on every bet. It's embedded in the odds by making the sum of implied probabilities exceed 100%.
Example (1x2 market):
- Home: 2.00 → implied 50%
- Draw: 3.40 → implied 29.4%
- Away: 3.80 → implied 26.3%
- Sum: 105.7% → 5.7% margin
The true probabilities sum to 100%, but you're paying 5.7% more. This means the break-even win rate is higher than the implied probability suggests.
Removing the margin: To get the fair implied probability, divide each implied probability by the sum: 50% / 1.057 = 47.3%.
Soft bookmakers (Bet365, William Hill) run 5–8% margins. Sharp books (Pinnacle, Asian books) run 2–3%, making them more accurate price setters. OddsIntel uses Pinnacle's line as a calibration benchmark.
Common Questions
How do I beat the margin?
You need a modelling edge that consistently identifies outcomes where the true probability exceeds the de-vigged implied probability. Even a 3% consistent edge beats a 5% margin over large samples.