What Does Stake Mean in Betting?
What Does Stake Mean?
In sports betting, the stake is simply the term that is used to describe the money that is put on a bet. The size of a stake is therefore the sum of cash being put down in the hope of a winning wager.
For instance, if a sports fan places £10 on the outcome of a match or a race, this is their stake. It would often be said that they have staked £10 on their bet too - and this means the same thing.
Another name for a stake would be a wager, with the meaning always the same. The stake or wager simply refers to the amount of money that is being risked whenever a bet is placed.
Deciding on a Stake Size
When betting on any sport, one of the most important things is deciding on the size of a stake. Naturally, the more money that is being placed on a bet, the more profit is up for grabs. But the beauty of sport is it is always unpredictable, so a winning wager can never ever be guaranteed.
As a result, it is a golden rule of sports betting to never stake more than you can afford to lose. When deciding on a stake size, this should always be at the forefront of your mind. Most people will treat sports betting as a fun hobby that uses up a small amount of their disposable income.
Most betting sites in the UK have options such as deposit limits in place to help people control stake sizes. Some sports fans opt to give themselves a daily, weekly or monthly budget for their total stakes.
When betting on the favourite in a horse racing event or any other sporting contest, people might opt for a larger stake size due to the fact the wager is deemed to be much more likely to be a winner. On the flip side, those who take on wagers at higher odds are probably going to stick to lower stake sizes due to the risks involved and the low chances that the bet is going to come in.
Some people opt to use the same stake size for most of their bets, but others will weigh up the chances of a winning wager for each bet before deciding how much they want to wager.
Do You Get Your Stake Back?
The good news for those who are new to sports betting is that stakes on winning wagers are returned. The profit is the amount of money received back, minus the initial stake outlaid.
Let's say that someone places a £10 bet on Manchester City to win the Premier League title. The odds offered are 2/1 in fractional odds, or 3.0 as a decimal, which means that the potential profit up for grabs from a £10 bet stands at £20. But, in the event that City are successful and they do win the league, the full amount of money returned would be £30, including the stake.
There are some exceptions, however. When UK betting sites have given out a betting bonus such as free bets, which are common and popular welcome offers, they will not usually allow the stake size to be returned from a free bet.
Steven is an experienced iGaming content writer who has been working in the industry since 2018. He is passionate about sports betting and enjoys writing about all aspects of the industry, including bookmaker reviews, betting tips and strategies, and news and analysis.