What is handle in sports betting?
The total amount of money bet on an event, market or sportsbook.
At a glance
- Category
- Money
Run the numbers
Handle is not revenue
Handle is the gross amount wagered, not what anyone keeps. A sportsbook reporting a billion in handle is reporting how much money passed through, and its actual revenue is the hold, a small percentage of that. The two get conflated constantly in headlines.
Handle versus tickets
Percentage of handle and percentage of tickets are different signals. Ninety percent of tickets on one side with only half the money means a lot of small bets on one side and a few large ones on the other, which usually means the public and the sharp money disagree.
Related terms
Frequently asked questions
What is handle in sports betting?+
Handle is the total amount of money wagered on an event or at a sportsbook over a period. It measures volume, not profit.
What is the difference between handle and hold?+
Handle is the total wagered. Hold is the share of that the book actually keeps, typically a low single-digit percentage of handle.
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