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SPORTS BETTING RULES and DEFINITIONS

General Rules | Bet Limits | Sport Specific Rules | Bet Type and Rules

Bet Type and Rules

STRAIGHT WAGER LINES

A line is the set of rules used to calculate results and payouts of straight wagers. The four standard line types are listed below.


Point Spreads

A Point Spread bet is placed on one team to win against another, subject to the Point Spread.

The favorite is indicated by the minus sign "-" and the underdog is indicated by the plus sign "+". To determine the winner for betting purposes, the Point Spread is added to the final score of the team you bet on. Point Spread rules are as follows:

  • To win your bet, the team you bet on must win by the Point Spread.
  • On certain events you can adjust the point spread by buying points.
  • Games that tie when taking the point spread into consideration are no action which means your original bet amount will be refunded to your account.
  • The odds are $1.10 to win $1.00 (-110) unless otherwise indicated.
  • You cannot place a Point Spread bet on opposing teams.
  • You cannot place a Money Line and a Point Spread bet on the same team.
  • You can place a Point Spread bet on one team and a Money Line bet on the opposing team.
  • You can combine a Point Spread bet with a Totals bet.
  • The Point Spread may change between the time you place your bet and the time the event starts; regardless, your bet is subject to the point spread displayed at the time you placed your bet.

For example, you wager on Miami -7 to beat Buffalo +7. The following table shows possible wager results on three final scores.

Actual Final Score

Final Score with
Point Spread applied

Bet Result

Miami 21 Buffalo 19

Miami 14 Buffalo 19

Loss

Miami 26 Buffalo 19

Miami 19 Buffalo 19

Tie

Miami 27 Buffalo 19

Miami 20 Buffalo 19

Win


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Money Lines

Money Lines are the simplest form of sports bets. The team you bet on just has to win the game. Your bet is not subject to a point spread. The amount you may win is determined by the money line. Money Line rules are as follows:

  • Money Lines are displayed with a plus "+" or a minus "-" sign.
  • Money Lines posted with a minus sign "-" require a bet equal to the amount shown after the minus sign to win $100.
  • Money Lines posted with a plus sign "+" require a $100 bet to win the amount shown after the plus sign.
  • To win your bet, the team you bet on must win the game.
  • Tie games are no action, which means your original bet amount will be refunded to your account.
  • You cannot place a Money Line bet on both teams.
  • You cannot place a Money Line bet and a Point Spread bet on the same team.
  • You can place a Money Line bet on one team and a Point Spread bet on the opposing team.
  • You can combine a Money Line with a Totals line, even on the same event.
  • The Money Line may change between the time you place your bet and the event's start time. Payout of your bet is subject to the Money Line that was displayed at the time you placed your bet.

For example, you bet on Miami -160 to beat Buffalo +260. You must bet $160 to win $100 if Miami wins the game. Your friend bets on Buffalo. Your friend must bet $100 to win $260 if Buffalo wins. The following table displays the results of four different winning Money Line bets.

Winner

Money Line

Bet Amount on Winner

Payout
(including bet amount)

Miami

-160

$ 80

$ 130

Miami

-160

$ 160

$ 260

Buffalo

+260

$ 100

$ 360

Buffalo

+260

$ 50

$ 180


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Totals

Totals are also known as over / under bets. You bet that the actual combined total score of both teams will be over or under the number displayed in your bet. The winning team is irrelevant to this bet. Totals rules are as follows:

  • If the actual combined total score of both teams is equal to the number displayed in your Totals bet, the bet is no action; this means your original bet amount will be refunded to your account.
  • The odds are $1.10 to win $1.00 (-110) unless otherwise indicated.
  • On certain events you can adjust the odds by buying points.
  • You cannot place Totals bets on opposing teams.
  • You can combine a Money Line or Point Spread bet with a Totals bet.
  • The Total amount may change between the time you place your bet and the time the event starts; regardless, your bet is subject to the Total amount displayed at the time you placed your bet.

For example, the current Totals line on the Miami-Buffalo game is Over 35 / Under 35. You bet on the Over and your friend bets on the Under. The following table displays the bet results based on three different game outcomes.

Final Score

Combined Score

You

Your Friend

Miami 21 Buffalo 19

40

Win

Loss

Miami 21 Buffalo 14

35

Tie

Tie

Miami 21 Buffalo 4

25

Loss

Win


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European Prices

European Prices are similar to Money Lines. We display them in decimal format and use two formulas to calculate payouts.

European Prices above 1.0

(Wager Amount) x (European Price) = Total Payout

European Prices below 1.0

(Wager Amount) x (European Price) + Wager Amount = Total Payout

For example, you bet $100 on Manchester City 2.40 to beat Arsenal 0.60. If Manchester City wins, you win $240. Your friend bets $100 on Arsenal. If Arsenal wins, your friend wins $160. The following table displays the results of four different winning European Price bets.

Winner

Bet Amount on Winner

European Price

Payout
(including bet amount)

Manchester City

$20

2.40

$48

Manchester City

$100

2.40

$240

Arsenal

$20

0.60

$32

Arsenal

$100

0.60

$160


Conversion

If you prefer Money Lines to European Prices or vice versa, you can convert the line to your preferred type.

Use this formula if the Money Line has a minus sign "-".

European Price = (100 / (Money Line * -1)) + 1

Use this formula if the Money Line has a plus sign "+".

European Price = (Money Line / 100)+1

The following table displays conversions of Money Lines to European Prices.

Money Line

European Price

Payout per $100 Bet (including bet amount)

+140

2.40

$ 240

-200

1.50

$ 150

+160

2.60

$ 260

European Prices do not always convert evenly into Money Lines since Money Lines are based on whole numbers.

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Buy Points
Buy Points allows you to move the point spread in your favor by paying a surcharge. You can only buy points on football and basketball point spreads and totals.

You can normally buy an extra 1/2 point by laying -120 instead of the standard -110.

Buying points on or off key points or magic numbers is more expensive. Three is usually the key point in football. Although there are no standard key points in basketball, we may set key points on certain games.

After you buy a point and place your bet, check your betting ticket to see the new price on the event.

For example, Miami plays Buffalo. Miami is favored by 4.5 points. You want to adjust the line in your favor by bringing the Miami line down to -2. You can do this for an additional 70 cents. This means you will have to bet $180 to win $100. The following table shows the incremental cost of various point purchases including purchases on and off Key Points.

Miami Point Spread

Buy Points Surcharge on this Game

Posted Line -4.5

standard -110

-4.5 to -4.0

10¢ or -120

-4.0 to -3.5

10¢ or -130

-3.5 to -3.0

20¢ or -150

-3.0 to -2.5

20¢ or -170

-2.5 to -2.0

10¢ or -180



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SPECIAL LINES

The following special lines are available to offer increased flexibility and potential payouts.


Quarter

Quarter lines allow you to bet on the first, second, third and fourth quarter of basketball and football games. Quarter lines are generally posted at the end of the previous quarter. Quarter betting rules are as follows:

  • Quarter bets are calculated the same as straight bets unless otherwise indicated.
  • Game must go the full quarter for quarter bet to have action.
  • Overtime is not included as part of the fourth quarter.
  • Parlays, Teasers and buying of points are not available on quarter bets.


Half-time

Half-time lines allow you to bet on the first or second half of basketball and football games. Half-time betting rules are as follows:

  • Half-time bets are calculated the same as straight bets unless otherwise indicated.
  • Half-time bets must go the full half for action.
  • Overtime is included as part of the second half.
  • Teasers and buying of points are not available on half-time bets.


$100,000 Challenge

$100,000 Challenge is an NFL and NCAA football wager on 13 teams from our selection of $100,000 Challenge listed games. You bet $25 and if all teams you select win against the spread, you win the ultimate handicapping prize, $100,000 in cash. A tie or no action on any single event in your selection means the entire wager loses.

Up to two $100,000 cash prizes are available to be won each week. If no one selects 13 teams who win against the spread, no one wins the cash prize. If more than two people select 13 teams who win against the spread, then all winners evenly divide the available cash prizes.

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Parlays

Parlays are wagers on two or more teams in no particular order where all selections must win for the wager to win. Parlay rules are as follows:

  • In the event of a tie or no action, the parlay reverts to the next lowest number for payout. A 2-team parlay reverts to straight wager.
  • Parlays that incorporate money lines or European prices are paid out based on the odds of the individual selections.
  • You cannot bet on connected events on the same parlay card. For example, one leg of a parlay is for Sampras to beat Henman in the 4th round of Wimbledon and an additional part of the parlay is for Sampras to win the overall Wimbledon title. The match forms part of the overall tournament and is therefore connected. In the same way, you cannot parlay the over of the first half of a football game with the over of the full game because the two are connected.
  • By placing a Parlay bet you can increase your payout odds. For example, you want to bet on the Canucks to beat the Wings and the Canucks to beat the Avalanche, but the odds are even money. You are pretty sure the Canucks are going to win both events so you want better odds. By parlaying the two games you increase your odds to 13:5.
  • Correlated Parlay Betting: The results of certain events can be considered to be correlated. For example, in college football betting on a heavy underdog (eg 35 point underdog) and the under in the game is statistically correlated. If players consistently bet correlated parlays then management reserves the right to regrade wagers. Wagers will be split so that half the stake will go on the pointspread and half on the under in the game. This rule applies from 19 October 2007. This will only apply to those regularly staking $50 or more on parlays and is intended only to limit professional bettors who consistently bet correlated parlays.
  • Parlay Payouts
    The following parlay payout table is valid if all selections within the parlay are based on the standard point spread or totals line of -110 (bet $110 to win $100).

Number of Teams

Odds

2

13:5

3

6:1

4

10:1

5

20:1

6

40:1

7

75:1

8

150:1

9

300:1

10

700:1

11

1100:1

12

1800:1

To calculate odds for parlays that use money lines other than the standard -110, you should convert the money line to a European price. Then calculate the parlay payout odds by multiplying the European prices of each event together.

For example, let's say you bet on Arsenal 2.5, Manchester 1.7 and Liverpool 2.1. A parlay of all three teams would pay 2.5 x 1.7 x 2.1 = 8.93. If your bet amount is $100 then the payoff would be $100 x 8.93 = $893 (this includes your original stake, so your winnings are $893 - $100 = $793).

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Progressive Parlays

A Progressive Parlay is a wager on four to twelve events to win. Even if some of the events in your Progressive Parlay lose, you may still win your wager. Progressive Parlays are accepted only on the Point Spread, not on the Money Line or Totals. Progressive Parlay rules are as follows:

  • A tie or no action is considered a loss for that particular event.
  • If there is a loss, the parlay reverts to the next lowest number for payout.
  • You cannot bet on connected events on the same parlay card. For example, one leg of a parlay is for Sampras to beat Henman in the 4th round of Wimbledon and an additional part of the parlay is for Sampras to win the overall Wimbledon title. The match forms part of the overall tournament and is therefore connected. In the same way, you cannot parlay the over of the first half of a football game with the over of the full game because the two are connected.

    Progressive Parlay Payouts
    Each type of Progressive Parlay uses different odds to pay out winning wagers.


All Teams
Win

1 Team
Loses

2 Teams
Lose

3 Teams
Lose

4 Teams

5:1

1:1

--

--

5 Teams

11:1

2:1

--

--

6 Teams

20:1

9:2

--

--

7 Teams

40:1

4:1

1:2

--

8 Teams

75:1

10:1

2:1

--

9 Teams

150:1

20:1

5:2

--

10 Teams

250:1

25:1

3:1

1:1

11 Teams

400:1

60:1

5:1

1:1

12 Teams

900:1

80:1

10:1

3:1

The parlay payout table above is valid if all selections within the Progressive Parlay are based on the standard point spread line of -110 (bet $110 to win $100). A "--" in the table above indicates a losing parlay. Payout odds are subject to change without prior notice.

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TEASERS

A teaser is a selection of two or more teams in one wager in which the point spread or total is adjusted in your favor. The number of teams selected and the number of points selected determines the payout odds.

  • A 'tie' or 'no action' and a 'win' on a 2 team teaser shall constitute a 'no action' wager.
  • A 'tie' or a 'no action' and a 'loss' on a two team teaser shall constitute a 'losing' wager.
  • Ties on a 3 or more team teaser shall revert to the next lowest betting bracket for pay-off. For example: a 5 team teaser with one tie becomes a 4 team teaser (except on our special 3 team 10 point football or 7 point basketball teasers, on which the odds are 10/12 and ties lose).

An example of a teaser is as follows:

Let's say you wish to choose three football teams: Denver -7, New York -3 and Chicago +15. The payout of the wager is dependent upon how many points you wish to receive. Let's say you choose a 3 team 7 point teaser. Looking at the chart above, this wager is listed as 10/12, which means you will win $10 for every $12 that you wager. The point spreads are adjusted as follows:

  • Denver -7 plus the adjusted seven points = 0
  • New York -3 plus the adjusted seven points = +4
  • Chicago +15 plus the adjusted seven points = +22

If all of the three teams win against the adjusted spread, you win $12 for every $10 you wager.

Basketball 4-point 4.5-point 5-point
Football 6-point 6.5-point 7-point
2-team -110 -120 -130
3-team +180 +160 +140
4-team 3/1 (+300) 5/2 (+250) 2/1 (+200)
5-team 4.5/1 4/1 3.5/1
6-team 6/1 5.5/1 5/1
7-team 10/1 9/1 8/1
8-team 15/1 12/1 10/1
9-team 20/1 15/1 12/1
10-team 25/1 20/1 15/1
11-team 35/1 25/1 20/1
12-team 50/1 35/1 25/1
13-team 75/1 50/1 35/1
14-team 100/1 75/1 50/1
15-team 150/1 100/1 75/1

Note: On our special 3 team 10 point football or 7 point basketball teasers (sometimes known as Sweetheart teasers and not included in the table above), odds are 10/12 and ties lose. Only point spreads may be placed in these special teasers.

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If Bets -- If Win and If Action

An If Bet allows you to increase your betting power and limit your risk by placing multiple bets on one betting ticket; each individual bet after the first bet will only have action if the previous bet in the sequence is successful. This limits your risk to the dollar amount of the first bet on your betting ticket.

An If Bet is also useful if you want to make more than one bet, but do not have adequate funds in your account to cover the second bet unless the first bet wins. An If Bet will place the second bet immediately upon success of the first bet. If Bet rules are as follows:

  • One If Bet can contain two to seven individual bets.
  • If Bets must be made prior to the start time of the earliest event.
  • Bets do not have to be made in the order of each event's start time.
  • The first bet's limit is set by the house.
  • Additional bets in the sequence use the bet amount of the first bet.
  • The first bet is always placed unless it is considered a no action event.

    Two Types of If Bets

    If Win
    You choose the order of each bet in the series. The first bet is always placed. Each subsequent bet is placed only if the previous bet wins. If any bet in the If Win series loses, ties or is considered no action, then all subsequent bets on the betting ticket are considered no action.

    If Action
    You choose the order of each bet in the series. The first bet is always placed. Each subsequent bet is placed only if the previous bet is won, considered no action or is a tie game (also know as a push). If any bet in the If Action series loses, then all subsequent bets on the betting ticket are considered no action.

For example, on October 7th, you place an If Win bet on the Raiders to beat the Dolphins in their October 12th game. Then you select the Patriots to beat the Colts in their October 11th game. The game on October 12th wins and the second part of the If Bet is placed on the Patriots/Colts game with the original bet amount.

This second bet is placed even though this game started prior to the first event and already had a final result of a loss. The first part of your If Win bet is a win but the second part is a loss.

Your If Win bet placed on October 7th is placed prior to the start time of both events so you are able to bet on both games while ensuring that your preferred bet on the Raiders game gets placed even if your second choice, the Patriots, lose.

Normally the only way this would be possible would be to expose yourself to both bets separately. An If Bet puts a restriction on your bet that says if the Raiders lose, do not place a bet on the Patriots/Colts game. This limits your risk to the first bet amount, but provides you with the opportunity to make a second bet with the original stake if your first bet is successful.

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Live Betting

  • Odds will be opened and posted on the site under "Live Betting" once the game starts. Odds will be posted throughout the whole game.
  • Wagers on "Live Betting" are based on the final result of the entire game.
  • The betting limit for the entire "event" will be $1,500. If you wish to make multiple wagers throughout the event, please make them in smaller increments that do not exceed $1,500 in total.
  • We will most likely close the Live Betting odds during the last 1 or 2 minutes of each Quarter.
  • Please be sure to click on "Update Current Odds" before placing your wager, to insure you have the most current changes.
  • Any wager on the Live Betting odds is a wager on the final game outcome, including any overtimes.
  • The game must be complete for bets to be considered action. If a game is cancelled or postponed premature to its originally intended length of play, then ALL trades for the event will be refunded.

We will be offering Quarter Lines as well during the game.

  • First Quarter Line
  • First Half Line
  • Second Quarter Line offered at the end of the 1st Quarter
  • Second Half Line offered during Half Time
  • Third Quarter Line offered during Half Time
  • Fourth Quarter Line offered at the end of the 3rd Quarter
  • As well, as described above, a full game line offered throughout the whole game (Live Betting)
  • Fourth Quarter line does not include overtime. Second Half and Live Betting lines include overtime.


Futures and Propositions

Future bets are based on the outcome of events that happen each year. Propositions are bets based on the outcome of special events. All bets are final. There will be no payouts until the conclusion of the specified season for futures or the conclusion of the specified event for propositions.

If your selection (person, team, etc.) does not participate in the event for any reason, your bet is considered a loss.

The odds we offer may change between the time you place your bet and the time the event starts; regardless, your bet is subject to the odds displayed at the time you placed your bet.

In the event of a dead heat for first place, stakes will be divided by the number of selections dead heating with the divided stake settled at full odds; remaining stake money is lost. The dead heat rule only applies to future bets. If the tie was a betting option, the dead heat rule does not apply.

For example, if there is a 3 way tie for the top scorer in a football game, your winnings are calculated by taking your stake, dividing it by 3, and multiplying that amount by the odds on your betting ticket.

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