Gambling terms, explained straight

Sports Betting

No vig sportsbook

A no vig sportsbook is a sportsbook that removes the usual bookmaker margin from its quoted odds, so the bettor is not charged vig on the bet itself.

Vig level
0% — no bookmaker margin added to the quoted price1
Standard vig
Often described as an overround above 100%, with one paper noting vig is 'almost universally 10 percent'5
Common margin example
A bookmaker margin of about 110% is a typical example of vig/overround4

Key points

  • In a no-vig setup, the sportsbook removes the built-in margin so odds reflect fair probabilities rather than a reduced payout.12
  • The bet is still accepted, but the quoted payout is not reduced by a vig built into the line.13
  • No vig applies to sports bets in fixed-odds betting and moneyline/spread markets where the bookmaker normally embeds a vig.3

Where this term is used

Not the same as

  • Vig meaning — the bookmaker's commission or margin built into the odds, not the absence of it
Sports betting Vig betting Explains how the bookmaker's commission is embedded in betting odds. Sports betting Parlay A single bet linking multiple selections, where vig is compounded across legs. Sports betting Moneyline A straight bet on which team or player will win, often with vig built into the odds. Sports betting Spread betting A bet on the margin of victory, where the bookmaker sets a line and charges vig. Sports betting Moneyline betting Betting on the outright winner, with odds that typically include the house margin. Sports betting Point spread A handicap used to balance betting on uneven matchups, often with vig attached.

Sources

  1. Vigorish en.wikipedia.org Defines vigorish and explains that a no vig sportsbook removes the house margin.
  2. Mathematics of bookmaking en.wikipedia.org Covers the mathematics of bookmaking, including no-vig pricing and overround.
  3. Odds en.wikipedia.org Explains odds and how vig is embedded in sports betting markets.
  4. Sport Select - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org Gives a concrete example of a 110% overround as a typical vig.
  5. How Do Markets Function? An Empirical Analysis of ... nber.org Supports the claim that vig is almost universally 10 percent.

Sources are drawn from regulators, universities and published research, and each one is labelled with what it actually is — a preprint is not called a paper. Bookmaker and affiliate pages are never cited here, because a page that sells betting is not a neutral authority on it.

Written and maintained by Ellis Warrender, writer and maintainer.

Last updated 28 July 2026. Spotted an error? Tell me and it gets fixed and logged on the corrections page.