Betting glossary: terms in plain English

When an event is called off before it finishes — a match stopped by weather, a race meeting lost to frost. The bookmaker’s rules decide what happens next: markets already decided before the abandonment usually stand, and the rest are normally made void with stakes returned.

One bet that links several selections — a double for two, a treble for three, a fourfold and upwards after that. The odds of each leg are multiplied together, so the potential return grows with every leg; so does the chance that one leg lets the whole bet down, because every selection has to win. If one leg is void, it is usually removed and the bet is settled on the others.

Odds written as a positive or negative number. +250 means a €100 stake would win €250; −200 means you would need to stake €200 to win €100. Rare on Irish sites, though some apps let you switch to them. See also decimal odds and fractional odds.

A bet placed well before an event — in racing, usually before the final declarations, sometimes weeks or months ahead of a festival such as Cheltenham or Punchestown. Prices can be bigger than on the day, but if your horse is withdrawn the stake is normally lost, unless the bookmaker applies a non-runner no bet concession to that race.

To bet on something happening — the ordinary bet you place with a bookmaker. On a betting exchange, backing is the opposite of laying.

A selection someone fancies strongly, often used as the fixed leg in a set of combination bets. It is only an opinion: no bet is certain, and a ‘banker’ that loses takes down every bet it is part of.

A tool that combines several selections from the same match — the result, total points and a player market, say — into one bet at one price. Because the parts are linked, the bookmaker prices the combination itself rather than multiplying the odds. Every part has to come in for the bet to return anything.

The panel that shows your selections, stake, bet type and potential return before you confirm. Check all four on the slip: once a bookmaker accepts a bet, it usually cannot be cancelled.

A platform where people bet against each other rather than against a bookmaker: one person backs an outcome, another lays it, and the exchange matches them and charges commission on net winnings. In Ireland this needs a GRAI remote betting intermediary licence, not a bookmaker’s licence.

Apps such as Gamban and BetBlocker that stop gambling websites and apps opening on your devices. The GRAI lists them among protection tools, together with the gambling blocks offered by AIB, Bank of Ireland, EBS, PTSB and Revolut, which stop card payments to gambling merchants.

Under the Gambling Regulation Act 2024, a business that sets odds, accepts bets and undertakes to pay out winnings. To take bets online or by phone from people in Ireland, a bookmaker needs a GRAI remote betting licence.

A football market on whether each side scores at least once. ‘Yes’ needs a goal from both teams; ‘No’ comes in if at least one of them fails to score.

A race run under jumps rules but with no hurdles or fences, usually for young horses before they go over obstacles. A familiar part of Irish jumps cards, including the big spring festivals.

An offer from the bookmaker to settle your bet before the event ends, for an amount it works out from the state of play. Full cash out settles the whole bet, partial cash out settles part and leaves the rest running, and auto cash out triggers when the offer reaches a value you choose. Cash out is offered at the bookmaker’s discretion, can be suspended at any moment, and its price includes the bookmaker’s margin. Our guide to in-play betting and cash out goes into detail.

A bet on the exact final score. So many results are possible that the odds are long — and most correct-score bets lose.

When two or more runners tie for a position that counts for settlement. Your stake is divided by the number of runners in the dead heat and settled at full odds on that share, so the return is smaller than for an outright win.

Odds shown as one number that already includes your stake: at 3.00, a €10 bet returns €30 if it wins — €20 in winnings plus the €10 back. Many sites and apps use decimal odds by default. To turn fractional odds into decimal, divide and add one: 5/2 becomes 3.50. Our odds guide has a conversion table.

A cap you set on how much you can pay into your account over a day, a week or a month. Bookmakers holding a GRAI licence must let customers set spending limits. Lowering a limit normally applies straight away; raising it may only take effect after a delay set out in the bookmaker’s terms. Set it before your first bet. More on our safer betting page.

A bet on two selections linked together. Both must win, and the odds are multiplied — the simplest kind of accumulator.

A football market that covers two of the three possible results in one bet — home or draw, away or draw, home or away — at shorter odds than either result on its own.

A market where your stake is returned if the match ends level. You pick a side, and the price is shorter than a straight win bet because the draw has been taken out.

When a price gets bigger — 3/1 out to 5/1, say — usually because fewer people are backing it or the news has changed. When a price gets smaller, it has shortened. Neither tells you how the event will turn out.

Two bets of equal stake in one: a win bet and a place bet on the same selection, so a €5 each-way bet costs €10. If your selection wins, both parts return; if it only places, the place part returns at a fraction of the win odds and the win part loses. The place terms are set by the bookmaker race by race. Our racing terms guide works through examples.

Odds of 1/1, or 2.00 in decimal: a winning €10 bet brings back €10 in winnings plus your €10 stake. Anything shorter is odds-on; anything bigger is odds-against.

The selection with the shortest price in a market — the one the prices treat as most likely to win. When two or more share the shortest price they are joint favourites, marked JF on many racecards. Favourites lose often: a short price reflects likelihood, not certainty.

Horse racing without obstacles, over distances from five furlongs to around two miles and more. The Irish Flat season’s big days include the Irish Derby at the Curragh. Compare National Hunt.

A bet on which two runners finish first and second. A straight forecast needs them in the right order; a reverse forecast covers both orders and costs two stakes; a combination forecast covers every order for three or more selections. See also tricast.

Recent results. On a racecard, form is a string of figures with the latest run on the right; letters mark other outcomes — F for fell, P for pulled up, U for unseated rider. Form describes the past; it does not decide the next race.

The traditional way of writing odds in Ireland and Britain, still widely used in racing. 5/2 means you win €5 for every €2 staked, plus your stake back, so a €10 bet at 5/2 returns €35. The first number is what you win, the second what you stake.

A set of bets covering every combination of your selections in one go. Each combination costs a stake — a €1 Lucky 15 costs €15 — and some full cover bets return something even if not all selections win. Bigger ones include the Lucky 31 (five selections, 31 bets) and the Heinz (six selections, 57 bets).

A racing distance of one-eighth of a mile, about 201 metres. Race distances on Irish and British racecards are given in miles and furlongs.

The bets bookmakers offer on Gaelic games: match betting (including the draw), points handicaps, total points, winning margins and outrights on competitions such as the All-Ireland. Our GAA betting guide explains how each is settled. We only discuss adult competitions.

The law that created the GRAI and is replacing Ireland’s older gambling legislation in stages. Parts are already in force — betting licences, spending limits and the ban on credit cards for licensed operators among them — while others, including most advertising rules and the National Gambling Exclusion Register, have not yet commenced.

The helpline of the Gambling Awareness Trust: 1800 936 725, open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, with more at gamblingcare.ie. The GRAI lists it as a source of support.

The state of the ground at a racecourse, which affects how horses run. Irish descriptions run from heavy and soft through yielding and good to firm. The going is announced before racing and can change during a meeting, especially after rain.

The regulator set up under the Gambling Regulation Act 2024 and established on 5 March 2025. It licenses remote betting in Ireland — those licences commenced on 1 July 2026 — and lists every licence holder on the GRAI public register. Voienexo is not a bookmaker and does not hold a gambling licence; we only cover bookmakers that hold a GRAI remote betting licence.

A bet on the result at half-time and at the final whistle together — draw at the break, home win at the end, for example. With nine possible combinations, prices are longer than for the match result alone.

In team sports, a start given to one side to even out a match: in a GAA handicap the weaker team might start on +4 points, and your bet is settled on the score after that adjustment. Football’s Asian handicap uses half-goal lines to remove the draw. In racing, a handicap is a race in which horses carry different weights, set by the official handicapper, to bring them closer together.

The chance a price suggests, as a percentage. For decimal odds, divide 100 by the odds: 4.00 implies 25%. Add up the implied probabilities across a whole market and the total is usually over 100% — the extra is the bookmaker’s margin. See overround.

Betting after an event has started, with prices that move as the action unfolds. Markets can be suspended at any moment — after a score, a red card or a fall — and a bet only stands once the bookmaker accepts it at the price shown. The pace makes it easy to bet more than you planned, so set a deposit limit first. Our guide to in-play betting and cash out explains how it works.

The rider of a horse in a race. Racecards list the jockey for each runner, along with any weight allowance claimed by an apprentice or conditional rider.

The identity and age checks a bookmaker carries out. Under the Gambling Regulation Act 2024 you must be 18 or over to apply for an account, and the bookmaker must verify your identity and age before the account is opened. It may ask for further documents later, as set out in its terms — before a withdrawal, for example.

On a betting exchange, to bet that something will not happen. You take the bookmaker’s side of another person’s back bet; if the outcome does happen, you pay their winnings. That amount is your liability, and it is held from your balance when the bet is matched.

Video of a race or match shown on the bookmaker’s site or app. Some bookmakers ask for a funded account or a bet on the event before you can watch; the conditions are in their terms. See our guide to in-play betting and cash out.

A big price — 20/1 or 21.00, for instance — on an outcome the market sees as unlikely. Long odds mean a large return if it happens and, for the same reason, that it rarely does.

A full cover bet on four selections made up of 15 bets: four singles, six doubles, four trebles and a fourfold. It is a Yankee plus the four singles. A €1 Lucky 15 costs €15.

The set of outcomes you can bet on for one question — the match result, total points, the first scorer, the outcome of a race. A big match can have hundreds of markets.

The basic bet on the result of a match. In football and GAA it is usually three-way — home (1), draw (X), away (2) — because a level score at full time is possible. The market rules say whether extra time counts.

Racing over hurdles and fences, plus bumpers, run mainly from autumn to spring. Ireland’s big jumps meetings include Leopardstown at Christmas, the Dublin Racing Festival and Punchestown; Cheltenham is the British festival Irish racing fans follow most closely.

A horse withdrawn from a race. On the day, stakes on a non-runner are normally returned and winning bets on the others may be reduced under Rule 4; ante-post bets on a non-runner are usually lost.

A concession some bookmakers apply to selected races, under which ante-post stakes are returned if your horse does not run. It is a promotion set by the bookmaker; read its terms, including exactly which races it covers.

The price of a bet: it tells you what you get back if it wins and how likely the bookmaker rates the outcome. Shown as fractional (5/2), decimal (3.50) or, rarely, American (+250). Our odds guide explains each format.

Any price bigger than evens — 6/4, 3/1, or decimal odds above 2.00. A winning bet returns more in winnings than you staked.

Any price shorter than evens — 1/2, 4/6, or decimal odds below 2.00. You win less than you stake: a €10 bet at 1/2 returns €15. Odds-on selections are favoured by the market and still lose regularly.

A bet on the overall result of a competition rather than a single match — who lifts the Sam Maguire, wins the Six Nations or tops the League of Ireland Premier Division. Your stake is tied up until the competition is decided.

A bet on whether a total — goals, points, corners — will be above or below a line set by the bookmaker, such as over 2.5 goals. Half-point lines mean there is no tie.

How far the implied probabilities in a market add up to more than 100%. A two-way market priced at 10/11 on each side adds up to about 104.8%; the 4.8% is the bookmaker’s margin. The bigger the margin, the less you get back on winning bets over time.

Three selections, seven bets: three singles, three doubles and a treble. Drop the singles and you have a Trixie.

Finishing in one of the positions that count for a place bet — the first two, three or four, sometimes more, depending on the race and the bookmaker’s place terms. A place bet comes in if your selection finishes in one of them.

The rules that settle the place part of an each-way bet: how many places count and what fraction of the win odds applies — a quarter or a fifth of the odds for the first three or four, for example. They depend on the type of race and the number of runners, and each bookmaker sets its own. Extra places on big races are a promotion set by the bookmaker; read its terms.

Betting in which all stakes go into a pool and, after a deduction, the pool is shared among the winning tickets. You do not know the final dividend until betting closes, unlike a fixed-odds bet.

What a bet would bring back if it wins — winnings plus stake. The bet slip shows it before you confirm.

Any offer a bookmaker runs to encourage betting, such as extra places on selected races or changed prices on selected markets. A promotion is set by the bookmaker, comes with conditions and can be withdrawn; read its terms on the bookmaker’s site. Voienexo does not list or rate promotions.

Everyday Irish and British word for someone who places bets.

The list of runners for a race, with each horse’s number, jockey, trainer, weight, age and recent form. Bookmakers show racecards next to their prices.

A reminder that appears during a session to show how long you have been logged in, and sometimes how much you have staked, so you can decide whether to stop. You can usually choose how often it appears. See our safer betting page.

The GRAI licence for platforms that let people bet with each other rather than with the platform itself — in practice, betting exchanges. The GRAI treats prediction markets that offer betting the same way.

The GRAI licence a bookmaker needs to take bets online or by phone from people in Ireland. These licences commenced on 1 July 2026. Licence numbers follow the pattern GRAI-xxxx-RB-26-0001, and the GRAI public register shows the licence holder’s company name and the licence dates.

A deduction from winning bets when a horse is withdrawn after you placed your bet and there is no time to form a new market. Bets on the withdrawn horse are refunded; winnings on the others are reduced by an amount that depends on the withdrawn horse’s price — the shorter its odds, the bigger the deduction. Our racing terms guide has a worked example.

The team, horse, player or outcome you bet on. A bet with more than one selection is a multiple.

Asking a bookmaker to close your account and stop you opening a new one for a period you choose from the options it offers. It is meant to be hard to reverse. Ireland’s National Gambling Exclusion Register, which would cover all licensed operators at once, is provided for in law but is not yet operating, so for now you self-exclude with each bookmaker and can add blocking software. A bookmaker holding a GRAI licence must also close your account if you ask. GAMSTOP covers only operators licensed in Great Britain.

A bet on one selection. The simplest bet, and the easiest to keep track of.

The odds on a horse or greyhound at the moment the race starts. Take SP and your bet is settled at that price, whatever it was when you placed it; take a price earlier and you keep that price.

The amount you put on a bet. In each-way and full cover bets, the stake shown is usually per bet, so the total cost is higher — check the total on the bet slip.

A National Hunt race over fences, which are bigger and stiffer than the obstacles in a hurdle race.

An investigation by the racecourse stewards into possible interference or a breach of the rules during a race. It can change the placings, so bookmakers wait for the official result before settling.

A market in which the bookmaker has stopped taking bets for a while — during a dangerous attack, after a score or when news breaks. Cash out is usually unavailable while a market is suspended.

A break you set on your account — a day, a week or a month, for example — during which you cannot bet or deposit. Unlike self-exclusion, the account reopens when the time-out ends. You will find it in the safer-betting section of your account.

A Gaelic football or hurling market on the combined score of both teams, with a line such as over/under 40.5 points. The total is counted in points, with each goal worth three.

Three selections linked in one bet; all three must win.

A bet on the first three finishers in the right order. A combination tricast covers every order for three or more selections — six bets for three selections.

Three selections, four bets: three doubles and a treble. At least two selections must win for any return.

On a betting exchange, a back or lay bet that nobody has yet taken at your price. It stays open until it is matched or you cancel it.

A bet that is cancelled and settled as if it had never been placed, with the stake returned. Bets can be void when an event is abandoned, a named player does not take part, or the bookmaker’s rules on obvious pricing errors apply. In a multiple, a void leg is usually removed and the rest settled.

The racecourse announcement that the result is official, made after the jockeys have been weighed following the race. Bookmakers settle bets on that result.

A bet on how much a team wins by — 1–3 points or 4–6 points in a hurling match, for instance. The bands vary by sport and bookmaker.

Moving money from your betting account back to your bank, card or another payment method. Bookmakers usually want identity checks completed first, and timings depend on those checks, your payment method and your bank. Each bookmaker publishes its own withdrawal terms.

Four selections, 11 bets: six doubles, four trebles and a fourfold. At least two selections must win for any return. Add four singles and it becomes a Lucky 15.

Ground a little softer than good — between good and soft. Irish racecards also use good to yielding and yielding to soft.