What is a bankroll in gambling?
The short answer
The total amount of money you've set aside specifically for betting.
Watch the lesson
Play the Bankroll videoBetting basics guide
Knowing the language is step one — knowing the true price is the edge. The Cold Line’s signal desk tracks the no-vig fair number and the closing-line value behind terms like this, before the market moves.
In plain English
Your betting piggy bank. Only bet with money you can afford to lose.
What to remember about Bankroll
The definition
The total amount of money you've set aside specifically for betting.
In plain English
Your betting piggy bank. Only bet with money you can afford to lose.
Example in context
If your bankroll is $500, a 2% bet would be $10.
Check yourself
Term quiz
Check yourself: Bankroll
1.A bankroll is…
2.On an illustrative $5,000 bankroll, what is a 2% stake?
3.What is the point of sizing bets as a percentage of a bankroll?
Keep learning
Explore the next question before you place a bet.
Put the concept to work
Explore Bankroll with a concrete research workflow. Build your own number, compare sportsbook prices with a sharp reference, or use Audits to review timestamped book moves beside play-by-play.
Browse the full A–Z betting glossary or read the complete betting guide. The Cold Line also publishes a free year-round sports calendar and an odds board (Free account: delayed odds).