What is hold in sports betting?
The short answer
"Hold" can mean the theoretical margin embedded in posted odds or the sportsbook's realized revenue as a percentage of handle. Those are related but not identical.
Watch the lesson
Play the Hold videoOdds and pricing 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
The sportsbook's built-in margin or the share of wagers it ultimately retains, depending on context.
What to remember about Hold
The definition
"Hold" can mean the theoretical margin embedded in posted odds or the sportsbook's realized revenue as a percentage of handle. Those are related but not identical.
In plain English
The sportsbook's built-in margin or the share of wagers it ultimately retains, depending on context.
Example in context
A two-way market priced at −110 on both sides contains a theoretical margin, while a sportsbook's monthly hold is based on actual revenue divided by handle.
Check yourself
Term quiz
Check yourself: Hold
1.Hold is…
2.Two bettors each risk $110 on opposite sides at -110. What is the book's theoretical hold?
3.Per the American Gaming Association, what was U.S. commercial sportsbooks' hold in 2025?
Keep learning
Explore the next question before you place a bet.
- What is vig / vigorish / juice in sports betting?
- What is an overround in sports betting?
- What is handle in sports betting?
- What is no-vig fair value in sports betting?
- What are american odds in sports betting?
- What is the closing line in sports betting?
- What are decimal odds in sports betting?
- What is a dime in sports betting?
Put the concept to work
Explore Hold 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).