What is a side bet in gambling?
The short answer
A private wager between people, made outside a sportsbook — usually at even money, with no vig, and settled on a handshake.
Watch the lesson
Play the Side Bet videoBetting slang explained
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
You and a friend bet each other directly. No book takes a cut, but no book makes the loser pay either.
What to remember about Side Bet
The definition
A private wager between people, made outside a sportsbook — usually at even money, with no vig, and settled on a handshake.
In plain English
You and a friend bet each other directly. No book takes a cut, but no book makes the loser pay either.
Example in context
At a book, the same pick at -110 risks $22 to win $20. As a side bet at even money, it is $20 against $20 — no vig, and the only guarantee of payment is the other person's word.
Check yourself
Term quiz
Check yourself: Side Bet
1.A side bet is…
2.The same pick costs $22 to win $20 at a -110 book. As a side bet at even money it is…
3.What is the main risk of a side bet?
Keep learning
Explore the next question before you place a bet.
Put the concept to work
Explore Side Bet 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).