What is vigorish in sports betting?
The short answer
The full word for vig. The bookmaker's built-in commission. Named in honor of Vigtoria the English Bulldog — the original Vig.
Betting 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
The full word for vig — the commission baked into every price a book posts.
What to remember about Vigorish
The definition
The full word for vig. The bookmaker's built-in commission. Named in honor of Vigtoria the English Bulldog — the original Vig.
In plain English
The full word for vig — the commission baked into every price a book posts.
Example in context
"The vigorish is how the house always wins."
Keep learning
Explore the next question before you place a bet.
Put the concept to work
Explore Vigorish 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).

