What is a Betslip?: How to Fill in a Betting Slip

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What is a Betslip?: How to Fill in a Betting Slip
© Samantha Madar/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

Betting can be the perfect way to ramp up the thrill you experience when watching sports unfold. However, filling in a betslip can be daunting for newcomers, and any mistakes could cost you money.

This guide will explain exactly how to fill in a betting slip like a seasoned pro.

What is a Betslip?

A betslip is the ticket or coupon on which you build your wager before placing it. You and your sportsbook use this betting slip to record and track sports wagers.

The betslip is part online shopping cart and part payout calculator: You fill it out with what you'd like to purchase and see what you get in return for the associated cost. In this case, you're paying for potential higher winnings and the entertainment value of seeing if your predictions are right.

You can place multiple wagers in each betslip or submit multiple betslips—whatever you prefer. Online sportsbooks build their terms of use into the bet builder so you can feel secure knowing you're sticking within the book's parameters, like selecting the correct number of parlay legs.

Components of a Betslip: What Goes on a Betting Slip?

While the display will differ slightly based on which sportsbook you choose and the bet you place, the core elements of your betslip will look the same as you build your bet:

  • Market: The outcome you are wagering on.
  • Odds: The odds associated with that outcome happening.
  • Stake: The amount of money you're betting on that outcome happening at those odds.

Based on these three factors, most betting apps will automatically calculate the total cost and payout if you win your bet.

How to Read Odds on a Betslip

Online betting platforms sometimes allow you to change the odds format presentation throughout your display, though most U.S. sites default to American odds.

If the odds are positive, they represent the less likely outcome. The number associated tells you how much you would win on a $100 bet.

If the odds are negative, they represent the more likely outcome. The number associated tells you how much you'd have to wager to net $100 with a win.

It's important to remember that odds are dynamic; they change. When you submit your bet, you lock in the price as it is now, unless otherwise stated on the betslip.

Where to Find your Betslip

When you select a market to bet on, it will be automatically added to your betslip, which will stay active on your screen until you decide to submit it. That makes it easy to keep track of your betslip and the wagers within it.

Once you've submitted your betslip, you can find your pending and settled bets in your player account.

How to Fill Out an Online Sports Betslip

Placing a sports bet online is far easier than in person. It is a simple, efficient process, and you will quickly understand it, as the best sites are extremely intuitive and user-friendly.

  1. You simply search for the match or tournament you are interested in.
  2. You will be presented with a wide range of betting options laid out in a neat, easily accessible format. A physical coupon in-store will only offer a limited number of markets, whereas you can often find hundreds of intriguing bets on a single match at leading online bookmakers.
  3. You simply click on a bet that appeals to you, and a betting slip to the right of the screen automatically opens.
  4. You can enter the amount of money you wish to wager in a box next to your selection, and it will tell you how much profit you stand to earn.
  5. You can add as many bets as you like to the slip and remove any you are unhappy with before clicking “Place Bet.”
  6. The system will then give you a receipt and tell you your potential return.

How to Place Different Types of Bets within a Betslip

You can place moneyline bets, point spreads, over/unders, prop bets, and futures within your betslip, either as a standard single bet or as a parlay.

Betslips look and function relatively similarly across different bet types, but there are some important distinctions that you should consider.

Standard Bets

Search for a sporting event that interests you, find a bet that appeals to you, and tap on it. That selection will be added to the betting slip that appears to the right of the screen.

It’s as simple as that.

A BetRivers betslip on Georgia-Alabama

Online Parlays

For a parlay, find another bet you like the look of, tap on it, and it will appear underneath your initial selection. Keep doing this as many times as you like.

At the bottom of your slip, there will be the option for a parlay bet. If you have chosen five selections, it will read “Five-leg Parlay,” “5 Fold,” or something similar.

You add your stake in a white box in that section of the betting slip and then click “Place Bet.”

You will be given a receipt that tells you the payout you will receive if all of your selections prove correct.

A parlay betslip from DraftKings

Round Robins & Teasers

Round robins and teasers take parlays to the next level. A round robin bet is essentially a parlay made of parlays: You combine multiple parlays into a single betslip. Teasers are parlays made up solely of point spread wagers where you can pay to adjust the lines in your favor. The trade-off usually involves some of your winnings taken off the top.

When building your bet, you'll see a tab marked "Round Robin" or "Teaser" to adapt your parlay. You can enter different stake amounts for each parlay, and your potential payout will be calculated automatically.

Round Robin Example 5

Online Horse Racing Bets

Online betting has made the process of wagering on a horse race much easier for bettors. You start by reading our guide to the best horse racing betting sites and searching for the race you wish to bet on.

  1. Click on the horse racing section to see all the races that day, plus several ante-post races due to run later.
  2. Click on the race you are interested in, and you will be presented with a list of the runners and information about them.
  3. Click on the odds displayed next to the horse you like the look of, and you will trigger a digital betting slip. This typically appears to the right of the screen, featuring your selection and the race it is running in.
  4. You can then type the amount of money you wish to wager on that horse into a white box, mark whether you want to go each way or to take the starting price, and then click on the button that says “Place Bet.”
  5. You can remove a selection from your digital betting slip anytime if you make a mistake.
  6. You will receive an online receipt that tells you your horse's name, the race, and the potential payout you stand to receive.

Betslip Enhancements

Depending on the sportsbook, some extra features might be available within your betslip that allow you to alter or enhance your wagers.

Fixed Odds vs. Changing Odds

You can submit your betting slip at the current fixed odds or enable dynamic odds pricing, in which your potential winnings change as the odds change. Sporting event odds are not static; they change as the circumstances change before and during the event itself.

red bar graph on black background

Parlay Builders

Most betting platforms have unique parlay builders available within betting menus. When selecting parlay legs, your bet builder will automatically start forming. All you need to do is agree to bet, and your betslip will be locked in.

sheet of paper with multiple checkmarks

Flexible Parlays

Some platforms allow you for flexible parlays in which not every leg needs to win. You'll be shown the payout scale based on the percentage of your parlay you get right.

Within the betslip, you can select the number of legs that need to hit within your parlay to collect some payout.

exclamation point in middle of yield sign

Bonus Bets

Many platforms' betslips will store your available bonus bets and allow you to add them to your bet before submitting. It acts like a discount coupon when checking out at an online retailer.

red and black glowing present
Betslip showing bonus bets wallet
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