How TicketCheck works
Betting odds look like promises. They are not. Here is how we turn them into an honest chance.
Odds are a price, not a forecast
When SportyBet shows odds of 2.00 on a team, that looks like a 50 in 100 chance. But the bookmaker adds a margin to every price. If you add up the chances that the odds imply for all the outcomes of a game, they come to more than 100 in 100. The extra part is the bookmaker's margin.
Real chance
For each game on your ticket we take that margin out, so the chances for all outcomes add up to exactly one whole. That gives a fairer chance for your pick. For most games we take the margin out of the odds of every outcome in that market, in proportion. When a market can't be balanced that way, we use SportyBet's own estimate for the pick, and the result says so.
The ticket wins only if every game comes in. So we multiply the chances of the games together. That is why a ticket with many games falls quickly. Four games that each have a 70 in 100 chance give a ticket chance of about 24 in 100, not 70.
Bookmaker's cut
This is the size of the margin that sits on your whole ticket. Each game adds a little, and a long ticket adds them up. It shows what the bookmaker keeps on average from every unit staked, over many tickets. A small cut is good for you. A big cut means you are paying a lot for the same chance.
Weakest leg
This is the game on the ticket with the lowest real chance. One weak game can pull a whole ticket down. Seeing it helps you decide whether to keep it, swap it, or drop the ticket.
What we do not do
- We do not know who will win. Nobody does.
- We do not sell tips, and we are not linked to any bookmaker.
- Picks from the same match are linked, so we say when the chance is only rough.
- Odds can move and may differ slightly from your app.
Our own free tickets
Every day we publish free tickets and show whether each one won or lost. The record includes the losses. It is a way for you to see how rarely long tickets win. See the free tickets and their history.
Check a SportyBet booking code
Learn more: what is an accumulator and bookmaker margin.
New to this? Read how to check a booking code. We also have pages for Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya.
Questions people ask
What does real chance mean?
It is our estimate of how likely the whole ticket is to win, once the bookmaker's built-in margin is removed from the odds of each game.
What is the bookmaker's cut?
It is the extra the bookmaker builds into the prices so that it earns money over time, even if its estimates are fair. A bigger cut means worse value for you.
Why is the real chance lower than the odds suggest?
Because odds include the cut. Take the cut out and each game looks a little less likely, and the effect grows with every game you add.
Can a high real chance still lose?
Yes. A 60% chance still loses four times in ten. Chances are not promises.
Is the result a tip?
No. TicketCheck does not tell you what to bet. It shows you what a ticket is worth.
18+ Betting is for adults only and most tickets lose. Read how to play safe.