Get Started

Bet Site Assessment: Margin First

A bet site's margin is the recurring cost of using it, and it is calculable from any market page without an account. Welcome offers are a one-off; margin applies to every bet.

Explore Dicebet

Calculating Margin

Convert each price to an implied probability, sum them, and subtract 100%. The remainder is the margin on that market.

Two-way markets at 4% are competitive; 8% is expensive over any volume. Dicebet Casino uses the same calculation on every site it compares.

Market TypeCompetitiveTypicalExpensive
Two-way, main leaguesUnder 3%3% to 5%Above 7%
Three-way footballUnder 4%4% to 6%Above 9%
Player propsUnder 6%6% to 10%Above 12%
Niche competitionsUnder 7%7% to 12%Above 15%

Limits Are Part of the Offer

Published maximum stakes tell you what the site will accept. Terms reserving the right to restrict accounts tell you what may happen if you win consistently.

Both are disclosed, and the second is standard across the industry rather than a sign of a bad operator.

Published Maximums
A concrete commitment rather than a discretionary limit.
Account Restriction
Legal, disclosed, and common on winning accounts.
Market Depth
Whether large stakes are accepted on minor markets.
Read the Terms
The limits clause is short and specific.

Payout Terms Beat Price Differences

A marginally better price is worth little on a site that holds withdrawals for three days and deducts a fee.

Approval window, daily cap and fee policy are all stated in the withdrawal section.

A slightly better price is worth less than a fast, fee-free payout. Read the withdrawal section before comparing odds.


Assessing a Candidate

Half an hour of public checks, no account required for most of it.

The conclusion holds for as long as the terms do.

  1. Verify the licence number in the regulator's register.
  2. Pick two markets you bet regularly and calculate the margin.
  3. Compare against another site on the same markets.
  4. Read the limits clause and any published maximum stakes.
  5. Read the withdrawal section for window, cap and fees.
  6. Open an account, verify identity, and test one small withdrawal.

Controls Worth Setting

Deposit limits, loss limits and session reminders are licence requirements on regulated sites and take a minute to set.

Exportable bet history is the only accurate record of whether betting there is working.

Deposit LimitsSelf-service and enforced by the operator.
Session RemindersExplicit prompts at a set interval.
Self-ExclusionAvailable temporarily or permanently.
Export HistoryRecollection is unreliable; records are not.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I calculate a bet site's margin?
Convert each price to an implied probability, add them together and subtract 100%. The remainder is the margin.
What margin is competitive?
Under 3% on main two-way markets. Above 7% is expensive over any volume.
Will winning get my account limited?
It can. Most terms reserve that right and the practice is widespread.
Do welcome offers compensate for a wide margin?
No. A bonus is a one-off; margin applies to every bet for as long as the account exists.
What should I check in the payout terms?
The approval window, the daily cap and whether fees are deducted from withdrawals.