Handle Gambling Definition

Handle is how much money bettors/DFS users spend on wagers/entry fees. For sports betting, illegal offshore handle is estimated at around $150 billion. (Past estimates have put it as high as $400 billion, although in truth it’s difficult to estimate the amount of money wagered on the black market.). Gambling disorder involves repeated problematic gambling behavior that causes significant problems or distress. It is also called gambling addiction or compulsive gambling. For some people gambling becomes an addiction — the effects they get from gambling are similar to effects someone with alcoholism gets from alcohol. Handle — Total amount of money bet on a single race, day or season. In the money — Finishing 1st, 2nd or 3rd. Long shot — A horse with little perceived chance of winning a race. Odds are high on a long shot, with winning bets resulting in big money payouts and even louder screams. Maiden race — A race for horses looking for a first win.

Handle Gambling Definition Dictionary

Handle Gambling Definition Psychology

In sports betting lingo, the term handle is often used by the bookmakers to describe the total amount of money wagered over a specific period of time. In that case this term usually refers to total bets over multiple games, particularly during a longer series of pre-scheduled events. When dealing with the total bets placed on one game, the term action is usually used instead.

Please note that the term handle may also refer to the total amount of bets taken. In that case, the bookmaker would be talking strictly about the number of bets – the amount of money taken or the money won/lost would be irrelevant in such a case.

Regrettably, determining the exact meaning of this term in a specific situation depends solely on the context, which means that inexperienced bettors might get slightly confused when reading about this issue.

Handle Gambling Definition Synonyms

Usage Example

“This season’s handle was significantly larger than the previous one.”

Handle Gambling Definition Synonym

Trivia

Super Bowl betting tends to generate the biggest handle of the year for most online sports books. Bookmakers track their handle to gauge which sports and betting lines are the most popular, which allows them to set up new betting lines in the future.