# Sportsbook margin calculator > Free sportsbook margin calculator: enter American, decimal or fractional odds to see the vig, how much the book keeps, the fair odds, and which of two sportsbooks pays more. - URL: https://safebet.ai/ca/sports-betting/margin-calculator/ - Markdown version: https://safebet.ai/ca/sports-betting/margin-calculator/index.html.md - Last updated: 2026-10-22 - Publisher: SafeBet.ai - Editorial policy and advertiser disclosure: https://safebet.ai/editorial-policy/ Canada · Sports betting · Free tool Enter a sportsbook’s odds on every outcome of a market to see how much it keeps, the fair odds with its margin removed, and, with a second book’s odds, which one pays more on each outcome. By [SafeBet.ai Research Team](https://safebet.ai/editorial-policy/) Updated October 22, 2026 [2 sources](https://safebet.ai/ca/sports-betting/margin-calculator/#sources) ## How the calculator works A sportsbook never offers fair odds. Add up the implied probabilities of every outcome in a market and you get more than 100%: the excess is the **overround**, and it’s how the book makes money whoever wins. At −110 on both sides of a spread, each side implies 52.4%, together 104.8%, and the book keeps about 4.5% of everything staked on that market over time. Enter the odds a sportsbook offers on each outcome, in American, decimal or fractional format, and the calculator shows how much it keeps, the share it pays back, and the fair odds with the margin removed. Add a second sportsbook’s odds on the same game to see which one keeps less, and which pays more on each outcome. Comparing prices like this, called line shopping, is the simplest way to cut what betting costs you; in Canada it’s most useful if you’re in Ontario, where many registered sportsbooks compete, or if you want to see how a provincial site’s prices compare. ## Typical margins What a sportsbook keeps on common price pairs, computed with the same formula as the calculator. | Market and prices | Overround | Book keeps | Pays back | | -------------------------------- | --------- | ---------- | --------- | | Spread or total at −110 / −110 | 4.76% | 4.55% | 95.45% | | Spread or total at −105 / −105 | 2.44% | 2.38% | 97.62% | | Moneyline at −150 / +130 | 3.48% | 3.36% | 96.64% | | Moneyline at −160 / +120 | 6.99% | 6.54% | 93.46% | | Soccer 1X2 at 2.10 / 3.40 / 3.60 | 4.81% | 4.59% | 95.41% | [**Compare the 5 best sports betting sites in Canada** Ranked on regulation, fees, features and payouts · bet365, FanDuel Sportsbook, theScore Bet and more See the ranking](https://safebet.ai/ca/sports-betting/) ## Frequently asked questions ### What is a sportsbook margin? The difference between the odds a sportsbook offers and fair odds. Add up the implied probabilities of every outcome and you get more than 100%: the excess is the overround. At −110 on both sides, the implied probabilities add up to 104.76%, and the book keeps about 4.55% of everything staked on that market over time. ### How is the hold calculated? Hold = 1 − 1 ÷ (sum of the implied probabilities), which is what the book keeps if bets follow the fair probabilities. The payout rate is the rest: 1 ÷ (sum of the implied probabilities). The calculator removes the margin proportionally to get the fair odds. ### What is a normal margin for a sportsbook? About 4.5% on a standard −110/−110 spread or total. Moneylines and props usually carry more. Pinnacle says its prices average a 2% margin against an industry average of about 6%, and across Ontario’s regulated market, sportsbooks kept 6.81% of cash wagers in 2025–26, according to iGaming Ontario. ### Why compare two sportsbooks? Because the same bet pays differently at different books. Taking the better price on each bet, called line shopping, is the simplest way to cut what betting costs you; the calculator shows how much more each outcome would return on your stake at the better book. ### Does a lower margin mean I will win? No. It means you lose less on average. Even at a 2% margin, a bettor who picks at random loses about 2% of everything staked over time, before any variance. ## Keep reading [Methodology · 4 min **How we rank sports betting sites in Canada** We only rank sportsbooks a Canadian province regulates, which for private books means registration in Ontario or Alberta. Each is scored from 0 to 10 on six weighted criteria, licensing and safety, markets and features, odds and limits, payouts, apps, and support and responsible gambling, and the ranking follows the overall scores. We judge odds on what each book publishes, because several books' terms prohibit automated odds collection, and we don't score bonuses. Read](https://safebet.ai/ca/sports-betting/how-we-rank/) [Guide · 3 min **Is sports betting legal in Canada? The rules in every province** Yes. Betting on a single game has been legal in Canada since August 27, 2021, but only on sites a province runs or licenses. Ontario and Alberta license private sportsbooks such as bet365 and FanDuel; elsewhere, the provincial site is the only legal option, such as PlayNow in British Columbia, Manitoba and Saskatchewan or Mise-o-jeu in Quebec. You must be 19 (18 in Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec) and physically in the province. Read](https://safebet.ai/ca/sports-betting/is-sports-betting-legal/) ## Sources We verify facts against primary sources (regulators, court records, operators’ own terms) wherever possible. 1. [Monthly market performance report (data tables to August 31, 2026)](https://igamingontario.ca/en/operator/market-performance-report-monthly) — iGaming Ontario , 2026-09-23 2. [Pinnacle’s margin compared with the industry (help centre article)](https://support.pinnacle.ca/hc/en-us/articles/44854169051409) — Pinnacle , updated 2026-03-30 Researched and written by [SafeBet.ai Research Team](https://safebet.ai/editorial-policy/) · Betting analysts & data scientists The team behind SafeBet.ai’s AI sports picks: data analysts, AI engineers and sports bettors based in Maastricht. Since 2021 our models have analyzed 30,088 matches. We review betting, casino and prediction-market platforms against a published methodology and cite official sources for every fact. [Editorial policy](https://safebet.ai/editorial-policy/) [How we rank](https://safebet.ai/ca/sports-betting/how-we-rank/) [About SafeBet.ai](https://safebet.ai/about/) [Report an error](https://safebet.ai/support/) 19+ Online sports betting is legal in Canada only where a province runs or licenses it: private sportsbooks in Ontario (19+) and Alberta (18+), and each province’s own site elsewhere. You must be physically in that province to bet. Only play with money you can afford to lose. Gambling problem? Find [the helpline for your province or territory](https://safebet.ai/ca/guides/gambling-help-canada/#helplines-by-province-and-territory) (free and confidential; most answer 24/7, or call or text 988 in a crisis) or read our [responsible gambling guide](https://safebet.ai/ca/guides/gambling-help-canada/). Top 5 sports betting sites · Canada 1. [1 **bet365** Best overall sportsbook 9.4](https://safebet.ai/ca/sports-betting/bet365-review/) 2. [2 **FanDuel Sportsbook** Best app 8.4](https://safebet.ai/ca/sports-betting/fanduel-sportsbook-review/) 3. [3 **theScore Bet** Best for live streaming 8.3](https://safebet.ai/ca/sports-betting/thescore-bet-review/) 4. [4 **Sports Interaction** Best for hockey fans 7.9](https://safebet.ai/ca/sports-betting/sports-interaction-review/) 5. [5 **Pinnacle** Best odds 7.5](https://safebet.ai/ca/sports-betting/pinnacle-review/) [Full ranking](https://safebet.ai/ca/sports-betting/) Free sports betting site tools - [Sportsbook licence check (Canada)](https://safebet.ai/ca/sports-betting/licence-check/) - [Sportsbook margin calculator](https://safebet.ai/ca/sports-betting/margin-calculator/) Sports betting guides - [Is sports betting legal?](https://safebet.ai/ca/sports-betting/is-sports-betting-legal/) - [How we rank sportsbooks](https://safebet.ai/ca/sports-betting/how-we-rank/)