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Understanding it helps you find better value.\n\n## What is Bookmaker Margin?\n\nIn a fair market:\n- Team A at 2.00 (50%) + Team B at 2.00 (50%) = 100%\n\nBut bookmakers offer:\n- Team A at 1.91 + Team B at 1.91 = 104.7%\n\nThat extra 4.7% is the margin — the bookmaker's cut.\n\n## Calculating Margin\n\n**Margin = (1\u002FOdds1 + 1\u002FOdds2 + ... + 1\u002FOddsN - 1) × 100%**\n\n### Two-Way Market (Tennis)\n- Player A: 1.85\n- Player B: 2.00\n\nMargin = (1\u002F1.85 + 1\u002F2.00 - 1) × 100% = **4.05%**\n\n### Three-Way Market (Football)\n- Home: 2.10\n- Draw: 3.40\n- Away: 3.50\n\nMargin = (1\u002F2.10 + 1\u002F3.40 + 1\u002F3.50 - 1) × 100% = **5.9%**\n\nUse our [Margin Calculator](\u002Fbetting\u002Fmargin-calculator) for instant results.\n\n## Why Margin Matters\n\n### Long-Term Cost\nWith 4% margin and $1,000 monthly turnover:\n- Monthly \"tax\": ~$40\n- Yearly: ~$480\n\n### Finding Value\nLower margin = closer to true odds = easier to find [value bets](\u002Fglossary\u002Fbetting\u002Fvalue-bet).\n\n## Margin by Bookmaker\n\n| Bookmaker | Typical Margin | Best For |\n|-----------|----------------|----------|\n| [Pinnacle](\u002Fbetting\u002Fbookmakers\u002Fpinnacle) | 2-3% | Professionals |\n| [Bet365](\u002Fbetting\u002Fbookmakers\u002Fbet365) | 4-6% | All-round |\n| [1xBet](\u002Fbetting\u002Fbookmakers\u002F1xbet) | 3-5% | Variety |\n| Average | 5-8% | — |\n\n## Margin by Sport\u002FMarket\n\n| Market | Typical Margin |\n|--------|----------------|\n| Top football leagues | 3-5% |\n| Tennis Grand Slams | 3-4% |\n| Lower leagues | 6-10% |\n| Exotic markets | 8-15% |\n\n## Beating the Margin\n\n### Line Shopping\nCompare odds across 5+ bookmakers. Take the best odds every time.\n\n### Bet Exchanges\n[Betfair](\u002Fbetting\u002Fbookmakers\u002Fbetfair) has ~2% commission instead of margin.\n\n### Focus on Low-Margin Markets\nStick to major events where competition drives margins down.\n\n## Related Tools\n\n- [Margin Calculator](\u002Fbetting\u002Fmargin-calculator)\n- [Odds Converter](\u002Fbetting\u002Fodds-converter)\n- [Implied Probability](\u002Fbetting\u002Fimplied-probability)\n\n\n\nTrack and compare bookmaker margins over time with the [Bookmaker Tracker](\u002Fbetting\u002Fbookmaker-tracker).\n\n## Conclusion\n\nMargin is the price you pay to bet. 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