Blue Posted September 26, 2016 Report Share Posted September 26, 2016 Just for the sake of curiosity what is the average hold % for a book for an entire football season? I'm thinking anything greater than 10% is good but some seasons I know the books clean up and it's probably closer to 25% . Curious if any of you current and former sportsbook employees could give any insight on what books strive for . 10% ? 20% ? 30 % ? I'm sure this number changes like the fuckin wind but I would like to know for sure what the standard goal is kinda like food cost in the restaurant business. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KingRevolver Posted September 26, 2016 Report Share Posted September 26, 2016 You should Axe VD this question. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Posted September 26, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 26, 2016 That I will Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bfo Posted September 26, 2016 Report Share Posted September 26, 2016 Have not worked at a sportsbook since 2007, but thinking we held around 5-6% maybe a little higher. Futures were gold of course, especially when we started robbing people. Baseball season always sucked, football usually had a good hold with the parlay cards, but you could get dinged there as well. Guys would come in and play 500 cards doing round robins with all the off numbers. Eventually books started taking those games off the cards. One guy I didn't like would come in and fill out cards for an hour or more usually all the off numbers. I would let him sit there the whole time then right before he came to the window take those games off the card. Guy was a prick and possible Non heterosexual person , always good for a laugh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Posted September 26, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 26, 2016 Lol that's awesome. Thanks for sharing BFO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HRWager Posted September 26, 2016 Report Share Posted September 26, 2016 Around 5% Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Posted September 26, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 26, 2016 Around 5% What was your best season? Worst season? I swear I talked to a guy off shore years ago who said they were having a good year and it was like 20% Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rito Posted September 26, 2016 Report Share Posted September 26, 2016 10% would be absurd dealing-110/-110 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Posted September 26, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 26, 2016 10% would be absurd dealing-110/-110Absurd meaning no one has that high of a hold % ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Posted September 26, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 26, 2016 Oh I see what you're saying Rito, for example holding $100k after only taking a million in action would be insane. Gotcha, dumb question . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KingKolzig Posted September 26, 2016 Report Share Posted September 26, 2016 and a hold % is? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HRWager Posted September 26, 2016 Report Share Posted September 26, 2016 I would call bullshit on that 20% unless its a very small sheet with most guys from one state. Im not calling you a liar but I would definately call this guy a liar but VD would know a lot more about it than me. Ive had seasons with 0.5 ish% hold but I make the money with the casino and the racebook. In my case the most has been 6% I think. What was your best season? Worst season? I swear I talked to a guy off shore years ago who said they were having a good year and it was like 20% Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viejo Dinosaur Posted September 26, 2016 Report Share Posted September 26, 2016 Anything over 6 per cent is a monster season for a book... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mofome Posted September 26, 2016 Report Share Posted September 26, 2016 Have not worked at a sportsbook since 2007, but thinking we held around 5-6% maybe a little higher. Futures were gold of course, especially when we started robbing people. Baseball season always sucked, football usually had a good hold with the parlay cards, but you could get dinged there as well. Guys would come in and play 500 cards doing round robins with all the off numbers. Eventually books started taking those games off the cards. One guy I didn't like would come in and fill out cards for an hour or more usually all the off numbers. I would let him sit there the whole time then right before he came to the window take those games off the card. Guy was a prick and possible Non heterosexual person , always good for a laugh. Spoiler alert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KingKolzig Posted September 26, 2016 Report Share Posted September 26, 2016 hold % is the money the book is guaranteed to make? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest boatboatboat Posted September 26, 2016 Report Share Posted September 26, 2016 Goal is 5 If they play parlays and teasers you will see 6. Break them into profiled groups and deal lines based on wager habits you will see 8 pretty consiestaly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Posted September 26, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 26, 2016 I would call bullshit on that 20% unless its a very small sheet with most guys from one state. Im not calling you a liar but I would definately call this guy a liar but VD would know a lot more about it than me. Ive had seasons with 0.5 ish% hold but I make the money with the casino and the racebook. In my case the most has been 6% I think. I'm probably wrong just for some reason 20% stuck in my head but when I started calculating the numbers everything made more sense . 5% totally makes sense . VD , ever worked at a book that lost $ in consecutive years ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HRWager Posted September 26, 2016 Report Share Posted September 26, 2016 its the % of the money that is kept when checked against the volume (amount of bets taken) So for example if the book takes 1 million in bets, a 5% hold means that they keep $50,000 out of the $1,000,000 that was risked.hold % is the money the book is guaranteed to make? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KingKolzig Posted September 26, 2016 Report Share Posted September 26, 2016 ty George Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viejo Dinosaur Posted September 26, 2016 Report Share Posted September 26, 2016 I'm probably wrong just for some reason 20% stuck in my head but when I started calculating the numbers everything made more sense . 5% totally makes sense . VD , ever worked at a book that lost $ in consecutive years ?Never....ever..... A few losing weeks.... Before the internet, every book made serious money....that is the top tier books like Pinny, CRIS, Olympic, and GRANDE....you put up numbers and let them bet....also helped to have good clerks back then... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bfo Posted September 26, 2016 Report Share Posted September 26, 2016 Expenses (I would assume) much higher in LV books as well. Higher salaries, tv fees, and numerous other stuff. I don't think people realize how poorly book employees are paid in LV, but unless you're the top guy you're not really making much money. I know the Wynn pays their writers the highest, and tips are good there as well. Maybe their writers can make 40k a year and make a career of it, but it's much tougher at other places. I think people would be amazed how little sportsbook supervisors make, especially at hub books with all the money that's at risk moving the numbers you'd think its paid well, but it really isn't. It's been awhile but I think I made about 45k when I left the business, there were other perks but a lot of stress as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Posted September 26, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 26, 2016 Expenses (I would assume) much higher in LV books as well. Higher salaries, tv fees, and numerous other stuff. I don't think people realize how poorly book employees are paid in LV, but unless you're the top guy you're not really making much money. I know the Wynn pays their writers the highest, and tips are good there as well. Maybe their writers can make 40k a year and make a career of it, but it's much tougher at other places.I think people would be amazed how little sportsbook supervisors make, especially at hub books with all the money that's at risk moving the numbers you'd think its paid well, but it really isn't. It's been awhile but I think I made about 45k when I left the business, there were other perks but a lot of stress as well.Tough business all around I guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Posted September 26, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 26, 2016 Never....ever.....A few losing weeks....Before the internet, every book made serious money....that is the top tier books like Pinny, CRIS, Olympic, and GRANDE....you put up numbers and let them bet....also helped to have good clerks back then..."You put up numbers and let them bet" what's the underlying meaning here VD? That books weren't afraid to use their own numbers and didn't copy lines like everyone does now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bfo Posted September 26, 2016 Report Share Posted September 26, 2016 "You put up numbers and let them bet" what's the underlying meaning here VD? That books weren't afraid to use their own numbers and didn't copy lines like everyone does now?I worked at a major Strip book, and we were never first. Maybe with some MMA which was in its infancy at the time, and some props as well. But for any halftime odds we always looked at what the Greek posted and pretty much used that, maybe minor adjustments for what side we needed. Much of the adjustments due to parlay liability. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KingRevolver Posted September 26, 2016 Report Share Posted September 26, 2016 Books always hold 100% of my money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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