Decimal odds: the global standard
Decimal odds show the total return per unit staked, including the stake. At 1.91, a 100-unit bet returns 191: your 100 back plus 91 profit. At 3.50, it returns 350. The higher the number, the less likely the outcome.
Decimal is standard across continental Europe, Latin America, Asia, Africa, Australia and Canada. It is also the easiest format for parlays: multiply the legs together and you have the combined price.
Fractional odds: the British tradition
Fractional odds show the profit relative to the stake. At 10/11 ("ten to eleven"), you stake 11 to win 10. At 5/2, you stake 2 to win 5. Odds-on favourites read "on": 1/2 means stake 2 to win 1.
Fractions remain the default in the UK and Ireland, particularly in horse racing, though most British online players are now comfortable with decimals too.
American odds: the US and Canadian book
American (or moneyline) odds use a plus or minus sign around a baseline of 100. A negative number is how much you must stake to win 100: at -110 you stake 110 to win 100. A positive number is how much you win on a 100 stake: at +150 you win 150.
This format dominates in the United States and among NFL, NBA and MLB bettors everywhere else.
Conversion cheat sheet
| Decimal | Fractional | American | Implied probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.50 | 1/2 | -200 | 66.7% |
| 1.80 | 4/5 | -125 | 55.6% |
| 1.91 | 10/11 | -110 | 52.4% |
| 2.00 | 1/1 (evens) | +100 | 50.0% |
| 2.50 | 3/2 | +150 | 40.0% |
| 3.00 | 2/1 | +200 | 33.3% |
| 5.00 | 4/1 | +400 | 20.0% |
| 11.00 | 10/1 | +1000 | 9.1% |
The formulas, if you want them:
- Fractional to decimal: divide the fraction and add 1. 5/2 becomes 2.5 + 1 = 3.50.
- Decimal to American: if 2.00 or higher, (decimal − 1) × 100. If below 2.00, −100 ÷ (decimal − 1).
- Implied probability: 1 ÷ decimal. At 1.91 that is 52.4%, and two sides at 1.91 add up to 104.7%: the extra 4.7% is the bookmaker's margin.
Or skip the maths and use our free odds converter.
Why a global book should support all three
An agent with players in Mexico, the UK and the United States who forces one format on everyone will lose players to the first competitor who does not. Confusion about a price leads to disputes about payouts, and disputes cost you players.
Global PPH lets you set a default format per player and lets players switch themselves on the site. The price is identical underneath; only the display changes. Your reports stay in whatever format you prefer.
Tip: when onboarding a new player, ask which format they use before you ask anything else. It tells you what sports they follow and how they will read your site.