Sportsbook

Odds boost: a promo price and what it costs

Odds boost (price boost) is a promotional price on an outcome above the normal odds. If the bet wins, the bookmaker pays the difference, so the cost of a boost is that extra payout multiplied by the probability of the outcome. Boosts are capped with a maximum stake and built around the player's favourite sport.

Yevhen SychovOctober 2026

Formula and example

Boost cost = extra payout on a win x probability of the outcomeNormal odds of 2.00, a boost to 2.50, a €10 stake: the extra payout on a win is €5. With an outcome probability of, say, 48%, the boost costs €2.40 on average for every €10 staked.

Without the boost, the bookmaker earns €0.40 on average on such a bet: €10 minus 48% of €20. With the boost, it loses €2 on average: 48% of €25 minus €10. In practice, the cost of a boost is the extra payouts on winning bets. They are real money straight away and count towards bonus cost.

Limits

  • Maximum stake, for example €20 per boost. The cost grows with the stake: without a cap, one big player takes the whole promo budget.
  • One boost per player and checks for linked accounts.
  • Line moves. If the normal odds dropped after news, the outcome has become more likely and the gap to the boost is wider. The boost is repriced or pulled.

Who gets it and on what

A boost works when it is about the player's favourite sport, league and team: a better price on a match they are watching anyway gives them a reason to bet. A generic boost on the main match of the day often goes to people who would have bet without it.

The effect is measured against a control group: bets and NGR of players with the boost against similar players without it. Self-excluded players and players with limits do not get boosts.

Common mistakes

  • Not counting the boost as a cost. It is a promo with an expected loss on every bet, and it belongs in the budget next to bonuses.
  • Boosting a weakly priced market. If the normal price is already above fair, a boost on top of it becomes a gift to sharp bettors and arbers.
  • The stake limit is hidden in the terms. The player only finds out when placing the bet and gets annoyed. Show the limit next to the odds.
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