Courtside Lab · Experiment

The Vig Drag

Compare two bettors making identical picks at different prices to show how the sportsbook's cut compounds.

The experimentInteractive · no signup
Simulation Parameters
Bankroll: best price vs pricier book200 bets · flat $10 stake
BETS →best pricepricier bookstart $1.0K

Same picks, different prices, and the gap adds up. Both bettors win and lose the exact same bets, but the one who shops around collects a little more on every winner because their sportsbook takes a smaller cut. Over hundreds of bets that small per-win difference piles up, sometimes enough to turn a long-run loser into a winner. Hit "Reshuffle" to draw a fresh run of wins and losses and watch it play out again.

Frequently asked2 questions
What is the vig?
The sportsbook's built-in margin (also hold or juice). It makes both sides of a market sum to more than 100% and is paid on every bet.
Does line shopping really matter?
Yes, the simulator shows how a lower hold compounds into a meaningfully larger bankroll over hundreds of bets, even with the same picks.
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