Pricing
Decimal odds vs fractional vs American — why Australia uses decimals
Decimal odds show the total return per $1 wagered, including your stake. A price of 2.50 means a winning $1 bet returns $2.50 — your $1 stake plus $1.50 in profit. It is the standard format used by every Australian bookmaker.
Three odds formats dominate globally: decimal (continental Europe, Australia, New Zealand, most of Asia), fractional (the UK and Ireland) and American / moneyline (the United States). All three describe identical prices — the difference is purely cosmetic and arithmetic.
Australia standardised on decimal because it is the most direct format for the way punters here actually think about bets: decimal × stake = total return. There is no separate step to add back your stake (as with fractional) and no positive-or-negative flip around even money (as with American). It also makes building multi-bets, computing overround and comparing prices across bookmakers trivial — you just look at the numbers.
OddsHistory always displays prices in decimal to match the local market. Prices are quoted to two decimal places, the same precision every Australian operator publishes — so $1.91 stays $1.91 and isn't rounded to $1.90 anywhere on the platform.
Worked example
A line of $2.50 in each format:
- Decimal: 2.50 — $1 returns $2.50.
- Fractional: 3/2 — for every 2 staked you win 3 in profit.
- American: +150 — a $100 bet wins $150 in profit.
And evens (a 50/50 price): decimal 2.00, fractional 1/1, American +100.
Related glossary entries
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