Hold Percentage

Hold percentage is the efficiency read on betting activity. For sportsbook, hold reflects the combination of pricing margin (the structural overround built into odds) and how outcomes break for the operator (favorites winning is generally good for the operator; major upsets are generally bad). Casino hold reflects the house edge embedded in game RTPs combined with volatility-related variance in any given period. Investor and regulator scrutiny of hold percentage has increased as the sector has matured. Unusually high hold percentages can signal player-unfavorable pricing or product design that may attract regulatory attention. Unusually low hold can signal a major event outcome going against the book, or operationally a trading or risk management issue. Hold percentage normalization across markets is one of the standard diagnostics in operator performance analysis.