South African bookmakers display decimal odds, not the fractional (5/1) or American (+500) formats used elsewhere. Decimal odds are the easiest format to do quick maths with once you know what the number means.
What the number means
A decimal odd is your total return per unit staked, including your original stake back. To work out your payout: stake x odds = total return. Subtract your stake to get pure profit.
A worked example
Say you stake R100 on a team at odds of 2.50:
- Total return: R100 x 2.50 = R250
- Profit: R250 - R100 stake = R150
A few more, for reference
- Odds of 1.50 on a R100 stake: R150 back, R50 profit
- Odds of 3.00 on a R100 stake: R300 back, R200 profit
- Odds of 5.00 on a R100 stake: R500 back, R400 profit
Odds also imply a probability
Dividing 1 by the decimal odds gives the bookmaker's implied probability of that outcome. Odds of 2.50 imply a 40% chance (1 / 2.50 = 0.40). This is useful for judging whether a price looks fair, not just how big the payout is.
The same bet, different prices
Bookmakers don't all price the same event identically. A small gap, 2.40 versus 2.50 on the same outcome, looks trivial on one bet but compounds significantly over a season of regular betting. It's worth checking odds on a market you bet often across more than one operator before assuming your usual bookmaker is giving you the best price.