Understanding Odds
What Do Betting Odds Actually Mean at 98 Games?
For a lot of new bettors in Pakistan, the numbers displayed next to each selection look straightforward on the surface — but understanding what they actually represent makes a big difference to how you bet and how you evaluate value. Odds are not just prices; they are a direct expression of probability and potential return combined into a single number.
At 98 Games, all odds are displayed in decimal format by default — the most intuitive system for most users. A decimal odd of 2.50 means that for every Rs 1 you stake, you receive Rs 2.50 back in total if your selection wins. Your profit is Rs 1.50 per rupee staked. The entire return — stake included — is what the decimal number represents, which makes calculating payouts genuinely easy.
An odd of 1.50 implies a high-probability selection where the bookmaker prices the outcome as likely to happen. A decimal of 5.00 or above suggests the bookmaker considers the outcome unlikely. The key insight that experienced Pakistani bettors understand is this: the odds are always slightly below true probability because the bookmaker builds a margin into every market. That margin is how the platform makes money, and understanding it helps you identify when an odd represents genuine value versus when the margin is excessive.
98 Games publishes its average payout percentages per sport, which is a direct measure of how much of the margin is returned to players over time. Cricket markets average above 97%, which is among the highest in the market for Pakistani operators. Football is similarly positioned. These numbers matter, because they directly affect how much you receive back from a winning bet compared to what probability would justify.
