What is an Odds Booster?
An odds booster is a type of promotion that is offered by many of the biggest online sportsbooks. Its name is derived from the fact that the promotion is designed to enhance the odds paid for a successful bet on specific outcomes. For example, you might be offered 10% bigger odds when you bet that a particular player will score a touchdown and that his team will also win the game overall.
Odds booster promotions have been around, in one form or another, for a long time. They have been available for decades to bettors in the UK and mainland Europe, but were first made available in the United States in New Jersey. As sports betting has swept the nation, so have sports betting promotions. Odds boosters are now available in almost every state that allows sportsbooks to operate.
Why Bettors Like Odds Boosters
Bettors like odds boosters for the simple reason that they make it possible for them to make more money from winning bets. If a standard winning bet would give a bettor a profit of $100, an odds booster which promises to enhance the payout by 20% would give him an even bigger profit of $120.
Another reason why odds boosters are so popular is because they add an extra element of excitement to betting. Shoppers are always more satisfied with a purchase if they believe they've got a bargain. Similarly, bettors tend to experience more excitement when they have managed to secure better odds than are available in general.
How Odds Boosters Work
Odds boosters come in various forms. The most common of these can be referred to as percentage boosts and enhanced odds. Let's take a quick look at each type in turn:
Percentage Boosts
These odds booster promotions will offer you a stated percentage enhancement of the payout from a winning bet. For example, a sportsbook might offer a 10% boost if you bet on the underdog in a particular football game. In that case, if the underdog wins, your payout will be 10% bigger than it would have been without the percentage boost.
Enhanced Odds
When an odds booster takes the form on enhanced odds, the actual odds will be larger than normal. For example, the odds for the underdog in a particular game might be quoted at +440 instead of the generally available +400. The end result for the bettor is the same - more profit if the bet wins. But you won't have to calculate anything to be able to compare the offer with the odds available at other sportsbooks.
Why Do Sportsbooks Give Odds Boosters?
Sportsbooks give odds boosters for the same reason as they give any other type of promotion - to attract more business. All sportsbooks have a percentage of profit built into their betting markets, so in some cases they are happy to forego that profit in a certain event in order to encourage people to bet with them.
Where to Find Odds Boosters?
As we said earlier, odds boosters can be found at almost all of the main online sportsbooks. However, this type of promotion isn't available all of the time. Odds boosters tend to be offered about very specific outcomes in particular events in order to generate more interest in that market. They can also be offered to encourage people to bet on headline events, such as the Super Bowl or World Series.
The best way to find odds boosters is to simply keep your eyes open and check in regularly with all of the sportsbooks that operate in your state. You should also make good use of our Live Odds page so that you can see how the odds at key sportsbooks compare for particular events.
Are Odds Boosters Always Good News?
There is plenty to like about odds boosters, but it would be a mistake to think that they are always good news. Sportsbooks aren't silly, and they aren't famous for their altruism, either. They are therefore most likely to offer odds boosters for outcomes that they don't really expect to take place. As a general rule of thumb, the more generous the odds booster is, the less chance the sportsbook thinks you have of succeeding.
This is most apparent with 'parlay boosts' that promise to enhance your return from a winning parlay bet. Experienced bettors know that parlay bets are already quite difficult to succeed with, and they aren't any easier with an odds booster in place. In fact, many sportsbooks insist on a parlay having a minimum number of legs in order for the bet to qualify for their advertised boost, thereby keeping your chances of winning on the low side.
Having said that, odds booster promotions can definitely be worth looking out for. If you already want to bet on the outcome being highlighted, taking advantage of an odds booster will give you a chance of making a bigger profit if your bet succeeds.
