Understanding how to calculate betting returns from odds can help you see exactly what a successful bet could potentially return before you place it. The calculation depends on two main things: the amount you stake and the odds attached to your selection.
The method is slightly different depending on whether you are using fractional or decimal odds, but the underlying principle remains the same. This guide explains both approaches with straightforward examples and also covers the important difference between your stake, potential profit and total potential return.
If you are unfamiliar with what betting prices represent, start with our guide to How do betting odds work?, which explains how odds are set, what shorter and longer odds mean and how they relate to potential returns.
What Are Betting Returns?
A betting return is the total amount you receive when a standard bet is successful. It normally includes both your original stake and the profit from the bet.
There are three useful terms to understand:
Stake – the amount you wager.
Potential profit – the amount you could win above your original stake.
Total potential return – your original stake plus your potential profit.
For example, imagine you stake £10 on a selection and the potential profit is £20. If the bet wins, your total return would be £30: the £20 profit plus your £10 stake.
This distinction is important because profit and total return are not the same thing.
What Do You Need to Calculate a Betting Return?
For a straightforward single bet, you generally need two pieces of information: your stake and the betting odds.
The stake is how much you are betting, while the odds determine the potential return relative to that stake.
How you perform the calculation depends on the odds format. Decimal odds make it straightforward to calculate the total potential return directly, while fractional odds primarily show the potential profit relative to the stake.
Equivalent odds produce the same potential return regardless of how they are displayed. If you want to understand the formats in more detail, our guide to Fractional vs decimal odds: what’s the difference? explains how to read and convert between them.
How to Calculate Returns from Decimal Odds
Calculating potential returns from decimal odds is relatively simple.
The formula is:
Stake × Decimal Odds = Total Potential Return
For example, imagine you stake £10 at decimal odds of 2.00:
£10 × 2.00 = £20
Your total potential return is £20. This includes your £10 original stake, leaving £10 as the potential profit.
To calculate the potential profit separately, use:
Total Potential Return − Stake = Potential Profit
Consider another example with £10 at decimal odds of 3.50:
£10 × 3.50 = £35 total potential return
£35 − £10 = £25 potential profit
If you instead wagered £20 at odds of 1.50:
£20 × 1.50 = £30 total potential return
£30 − £20 = £10 potential profit.
How to Calculate Returns from Fractional Odds
Fractional odds work slightly differently because the fraction primarily represents the potential profit relative to your stake.
The basic formula is:
Stake × Fraction = Potential Profit
You then add your stake:
Potential Profit + Stake = Total Potential Return
For example, consider £10 at fractional odds of 2/1:
£10 × 2 = £20 potential profit
£20 + £10 stake = £30 total potential return
For a £10 stake at 5/2:
£10 × 5 ÷ 2 = £25 potential profit
£25 + £10 stake = £35 total potential return
Odds-on prices work according to the same principle. For example, a £20 stake at 1/2 gives:
£20 × 1 ÷ 2 = £10 potential profit
Adding the £20 stake produces a £30 total potential return.
Decimal vs Fractional Odds Return Examples
Although fractional and decimal calculations look different, equivalent prices produce identical potential returns.
| Stake | Fractional odds | Decimal odds | Potential profit | Total potential return |
| £10 | 1/2 | 1.50 | £5 | £15 |
| £10 | 1/1 | 2.00 | £10 | £20 |
| £10 | 2/1 | 3.00 | £20 | £30 |
| £10 | 5/2 | 3.50 | £25 | £35 |
| £10 | 5/1 | 6.00 | £50 | £60 |
For example, £10 at 2/1 and £10 at 3.00 both have a £30 total potential return. Only the way the betting price is displayed has changed.
How to Calculate Betting Profit
Sometimes you may want to know the potential profit rather than the total amount that could be returned.
With decimal odds, calculate the total potential return and then subtract your stake:
(Decimal Odds × Stake) − Stake = Potential Profit
For example:
£10 × 3.00 = £30 total potential return
£30 − £10 = £20 potential profit
With fractional odds, the fraction itself represents the relationship between stake and potential profit.
Using the equivalent odds of 2/1:
£10 × 2 = £20 potential profit.
Both calculations therefore produce the same result.
Betting Return vs Betting Profit: What’s the Difference?
Betting return and betting profit are sometimes used interchangeably in casual conversation, but they describe different figures.
Suppose you place £10 at decimal odds of 3.00 and the selection wins.
Your figures would be:
Stake = £10
Profit = £20
Total return = £30
The £30 returned to you is not £30 of profit because £10 of that amount was your original stake.
Keeping this distinction in mind can make it easier to understand the figures shown when calculating potential betting returns.
How Do Odds Affect Your Potential Return?
If the stake remains the same, different odds produce different potential returns.
For example, using a £10 stake:
£10 at 1.50 = £15 potential return
£10 at 2.00 = £20 potential return
£10 at 5.00 = £50 potential return
Longer odds therefore produce a larger potential return for the same stake. However, this does not mean that longer odds are automatically better. Longer prices generally correspond to a lower implied probability of the selection occurring.
Our guide to What is implied probability in betting? explains how you can convert betting odds into a percentage to better understand the likelihood represented by a particular price.
How Does Your Stake Affect the Potential Return?
The size of the stake also directly affects the potential return.
If the betting odds stay the same, changing the stake changes the potential return proportionally.
At decimal odds of 3.00, for example:
£5 × 3.00 = £15 potential return
£10 × 3.00 = £30 potential return
£20 × 3.00 = £60 potential return
A larger stake therefore creates a larger potential return, but it also means putting more money at risk. The size of a potential return should never be a reason to wager more than you can afford to lose.
How to Calculate Accumulator Returns
Calculating accumulator returns involves combining the odds from multiple selections. In a standard accumulator, all selections generally need to win for the overall bet to produce a return.
Decimal odds make the basic calculation particularly easy to demonstrate.
Imagine an accumulator contains three selections:
Selection 1: 2.00
Selection 2: 1.50
Selection 3: 2.00
Multiply the three prices together:
2.00 × 1.50 × 2.00 = 6.00
The combined decimal odds are therefore 6.00.
If the stake is £10:
£10 × 6.00 = £60 total potential return.
This would represent £50 potential profit plus the original £10 stake if all the required selections win.
Actual accumulator settlement can be affected by circumstances such as void selections, so always check the relevant betting rules.
How Are Returns Calculated for a Losing Bet?
A standard losing single bet does not produce a return, meaning the original stake is lost.
There can be situations where a bet is declared void instead. Depending on the market and circumstances, this can result in the original stake being returned.
Settlement rules vary between sports and markets. For this reason, it is important to check the conditions applying to a particular selection rather than assuming every bet will be treated in the same way.
Checking Potential Returns Before Placing a Bet
Although knowing how to calculate betting returns is useful, you do not necessarily have to perform the calculations manually every time you place a bet online.
When you add a selection to your bet slip at NetBet Sport and enter your stake, you can check the displayed odds and potential return before confirming the bet.
Understanding the calculation yourself can still be useful because it allows you to distinguish between your stake, potential profit and total potential return.
Always check your selections, stake and potential return carefully before deciding whether to place a wager.
Understanding Betting Returns
The easiest way to calculate a potential return depends on your chosen odds format.
For decimal odds:
Stake × Decimal Odds = Total Potential Return
For fractional odds:
Stake × Fraction = Potential Profit
Then:
Potential Profit + Stake = Total Potential Return
For example, £10 at decimal odds of 3.00 and £10 at fractional odds of 2/1 both produce the same £30 potential total return.
Most importantly, remember that these calculations show potential returns rather than guaranteed winnings. A return is dependent on the conditions of the bet being met. If you choose to bet with NetBet Sport, set appropriate limits and only wager what you can afford to lose.
Betting Returns FAQs
How do I calculate returns from decimal odds?
Multiply your stake by the decimal odds. For example, a £10 stake at decimal odds of 3.00 produces a £30 total potential return if the bet is successful. This consists of £20 potential profit plus the £10 original stake.
How do I calculate returns from fractional odds?
Multiply your stake by the fraction to calculate your potential profit, then add your original stake. For example, £10 at 2/1 produces £20 potential profit and a £30 total potential return.
Does a betting return include my original stake?
For a successful standard bet, the total return normally includes the original stake. If a £10 bet produces £20 in profit, the total return would be £30.
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