Odds translator: read any price in decimal, fractions or American style
Same price, three dialects, plus the quiet extra of what chance the bookmaker is hinting at.
Divide 100 by decimal odds to get the implied probability: odds of 2.50 imply 40 per cent. The translator below moves between decimal, fractional and American formats and shows what your stake in Canadian dollars would return, so prices from different sites can be compared at a glance.
Imagine the same recipe written in cups, grams and ounces. Odds are like that: one price, three notations. Canadian sportsbooks lean on decimal or American, while fractions turn up in horse racing and a few promotions. Our online casinos for Canadian players lays out the whole field in one sitting.
Type your odds, choose the format, and let the helper do the translating.
Odds translator
How do the three notations read?
Decimal odds tell you the total return for each dollar staked: 2.50 gives back CAD 2.50 per CAD 1, stake included. Fractions describe profit against stake, so 3/2 means CAD 3 profit for every CAD 2 risked. American odds carry a sign: +150 is the profit on a CAD 100 bet, while -200 is the amount you must bet to win CAD 100.
| Decimal | Fraction | American | Chance implied |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.50 | 1/2 | -200 | 66.7% |
| 2.00 | 1/1 | +100 | 50.0% |
| 2.50 | 3/2 | +150 | 40.0% |
| 4.00 | 3/1 | +300 | 25.0% |
What is hiding in the implied chance?
Take 100 and divide it by the decimal price. Add up the implied chances of every outcome in an event and you will usually land above 100 per cent. The surplus is the bookmaker's margin, called the vig or overround. It is how the house pays its bills.
What can you do with the answer?
- Compare one match across several sites in a single format.
- Know your payout before you click confirm.
- Spot thin margins, which are better value over many bets.
- Remember that implied chance is a price tag, not a prediction.
Unfamiliar words? Look them up in the glossary.
Is betting on sports allowed in Canada?
Single-event sports betting was legalised in 2021. Ontario runs an open, regulated market overseen by iGaming Ontario, and other provinces run their own platforms, each with its own age rule. This site is mostly about casinos, so check your province's regulator for the current sports rules, and read who watches the tables in Canada for the wider picture.
Questions readers ask us
Does one format give better value?
No, they describe the same price in different notation. Decimal is the easiest for payout sums because you multiply the stake by the odds. American style is common in North America, and fractions in racing. Pick the one you like and convert when you compare sites.
Is the implied chance the true chance?
Not exactly. It already includes the bookmaker's margin, so it usually sits a little above the real estimated chance. Use it to compare prices, not to forecast results. No odds, however generous they look, guarantee any outcome in a match or a race.
Why does the same match have different prices?
Every bookmaker builds its own model, adds its own margin and reacts to its own betting flow. Small gaps are normal. Looking at a few sites can improve the value of what you bet over time, but it does not change the fact that the margin favours the house.