How to use the ROI calculator
- Pick a period: last month, this season, all time. Only count bets that are settled.
- Enter your total staked: the sum of the stakes of those bets.
- Enter your total returned: everything the bookmakers paid back on them, stakes included. A lost bet adds nothing.
- Add the number of bets if you want your average stake. It is optional.
You get your net result, your ROI and your average stake, plus a sentence that turns the ROI into money. Say you placed 32 bets last month, staked $640 and got $598 back: your net result is −$42, your ROI −6.6%, your average stake $20, and each $1 staked came back as $0.93.
The ROI formula
Net result = total returned − total staked
ROI = net result ÷ total staked × 100
Average stake = total staked ÷ number of bets
In betting, “yield” usually means the same calculation, so a yield calculator and a betting ROI calculator give the same answer. Some people divide by their bankroll instead, which is a different number altogether; the full guide to betting ROI explains the difference and why mixing them up skews comparisons.
What to count, and what to leave out
| Bet | Total staked | Total returned |
|---|---|---|
| Won | The stake | The full payout, stake included |
| Lost | The stake | Nothing |
| Cashed out | The stake | The cash-out amount |
| Void or refunded | Leave it out | Leave it out |
| Pending | Leave it out until settled | Leave it out until settled |
| Parlay | One stake for the whole bet | Its payout, if it won |
A void bet gives your stake back, so leaving it out changes nothing to your net result; counting it in both totals would only pull your ROI towards zero. Deposits, withdrawals and bonuses are neither stakes nor returns: they move money between your bank and your account, nothing more.
How win rate and odds move your ROI
With flat stakes and odds that do not vary too much, ROI comes down to two numbers you probably already know:
ROI ≈ win rate × average odds − 1
The break-even win rate is 1 ÷ average odds. The table shows how far ROI moves when your win rate sits 5 points either side of it.
| Average odds | Break-even win rate | ROI, 5 points below | ROI, 5 points above |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.70 | 58.8% | −8.5% | +8.5% |
| 1.90 | 52.6% | −9.5% | +9.5% |
| 2.20 | 45.5% | −11.0% | +11.0% |
| 3.00 | 33.3% | −15.0% | +15.0% |
The same 5-point gap moves ROI further at longer odds, and results at longer odds also swing more from one month to the next. The variance simulator shows how wide those swings get over a few hundred bets.
Common ROI mistakes
- Entering profit instead of returns. The “total returned” field wants everything paid back, stakes included. If you won $50 of profit on $200 of winning stakes, that is $250 returned.
- Counting pending bets. Their stakes are in, their returns are not yet: the ROI looks worse than it is until they settle.
- Comparing very different samples. An ROI over 20 bets and one over 500 do not carry the same weight. A couple of results can swing the first by many points.
- Mixing currencies in the same totals without converting them first.
- Reading ROI as a forecast. It describes bets already settled. Because the bookmaker’s margin is built into every price, most bettors’ ROI ends up below zero over time.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good ROI in sports betting?
ROI describes results you already have, so there is no target to aim for. Because the bookmaker’s margin is built into every price, most bettors’ ROI is below zero over time, and over a few dozen bets it mostly reflects luck.
Is yield the same as ROI?
In betting, usually yes: both are the net result divided by the total staked. Return on bankroll divides by your bankroll instead, which gives a different number.
Should void bets count in my ROI?
Leave them out. The stake came back, so they change nothing to your net result, and counting them in both totals only pulls your ROI towards zero.
How many bets before my ROI means something?
Hundreds rather than dozens. Over 30 or 50 bets, two or three results can move ROI by several points, more so at long odds. The variance simulator shows how wide those swings can be.
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