Q1 2026: Average Vig by Sportsbook
Ranked from lowest to highest margin. Lower is better for bettors. The difference between 4.50% and 5.80% is real money over any meaningful bet volume — on 500 bets at $100 each, that gap costs approximately $650 in additional expected losses before a single outcome is decided.
| # | Sportsbook | Avg Vig | Spreads | Moneylines | Account Policy | Tier | Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pinnacle Lowest Vig | 4.50% | -104 / -104 | Sharpest in Ontario | Never limits winners | Sharp | Read | |
| 2 | bet365 Best Recreational Odds | 4.60% | -108 / -108 | Above average | Limits consistent winners | Mid-tier | Read |
| 3 | FanDuel | 5.00% | -110 / -110 | Competitive | Limits consistent winners | Recreational | Read |
| 4 | DraftKings | 5.30% | -110 / -110 | Competitive | Limits consistent winners | Recreational | Read |
| 5 | BetRivers | 5.50% | -110 / -110 | Average | Limits consistent winners | Recreational | Read |
| 6 | PointsBet | 5.50% | -110 / -110 | Average | Limits consistent winners | Recreational | Read |
| 7 | theScore Bet | 5.50% | -110 / -110 | Average | Limits consistent winners | Recreational | Read |
| 8 | BET99 | 5.60% | -110 / -110 | Average | Limits consistent winners | Recreational | Read |
| 9 | BetMGM | 5.70% | -110 / -115 | Average | Limits consistent winners | Recreational | Read |
| 10 | ComeOn | 5.80% | -110 / -115 | Below average | Limits consistent winners | Recreational | Read |
| 11 | Bally Bet | 5.80% | -110 / -115 | Below average | Limits consistent winners | Recreational | Read |
Data sources per book are noted in the methodology section below. Props and futures excluded. All figures represent Q1 2026 (Jan–Mar) sampling. Ontario licensing verified via iGaming Ontario operator registry.
What the Margin Gap Costs You Over Time
The difference between Pinnacle's 4.50% average vig and a typical recreational book at 5.50% is one percentage point. That sounds small. Across real betting volume, it is not.
| Annual bets | Avg stake | Annual handle | Cost at 4.50% vig | Cost at 5.50% vig | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 200 | $50 | $10,000 | $225 | $275 | $50 |
| 500 | $100 | $50,000 | $1,125 | $1,375 | $250 |
| 1,000 | $100 | $100,000 | $2,250 | $2,750 | $500 |
| 500 | $500 | $250,000 | $5,625 | $6,875 | $1,250 |
These figures represent expected loss from vig alone — before any edge or lack of edge in picking outcomes. A bettor who is breaking even on picks pays this vig cost in full. A bettor with genuine positive expected value still pays it. The only variable is how large the vig is. Every percentage point of margin removed from a book is money that stays with the bettor by default, no skill required.
Vig by Sport: Where the Gaps Are Largest
Main-market vig is fairly consistent across sports at most books — the standard -110/-110 spread applies broadly. The meaningful variation appears at the edges: opening lines before sharp money arrives, player props, and same-game parlays. For the purposes of this report, we focus on main-market lines because they are where most Ontario betting volume sits and where the comparison is most apples-to-apples.
What This Report Does Not Cover
Vig on main markets is one dimension of value. It is not the only one. This report deliberately excludes:
- Player props. Prop margins vary from 5% to 12% depending on the book and market. A separate prop margin analysis is planned for Q2 2026.
- Futures markets. Futures vig can exceed 20% at recreational books. Pinnacle's futures vig is lower but still substantially above their main-market average.
- Live betting. In-play margins are universally higher than pre-game markets across all books. Live betting is structurally higher-vig by design.
- Same-game parlays. SGP margins are significant and deliberately opaque. The vig is embedded in correlation pricing and is not directly comparable across books.
- Line quality beyond vig. Vig tells you the cost of a bet at a given price. It does not tell you whether the price itself is accurate. A low-vig book that sets wrong lines still provides value. A high-vig book with slow line movement can be exploitable through line shopping even at a higher margin cost.
Data Sources and Notes
How to Use This Data
This report is most useful for three things.
Choosing your primary betting book. If you are placing significant volume, the vig difference between Pinnacle and a recreational book compounds into real money over time. The cost table above quantifies this. For any bettor placing more than 200 bets per year, Pinnacle should be the primary book on purely margin grounds — before considering account sustainability, CLV reference, or line efficiency.
Line shopping intelligently. Understanding which books post sharp early lines (Pinnacle, bet365) versus which follow slowly (most recreational books) helps you identify where the line-shopping windows are largest. Getting a bet365 price before they match Pinnacle's adjusted line is a margin-improvement strategy that compounds the vig advantage further.
Evaluating specific bets. The EV Calculator on this site lets you input the exact odds you are being offered and calculate the implied vig, your break-even percentage, and whether a specific line has positive expected value relative to your probability estimate. Use the data in this report to understand the structural context; use the calculator for specific decisions.
What Changes Quarter to Quarter
Main-market vig is relatively stable. The books that price at -110/-110 on NFL spreads today priced similarly a year ago. The figures in this report are unlikely to shift dramatically from quarter to quarter unless a book makes a deliberate strategic pricing move.
What does change: prop market vig (which fluctuates by season and sport), live betting margins (which vary with event volume and book capacity), and relative line timing as books update their trading operations. We will flag any meaningful changes in the quarterly update notes at the top of this page.
The report will be updated in June 2026 with Q2 2026 data and an expanded prop market analysis. If you find a specific market where a book's pricing is meaningfully different from what is listed here, the contact page is always open.