Vigorish is the fee or commission the house takes from players. It goes by many other names, including juice, under-juice, the cut, margin, take and, most often, vig.
Casinos collect it in several ways. In baccarat, a 5% commission is usually charged whenever a player wins a bet on the banker. In craps, the same commission applies when a player makes a buy bet. Poker is different again: because the game is played between players and the house has no other way to profit, the casino typically takes a small cut of every pot. Whatever the game, players sum it up the same way: “you have to pay the vig.”
Vig in sports betting and online casinos
In sports betting, vig is the margin built into the odds, which is why both sides of an evenly matched contest are priced below even money. For an operator, sportsbook margin, baccarat commission and poker rake all end up in gross gaming revenue.