What is a unit in sports betting?

A unit in sports betting is a measurement of the size of a given bet. It's mainly used because everyone's bankroll is different and a unit refers to the percentage of a bankroll. One unit is usually equal to one percent of a bankroll, though it's not the same for everyone.

For example, if your bankroll is $1,000, one unit would be $10 or 1%. In this situation, if someone puts three units on a wager with a sports betting app, it would be a $30 bet. 

If you're a serious bettor, it's rarely a good idea to make a bet with more than five units unless you know something everyone else doesn't. Often, a one-unit play compared to a five-unit play is in reference to a bettor's confidence. If you really like a certain bet, you can lay five units on it.

If you're not a serious bettor, units aren't a major deal because you can go into a sportsbook with a set amount of money and bet it all in one night, and also claim sportsbook promos. Maybe you won't spend all of the money on one bet, but if you keep losing, a $500 bankroll can disappear fairly quickly if you're making $100 bets.

How are units used in the betting world?

Units are often what matter most in the betting world, at least for bettors who share their statistics (like touts). Someone could have a 10-0 betting record and be up 10 units, but a person with a 4-6 record could be up more units if they played their cards right. That's because the four wins could all be five-unit plays, but the six losses are just one-unit bets, making the total tally up 14 units. Either that or the bettor with a 4-6 record was betting on a lot of underdogs and four of them hit.

While having a good record is nice to show your friends, the amount of units you're up is what technically matters most, and it's usually what people in the betting world use.

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