Reference
Betting Glossary
Every betting term you'll encounter on Kenyan betting sites, explained in plain English. Bookmark this page for when you hit a term you don't recognize.
1
- 1X2
- The most common football bet. 1 = home team wins, X = draw, 2 = away team wins.
A
- Accumulator
- Also called multibet or parlay. Combines multiple bets into one — all selections must win for any payout. Higher reward, higher risk.
- Aviator
- A "crash game" where a multiplier increases from 1.00x and you cash out before it crashes. Hugely popular in Kenya. RTP around 97%.
B
- Bankroll
- The total money you set aside for betting. Should always be money you can afford to lose.
C
- Cashout
- Settling a bet early — accepting a smaller, guaranteed return rather than waiting for the original bet to resolve.
- Crash game
- A category of casino game (like Aviator) where a multiplier rises and you cash out before it crashes randomly.
- Curacao license
- A betting license issued by the Caribbean island of Curacao. Used by 1xBet, Betwinner. Operators with this license aren't protected by Kenyan law.
D
- Decimal odds
- The format Kenyan operators use. Odds 2.00 means: bet KSh 100, get KSh 200 back if you win.
- Double chance
- A football bet covering two of three 1X2 outcomes. For example, "1X" wins if home team wins or draws.
- Draw No Bet
- A bet where if the match draws, your stake is refunded. Reduces risk vs. straight 1X2 bets.
F
- Free bet
- A bet where the operator covers the stake. If it wins, you keep the winnings. If it loses, you lose nothing.
G
- GRA
- Gaming Regulatory Authority — Kenya's betting regulator (formerly BCLB). Operators must hold a current GRA license to legally accept Kenyan players.
H
- Handicap
- A bet that gives one team a virtual head start (or deficit) to balance a mismatch. "Liverpool -1.5" means Liverpool must win by 2+ goals.
I
- In-play / Live
- Betting on matches while they're happening. Odds change in real time as the match progresses.
J
- Jackpot
- A multi-leg bet across many fixed matches with huge prize pools (KSh 100M+ for some operators). Hard to win.
K
- KYC
- Know Your Customer — the verification process operators use to confirm you're who you say you are. Usually requires ID upload.
M
- M-Pesa
- Safaricom's mobile money service. The most common way to deposit and withdraw on Kenyan betting sites.
- Multibet
- Same as accumulator. Multiple bets combined into one — all must win.
O
- Odds
- How operators express the probability and payout of a bet. See "decimal odds."
- Over/Under
- A bet on whether a stat (usually goals) will be over or under a specified number. "Over 2.5 goals" means 3+ goals total.
P
- Paybill
- A short numeric code used on M-Pesa to pay businesses. Each operator has their own paybill number.
R
- RTP (Return to Player)
- The percentage of money wagered that a casino game returns to players over time. Aviator's RTP is ~97%, meaning the operator keeps 3% long-term.
S
- Single bet
- A bet on one outcome. Lower potential payout than accumulators but easier to win.
- Stake
- The amount of money you bet on a single wager.
- Self-exclusion
- A feature that lets you block yourself from betting for a period of time. All GRA-licensed operators must offer this.
- Sportsbook
- The sports-betting section of an operator's site (as distinct from casino games).
W
- Wagering requirement
- Also called "rollover." How many times you must bet a bonus before you can withdraw it. 5x wagering on KSh 5,000 bonus = must bet KSh 25,000.
- Welcome bonus
- Extra money or free bets given to new customers on their first deposit. Always read the wagering terms before claiming.