What is a Sports Betting Bankroll?
In short, your bankroll is how much total you have to bet between your different sportsbooks.
The sole two options available for growing sports bankrolls are successful sports betting and transferring currently available money.
But remember - your betting bankroll should be money you're ok losing if you get unlucky. Cold streaks happen, even to the best of us. Don't let financial stress from irresponsible sports gambling damage your personal relationships or mental health - only bet strategically and responsibly.
That's why strategically betting small fractions of your money at a time is crucial.
Recommended Bankroll Management Method: Kelly Criterion Model
The Kelly Criterion model is our recommended method of sizing your bets relative to your bankroll. It's also the method used in any recommended bet sizes you see on OddsJam!
For instance, in the +EV bet below, the "Bet Size" column gives a recommendation based on the EV% and my existing bankroll.
How to Build a Bankroll in Sports Betting
As we covered above, a bankroll is your most important tool when sports betting. A bankroll takes you from a recreational sports bettor that can easily be risking too much to a knowledgeable sports bettor that will have money to bet tomorrow.
Building a bankroll is relatively easy as long as you follow the model above and stick to it! Don’t withdraw money (think of your bankroll as a super high-interest savings account), stick to your plan, and look for steady incremental gains.