To bet or wager – that’s the million-dollar question. Also known as a punt, sports betting fans these days believe that the two terms are the same. And while their meaning these days is equal, the truth is that these two words have different etymology at their core.
The easiest way to describe the difference between wager or bet is as follows: the former is an English term, the latter is an American one. However, that would be an oversimplification. These two terms have a similar but different meaning that you should learn so you can understand it.
A wager is to bet something and put it as collateral, while a bet is to pledge or stake upon the outcome of an event.
As you can see, there are subtle differences between the terms. As mentioned earlier, the wager is more commonly used in UK betting, while the bet is popular in the USA and Europe. Of course, this means nothing for most bettors, who use the terms freely when they place a bet online.
When it comes to gambling, bet, stake, and wager all mean the same. However, once again, there are slight differences in their meanings. Trust our BetZillion expert betting explanation:
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ➡️ Stake | A stake has a much narrower meaning than a wager and is like a stake on the outcome of an issue. A stake is another word for bet or wager in the gambling world. |
| ➡️ Bet | A bet still remains the same – it’s a wager on an outcome of an event between two parties. |
| ➡️ Wager | A wager indicates the money risked on a gamble. |
| 🤓 Let`s Sum Up | These three terms mostly have the same meaning for most sports bettors or gamblers in general. |
Compared to a bettor, which usually depicts a person who bets on sports regularly, a wagerer is a person that has a stake in the outcome of a certain event (not necessarily a sports event). That’s the simplest example of how to differentiate.
While the technicalities leave some room for interpretation, the bet vs wager ‘war’ is actually one-sided. Both these terms and stake mostly mean the same when you bet online, so that we wouldn’t be concerned with the semantics.
Instead, focus that energy on finding the best odds or for example a new bet app.
