Outright betting explained: What it means and how it works

An outright bet is a long-term wager on the overall winner of a season or tournament-long competition. So, rather than have your bet settled after a game, bettors will likely have to wait weeks or months to know whether their wager has been a success.

Outright bets can take many forms, with betting sites offering a wide selection of outright wagers. For example, if bettors want to place an outright bet on the Premier League, they can choose from outright markets such as the winner, relegation, top 4/6/10, top regional side, or player-specific outrights such as top goalscorer, among many others

Most bookmakers let punters cash out an outright bet early - useful if your selection is fading or has a strong start. This means the stake isn't locked in until the season ends.

How outright betting works in practice

Let’s take the Premier League as an example. The season lasts between August and May, with the best value found during pre-season before any games are played, as results and data lead the market to sharpen over time. Football betting sites post odds on every Premier League team for a variety of markets and update those betting odds throughout the season so punters can place an outright bet at any time if they wish.

You might fancy a side’s chances of finishing in the top-half prior to the season starting. A bet placed in July, during pre-season, will not be paid out until a side has mathematically confirmed a finish of 10th place or higher.

Outrights are not football-specific - nearly every sport will offer outright options, such as golf, tennis, rugby, Formula 1, NFL, darts, snooker, and many more.

Outright betting vs ante-post betting

Bettors may occasionally hear the sports betting term ante-post when discussing an outright bet. Ante-post bets are similar to outright wagers, but tend to refer to bets on a specific horse race way ahead of it being run.

The risk with ante-post betting on racing is that some horse racing betting sites won’t give bettors their stake back if a horse is withdrawn from a race. However, many bookies run non-runner no bet (NRNB) guarantees around the big meetings like Cheltenham and Royal Ascot.

NRNB means betting sites will refund all wages in cash should a horse be withdrawn from a race at any point in the build-up.

Ways to bet on outright markets

• Each-way: An each-way bet on an outright market splits the initial stake evenly between the winning outright and a top-placed finish, which pays at a fraction of the original outright odds.
• Accumulator/multiple outrights: By combining several season-long picks into one bet, bettors can get much bigger combined odds.
• Cash out: A long-shot outright bet can quickly offer a decent return via an early cash-out. Similarly, if your selection fades during the season, you could cash out to recover your original stake.
• Free bets/promotions: Before a tournament starts, betting apps commonly run promotions based on outrights - such as a free bet every time your selection for top goalscorer scores during the season.

Outright betting FAQs

What is an outright bet?

An outright bet is a wager on the overall outcome of a season-long competition or event, such as who wins the league or finishes top scorer, rather than a single match result.

Can you cash out an outright bet?

Most major UK bookmakers offer a cash-out option on outright markets before the competition finishes, allowing bettors to take a guaranteed return instead of waiting for the final result.