Fixed odds versus tote: what is different, and what is not?
Fixed odds lock the price when you place the bet, so the return is the stake times the decimal odds. Tote betting pays from a shared pool, so the dividend is known only once betting closes and depends on how much was bet on each runner. This page compares the rules, not the prices, and calls neither one better value.
How fixed odds work
With fixed odds you accept a price and it does not change for that bet. Return equals stake times decimal odds. Profit is return minus stake.
The bookmaker builds a margin into its prices. Read how that margin works in bookmaker margin (overround) and how to read decimal odds.
Bottom line: a fixed price is known at the time of the bet.
How tote betting works
A tote pools the money bet on a race. The operator deducts a share, called the takeout, and divides the rest among winning tickets.
The dividend is not fixed when you bet. It moves as money comes in and is final when betting closes. The rules set what happens if nobody holds a winning ticket. Those rules have not been read for this draft.
Bottom line: a tote dividend is known only after betting closes.
The two side by side
| Criterion | Fixed odds | Tote |
|---|---|---|
| When the price is known | At the moment the bet is accepted. | After betting closes, when the pool is divided. |
| What sets the payout | The odds shown when you bet. | The pool, the deduction and the amount bet on the winner. |
| Effect of other people's bets | None on a bet already placed. | Direct: more money on a runner lowers its dividend. |
| Who is the other side | The bookmaker. | The other customers in the pool; the operator runs it. |
| Published deduction (takeout) | Not a separate line; it sits inside the odds as margin. | A deduction from the pool, set by the operator's rules. |
| Starting price (SP) | Some bets are settled at SP, which is a rule of the operator. | Not applicable; the dividend replaces it. |
| Best odds guaranteed (BOG) | Operator-specific terms; read the operator's page. | Not applicable. |
| If a runner is scratched | Operator rules set deductions or voids. | Pool rules set refunds or reallocation. |
| Where the rules are published | The operator's terms and racing rules. | The operator's tote rules. |
Bottom line: the difference is who sets the price: the bookmaker, or the pool.
A worked example with assumed numbers
The numbers below are assumed to show the arithmetic. The 15% deduction is not any operator's published figure.
A pool of A$100,000 with a 15% deduction leaves A$85,000 to share. If A$10,000 was bet on the winner, each A$1 returns A$8.50. If A$25,000 was bet on the winner, each A$1 returns A$3.40.
| Case | Money bet on the winner | Return per A$1 staked, stake included | Return on A$10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tote, 15% deduction assumed, pool A$100,000 | A$10,000 | 8.50 | A$85.00 |
| Same tote, more money on the winner | A$25,000 | 3.40 | A$34.00 |
| Fixed odds taken at 6.50 | not relevant | 6.50 | A$65.00 |
Bottom line: the same race can pay very differently under a tote, depending on the pool split.
What this page does not show
It does not claim that either method pays more. Value depends on prices, deductions and your selections, and no sourced figure for TAB's tote deduction has been read yet.
It does not calculate tote dividends for real races. Related terms: starting price (SP), best odds guaranteed (BOG) and scratchings and deductions.
Bottom line: TAB's deduction and BOG terms are marked not confirmed until read.
Facts still to collect
- TAB's tote rules and published deduction rates: Not confirmed on 2026-11-13.
- An operator's fixed-odds rules on SP and BOG: Not confirmed on 2026-11-13.
- ACMA register records for the operators named: Not confirmed on 2026-11-13.
See racing or sport betting differences and the TAB profile. Licence check: ACMA register.
Bottom line: three source reads are needed before the figures can be shown.
18+ and getting help
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FAQ
Is fixed odds or tote better value?
This page does not say. It shows that a fixed price is known at the time of the bet and a tote dividend only after betting closes.
What is the takeout in tote betting?
It is the share of the pool the operator deducts before dividing the rest among winning tickets. TAB's published rate has not been read yet.
Does the tote price change after I bet?
Yes. The dividend depends on the final pool, so it can move until betting closes.
What is a starting price?
It is a price some bets are settled at. Whether it applies depends on the operator's rules.
Are the example numbers real?
No. The pool, the 15% deduction and the prices are assumed to show the arithmetic.