A **graded bet** is a sportsbook wager that has moved from pending to a final result in the operator’s system. Once a bet is graded, your account history shows the outcome—such as win, loss, push, or void—and the sportsbook can update your balance or ticket status accordingly.
In sports betting, **settlement rules** decide how a wager is officially graded after the event ends. They explain whether a bet is a win, loss, push, void, or reduced payout, especially when something unusual happens like a postponement, player scratch, or stat correction. If two bets look similar but settle differently, settlement rules are usually the reason.
If your sportsbook payout looks smaller than the listed odds suggested, a **dead heat** is often the reason. In betting, a dead heat happens when two or more selections finish tied in a position that affects settlement, so the bookmaker shares the relevant winning places and reduces the return accordingly. It shows up most often in horse racing, golf, and other finish-position markets.
A push bet is one of the most important sportsbook settlement terms because it tells you when a wager neither wins nor loses. Most pushes happen when the final margin or total lands exactly on the bookmaker’s number, so your original stake is returned. If you bet spreads, totals, parlays, or handicap markets, understanding a push bet helps you read payouts, refunds, and house rules correctly.
A **void bet** is a wager a sportsbook cancels and settles as no action instead of grading it as a win or loss. In most cases, your stake is returned, but the exact treatment can differ for parlays, free bets, player props, and markets with special rules. Understanding when and why bets are voided helps you read settlement results correctly and avoid payout surprises.
The **rollover requirement sportsbook** players see in bonus terms is the amount of qualifying betting they must complete before certain bonus funds, bonus-linked winnings, or promo-restricted balances can be withdrawn. It commonly appears in sportsbook offers, cashier notices, and account history, and it can affect whether a balance is treated as locked, pending, or fully withdrawable. If you use sports betting promos, understanding rollover is essential to avoid surprise restrictions.
If you spot a **bet credit** in your sportsbook balance or account history, it usually means funds were added to your account because a wager was settled, refunded, cashed out, or adjusted. Some operators also use similar wording for bonus or promotional betting funds, which is why the label can confuse bettors. Understanding the difference helps you read wallet activity correctly, verify payouts, and raise support issues with the right details.
A risk free bet means different things depending on who is using the term. In sportsbook trading, it usually refers to a wager or set of offsetting wagers that removes downside across all outcomes; in consumer marketing, it often means a conditional refund offer on a losing bet. Knowing which meaning applies matters because one is a pricing concept, while the other is a promotional label with rules, limits, and real restrictions.
A **bonus bet** is one of the most common sportsbook promo terms, and one of the easiest to misunderstand. In most cases, it lets you place a wager without using cash, but the bonus stake itself is usually **not** returned if the bet wins. That affects the real value of the offer, the payout you see after settlement, and how the wager appears in your sportsbook account history.
In sports betting, a free bet is one of the most common promo terms, but many bettors misunderstand what they are actually receiving. It usually means the sportsbook is funding the wager, not giving you cash, and that difference affects payouts, account history, and withdrawal expectations. Knowing how a free bet works helps you read sportsbook terms correctly and avoid surprises after settlement.