The Originator for over 25 years in Pay Per Head

What is Pay Per Head and How exactly can it help your Bookie Business?

Understanding Pay Per Head: Pay per head betting isn’t just the future of betting – it’s the present. Today, this form of betting is one of the most if not the most common type of online sports betting. That’s true for many reasons. It’s a fair deal for the bookies, the bettors, and the online sportsbook software providers. Each has an opportunity for real profit through this form of betting. 

Below are some of the most common questions we’ve been asked about this kind of betting. If we don’t touch exactly on what it is that you’re looking for, please feel free to reach out to us. Always, our site has been built in such a way so that communication is easy .

So, What is Pay Per Head Exactly? 

A “pay per head” site is one where a provider offers bookies software for them to be able to offer games to bettors. Through the “pay per head” model, the bookie is only charged for the number of players that they have in their sportsbook. 

This way, the bookie does not have to pay based on who wins, who loses, and so forth. The bookie doesn’t have to pay a monthly fee, penalties, or anything of that nature. Instead, they simply pay for every player they have. They’re paying for, really, the opportunity to be able to make money off of this player losing their bets. 

The pay per head model has been around for many, many years.  IDSCA itself has been around for more than two decades. Online gaming has changed quite a bit in the last quarter century (to say the very least) but, IDSCA has endured. That’s true for many reasons, not the least of which is how we’ve always evolved. As online gambling (and pay per head betting) has changed, so too has how we’ve done business. 

Understanding Pay Per Head What is Pay Per Head and How Does it Work

Understanding Pay Per Head: What is the Pay Per Head Process? 

If you’re a bookie (or wish to become one), the process starts by you heading to the IDSCA site. There, you choose which kind of online sportsbook you’d like to start. Next, you start the free trial period. 

One of the many benefits of IDSCA that bookies enjoy is how you get an entire week to try the software. You don’t just have to decide after a couple days. Moreover, you have everything on the site to choose from as well. 

Then, if you’ve made the decision to do it for real, to go forward with it, you end the free trial and start your sportsbook. You can make the lines (or go with the ones that are there). Bring in players and you’re doing it – you’re a bookie. 

If you’re a bettor, the process is: you find a sportsbook with odds, bets, or more that you may like. Then, you choose one and bet it. It really is that simple. 

As it’s IDSCA, there are many different kinds of guides for you to peruse so that you know as much as the sports before you begin betting on them. Of course, outside sources are recommended as well – the more research you can do, the better. Remember: never bet anything you are unable to lose. 

That’s it. The process is designed to be simple and smooth, easy for bookies and players of all levels. 

Is Pay Per Head Legal? 

Yes. Here in America, a pay per head sportsbook is legal for all parties involved. If you’re a bookie, what you’re doing is legal. If you’re a bettor, what you’re doing is legal. This is true for everyone. Pay per head sportsbook operations are legal in every state in the country. 

That being said, we can’t say that the laws will never change. Nor can we comment on every single individual situation that a person may find themselves in, their past, etc. So, it’s important to keep in mind that everyone, the bettors, the bookies, and everyone else is responsible for their own legal situation. 

Before you were to take any other action in life, you would want to know the legal ramifications of doing so for yourself. The same is true for running a sportsbook or betting on one as well. 

These laws here show just how legal this is throughout the country. You can bet on a pay per head site (and you can be a bookie on one) without any fear whatsoever of legal reprisal. 

What are Some Good Pay Per Head Tips? 

For bookies, many start with the sports that they know best. If you’re a football person, you offer for the NFL, the NCAA, etc. This makes all the sense in the world. Indeed, that’s probably what brought you to the site in the first place. That being said, don’t be afraid to “stretch your wings” a bit.
If you know about major conference college football, then you probably know enough to offer action on the mid-majors, too. The small schools, Division II, etc. – you can find the betting for all of that here as well. Indeed, the more you understand, the better a position you’ll be in to make the most money off of this site. 

Additionally, bookies should use all of the resources that we offer here at IDSCA. That means going through our guides, seeing how you can offer more bets in more sports. Your sportsbook is truly “yours” – that means you can make it what you want it to be. 

More Opportunities Than Ever 

Do you want it to have a racetrack (for horse racing?) Do you want it to have a casino (with the online casino?) Would you like to be able to offer sports the world over (which is also possible?) You can do all of that and more through IDSCA. Each of those can become an additional revenue stream, a way to make more money. 

Don’t be afraid to set your own lines, either. You’re the bookie, you’re in charge. You have what you need to be able to make your sportsbook what you want it to be. So, you know what your bettors want – you know who they are, what they favor, and so forth. 

For example, many bookies will tailor their lines to the given geographic region of many of their bettors, playing upon their sympathies. Maybe they’ll favor a home team more than others. Perhaps they’ll bet against a rival, etc. You can use that to set lines that will bring in more of the players as well as the profits that you would want as well. 

Use the Resources You Have 

For bettors, just like the bookies, practical advice means not being afraid to use what’s given to you as well from IDSCA. For example, every online sportsbook will have a dedicated customer service line. Use that. If you have any questions, if you want help with anything, that line is designed to be a true, functioning resource. 

By that same token, be sure to use the guides as well. Just as with the bookies, they can help you to learn more about more sports so that you have more opportunities to win. 

Check for promotions, too. There’s always one promotion or another that gives bettors a chance to make even more money. Whether it’s for March Madness, the run to the NBA/NHL playoffs, the start of baseball season, the NFL, or anything else, you can find a way to make more money right here. 

Always, to the bettors: don’t bet more than you can afford to lose. It’s the number one rule of betting. 

How Does PPH Bookie Work? 

The PPH bookie process is easy to get started with here at IDSCA. 

First, you sign up with us through our site. There’s a free trial, a lengthy one, where you can try out everything that we have. From there, the entire sportsbook is yours. 

That means you can set each of the lines. You can make the odds what you want them to be. You know your players, you know who’s going to want to bet on what. Sure, you’re able to stay with the lines that are provided, but, you can always make them your own. 

Then, the games happen, and if the players win, you pay them. If they don’t, they pay you. It really is that simple. 

What makes the PPH paradigm so attractive for bookies is that you only have to pay us based on how many players you have. Indeed, that’s what “pay per head” means. You’re only paying per head that you have. 

What Does OTB Stand for in Gambling? 

Essentially, it stands for “off track betting.” That means that it’s a sanctioned race that doesn’t happen to be at a race track. Here at the IDSCA, we have many horse racing options from all over the world. Indeed, you can choose to include the racebook in your particular sportsbook for your players. 

We also have many other racing options as well, beyond simply horses. Here at IDSCA, we’re committed to offering as many different options as possible to our bookies and, subsequently, their players. 

Why Is it Called a “Prop Bet?” 

“Prop bet” is short for “proposition bet.” That’s what you’re betting on with a prop bet. You’re not betting on something that’s directly related to or directly affects the final outcome of the game. 

(People can get a bit confused at this part – even if the prop bet includes a play that decides the game, you’re not betting on something that, going into the game, we know is going to affect the final outcome.) 

To use an example, perhaps the most famous “prop bet” is the Super Bowl coin flip. Whether you bet on heads or tails, you’re making a “proposition bet,” saying “heads (or tails) is going to happen.” 

Sure, the team that wins the coin toss can march down the field and score the winning touchdown on that first drive (unlikely, but possible). Even though that did affect the final score of the game, it would still count as a “prop bet” because the initial proposition (“what will the outcome of the coin flip be”) did not affect the final outcome of the game. 

Can Bookies Refuse to Pay? 

Not with our system, they can’t. Here at IDSCA, bookies pay what they owe. So too do players. That’s due to many reasons, not the least of which is our security system. Everyone gives over their info when the bets are made.

That way, there’s no possibility that a bookie or a player won’t pay. They don’t have the option to do so. Instead, the money will be taken out of their account/from their card upon the end of the bet/game/etc. 

So, when you or your players bet here at IDSCA, there’s never a fear that someone is going to refuse to pay or any of that foolishness. 

How Do Online Sportsbooks Make Money? 

Through the “pay per head” system. Players who bet on the games don’t pay us when they lose. They pay you, the bookie. The bookie pays us, IDSCA, yes, but not based on their winnings. That would be a deeply unfair system for the bookie. It wouldn’t make sense. 

If that were the case, the bookie would have to win to keep their sportsbook going. That’s unjust and wrong. 

Instead, bookies pay us based on how many players they have. They, quite literally, “pay per head.” So, if they have a lot of players, they pay us more. If, say, the bookie only has a few players at a time, then they’ll pay us less. 

We love this system (and our bookies do, too) because it makes us partners. Instead of one party, us or our bookies, trying to make money off of each other, we’re a team. We’re in a partnership, each supporting the other. It’s the best system out there for bookies. 

Is it Safe to Bet on Sports Online? 

Yes. 

Yes, it is safe to bet on sports online. 

However, it depends on where you’re betting the sports. For example, here at IDSCA, we do everything we can to make the best, most secure environment possible. We’re always looking for new ways to beef up our security, to make it all that much more impregnable. 

Other sites, unfortunately, aren’t like that. Our bookies (and many of their players) can tell you, there are a lot of sites out there that, alas, aren’t very scrupulous. They’re not here for the love of the game, they’re not here for the success of bookies as well as players. We don’t believe in that. 

IDSCA has been around for more than 25 years at this point. In that time, we’ve helped so many bookies and players to take their gaming to the next level. We’re only able to do that because we’ve always gone the extra mile to create a safe place to bet online. 

How Much Does it Cost to Start an Online Sportsbook? 

Nothing. 

No, really. That’s how it works. 

Our system is “pay per head.” It’s not “pay per head and initial fee.” You don’t pay us until you have some players, you have some “heads.” Then and only then do you begin paying us. Even then, you’re only paying us based on how many players you have. 

We don’t believe that you should have to deal with a lot of “start up costs” or any of that foolishness. Instead, we want to partner with you – we want to be able to support you throughout your journey. As a gesture of good faith (and because it’s the right thing to do) we don’t charge you until you have some players on your site. 

Do You Win Real Money on Online Gambling? 

Yes. 

Oh yes. Absolutely. You can win real money in online gambling. 

We have bookies and players alike who have made big, big bucks through our site. IDSCA is an incredible opportunity for those who know their stuff to make incredible money. 

That said, because you can win real money, you can always lose real money, too. So, always, always bet what you can afford to lose. That’s the number one rule of online gambling for everyone. 

Can I Work Another Job While I Run a Sportsbook? 

Yes. 

You 100% percent can. 

Many of our bookies do, in fact. For so many, this is a passion project. It’s something they’ve always wanted to do, something they knew they’d be good at. It can be a great extra revenue stream. 

Now, that having been said, it might also be something that, in time, you do so well with, you want to make it your main gig. But, for many of our bookies, this is one more great opportunity to take advantage of.

Start your online gaming site with IDSCA

Try us for a week for free, and explore all the tools and services you need to start, run, and grow your online sports betting business.

STEP 1

Complete the signup form

STEP 2

Select template and
configure your site
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STEP 3

Promote your site and
start collecting money
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Every hour of every day, we will have experts standing by to help you with every step of your journey. From setup, to how to maximize your player's experience -- our team is here to help.

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