plural bookies
informal
: a person who determines gambling odds and receives and pays off bets : bookmaker
The "line"—the Vikings over the Giants by four points, for example—establishes the point spread that the bookie believes will attract gamblers in equal numbers to each side of the bet.—
Jack El-Hai
Jack El-HaiFunnily enough, I was never anxious to win one of these bets. I didn't want to collect from the bookie on any of them.—Art Buchwald
Art BuchwaldExamples of bookie in a Sentence
Their bookie is giving good odds.
Recent Examples on the Web
Fans are expected to set records for sports wagering for the upcoming Super Bowl, but the Sports Betting Alliance, which represents the legal gambling industry, warns that bookies and betting sites are taking a bigger slice of the action.
—Robert McCoppin, Chicago Tribune, 6 Feb. 2026
These, along with handicapping newsletters like GoldSheet and his intelligence from the Computer Group, gave him a competitive edge on bookies.
—Dan Piepenbring, New Yorker, 4 Feb. 2026
New York charges a tax of 51% on sportsbooks, but not on sweeps, daily fantasy, bookie accounts and offshore sportsbooks.
—Contessa Brewer, CNBC, 15 Jan. 2026
The comedy starred Sebastian Maniscalco as Danny Colavito, a veteran bookie fighting to survive the legalization of sports gambling in Los Angeles.
—Jordana Comiter, PEOPLE, 28 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bookie
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Robert McCoppin, Chicago Tribune, 6 Feb. 2026
These, along with handicapping newsletters like GoldSheet and his intelligence from the Computer Group, gave him a competitive edge on bookies.
—Dan Piepenbring, New Yorker, 4 Feb. 2026
New York charges a tax of 51% on sportsbooks, but not on sweeps, daily fantasy, bookie accounts and offshore sportsbooks.
—Contessa Brewer, CNBC, 15 Jan. 2026
The comedy starred Sebastian Maniscalco as Danny Colavito, a veteran bookie fighting to survive the legalization of sports gambling in Los Angeles.
—Jordana Comiter, PEOPLE, 28 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bookie
Cite this Entry
“Bookie.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bookie. Accessed 9 Feb. 2026.
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