bookmaker
noun
book·mak·er
ˈbu̇k-ˌmā-kər 
1
: a printer, binder, or designer of books
2
: a person who determines odds and receives and pays off bets
Examples of bookmaker in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The gist of what’s known: someone wired $4.5 million from Ohtani’s bank account to a sports betting operation run by Matthew Bowyer, an Orange County bookmaker whose operations have attracted the attention of the FBI.
—
Corbin Smith, Rolling Stone, 31 Mar. 2024
Would a bookmaker extend millions of dollars of credit to someone?
—Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2024
Bowyer, a former bookmaker, is a California resident who bankruptcy court documents show had gambling debts of $425,000 more than a decade ago.
—Raja Razek, CNN, 25 Mar. 2024
Bowyer, a bookmaker, dealt directly with Mizuhara, who placed bets on soccer matches and other sports — except for baseball — beginning in 2021, sources told ESPN.
—Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 20 Mar. 2024
Liverpool goes into the final against Chelsea as heavy favorite with bookmakers, though Klopp attempted to play down his side’s chances after Wednesday’s comeback victory over Luton Town in the Premier League.
—Matias Grez, CNN, 24 Feb. 2024
Walters was so successful with his gambling operation that bookmakers often limited the amount of his wagers.
—Doug Ferguson, Fortune, 10 Aug. 2023
This evolution is making the betting market more efficient and dynamic, benefiting both bookmakers and bettors.
—Neil Sahota, Forbes, 11 Feb. 2024
The biggest winners on Super Bowl Sunday will almost surely be the Las Vegas sports books on a day when the expanding nation of legal bookmakers are expected to handle a record $1.5 billion in wagers, according to the American Gaming Association.
—John L. Smith, Rolling Stone, 9 Feb. 2024
Corbin Smith, Rolling Stone, 31 Mar. 2024
Would a bookmaker extend millions of dollars of credit to someone?
—Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2024
Bowyer, a former bookmaker, is a California resident who bankruptcy court documents show had gambling debts of $425,000 more than a decade ago.
—Raja Razek, CNN, 25 Mar. 2024
Bowyer, a bookmaker, dealt directly with Mizuhara, who placed bets on soccer matches and other sports — except for baseball — beginning in 2021, sources told ESPN.
—Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 20 Mar. 2024
Liverpool goes into the final against Chelsea as heavy favorite with bookmakers, though Klopp attempted to play down his side’s chances after Wednesday’s comeback victory over Luton Town in the Premier League.
—Matias Grez, CNN, 24 Feb. 2024
Walters was so successful with his gambling operation that bookmakers often limited the amount of his wagers.
—Doug Ferguson, Fortune, 10 Aug. 2023
This evolution is making the betting market more efficient and dynamic, benefiting both bookmakers and bettors.
—Neil Sahota, Forbes, 11 Feb. 2024
The biggest winners on Super Bowl Sunday will almost surely be the Las Vegas sports books on a day when the expanding nation of legal bookmakers are expected to handle a record $1.5 billion in wagers, according to the American Gaming Association.
—John L. Smith, Rolling Stone, 9 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bookmaker.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of bookmaker was
in the 12th century
Dictionary Entries Near bookmaker
Cite this Entry
“Bookmaker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bookmaker. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
bookmaker
noun
book·mak·er
ˈbu̇k-ˌmā-kər
: a person who receives and pays off bets
Legal Definition
bookmaker
noun
book·mak·er
ˈbu̇k-ˌmā-kər
: a person who determines odds and receives and pays off bets
called also bookie
More from Merriam-Webster on bookmaker
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share