Futures / Ante-Post

Bets placed well in advance on an outcome decided later, such as a league or tournament winner, typically with money tied up for weeks or months.

Definition

Futures (the US term) and ante-post (the UK and horse-racing term) are bets on outcomes settled in the future: a season champion, a tournament winner, a player award. They are placed long before the event and often at long odds. Two cautions apply: bookmaker margins on outright markets are usually much higher than on single matches because of the many outcomes, and in classic ante-post racing your stake is normally lost if your selection does not run at all, unless a non-runner-no-bet concession applies. Your money is also locked up until settlement.

Worked example

In August you back a team to win the league at decimal 8.00 (7/1) for $50. If they win, you collect $400 profit at season's end; if they fade, the stake is gone, and it was tied up for nine months either way.

Why it matters

Learners weigh the appeal of long odds against locked capital and fat margins, while sharp bettors treat early futures as occasional value before markets tighten but avoid the high vig of most outright books.

Related

Note: Non-runner rules differ: many modern futures void and refund a withdrawn selection, but traditional ante-post bets often do not.