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
In April 2024, authorities arrested Ippei Muzihara, the interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani, on suspicion of illegally transferring more than US$16 million from Ohtani’s bank accounts to pay a bookie.
—Michael Delayo, The Conversation, 2 Apr. 2026
Some used their parents’ Social Security numbers and IDs without their knowledge, or had an older brother or friend who served as their bookie.
—Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 23 Mar. 2026
Gambling apologists argue that the recent revelations are proof that new laws are working—offshore sportsbooks and black-market bookies never coordinated with law enforcement to flag suspicious bets the way FanDuel and DraftKings do now.
—Mckay Coppins, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2026
Those bookies that ran those casinos and booked those casinos.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bookie
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Michael Delayo, The Conversation, 2 Apr. 2026
Some used their parents’ Social Security numbers and IDs without their knowledge, or had an older brother or friend who served as their bookie.
—Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 23 Mar. 2026
Gambling apologists argue that the recent revelations are proof that new laws are working—offshore sportsbooks and black-market bookies never coordinated with law enforcement to flag suspicious bets the way FanDuel and DraftKings do now.
—Mckay Coppins, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2026
Those bookies that ran those casinos and booked those casinos.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bookie
Cite this Entry
“Bookie.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bookie. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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