Updated December 2025 – This guide has been fully revised with updated explanations of Asian odds formats (Hong Kong, Indonesian, Malay) and how they compare to European and American odds.
In sports betting understanding odds has always been very important. Some classic American or European sportsbooks use specific odds format, while Asian Bookmakers use other types of Asian odds. Understanding each type, and the differences can guide bettors to more long-term success.
What Are Odds?
In sports betting, odds show the chance of something happening is a sports event. They also show the price the bookmaker offers for the bet. So, odds help players know how likely something is, and how much money they can win.
High odds mean that the result is less likely, yet the winning price is case of happening is bigger, while low odds mean the result is more likely to happen, but the winning price will be smaller.
Odds of 2.00 mean the bookmaker thinks each outcome has around 50% chance.
Odds of 4.00 mean the bookmaker thinks the chance is around 25%.
Odds of 1.50 mean the bookmaker thinks the chance is around 66%.
The payout of a €10 stake for each odds outcome would be respectively, €20, €40, and €15. It is clear from that example that the less likely an outcome is the more money it gives, while the more likely it is to happen, the less money it gives.
Why Do Odds Exist in Betting?
Odds exist in sports betting for three main reasons:
To show probability
Odds represent the opinion of the bookmaker on how likely each outcome is.
To calculate payouts
Odds help players understand how much money they will win if their bet is successful.
To balance the market
Bookmakers use odds to make sure many players bet on both sides of a match. This helps the bookies manage risk better.
What Is the Difference Between Odds and Probability?
It is usual in sports betting, especially among new bettors, to confuse the meaning of odds with the meaning of probability. It is very important to understand clearly what each is.
Probability is the real chance of something happening, expressed in % percentage. It is irrelevant with the bookmaker or the betting exchange. The real chance has to do with the nature of the event.
Odds are the bookmaker’s opinion on what the chances are for an outcome and it is expressed in price offered to players.
To illustrate this better, let’s take the above mentioned example.
Probability of 50% means that this is the real chance of the outcome happening. The fair odds, the true odds to express this probability would have to be 2.00. It is very rare to see this odds price on a bookmaker, though.
Bookmakers need to make their money somehow. Their way to secure their income is to embed, to include, to put inside the odds a profit margin. When they do that, the odds are slightly lower than the fair number. So, in the example above it is more likely that the bookmaker would offer odds of around 1.90.
Types of Odds Formats in Sports Betting
Most international betting sites show odds in many formats. Asian bookmakers usually support asian odds formats, such as, Hong Kong odds, Indonesian odds, and Malay odds. There are of course many other types, but these are the main odds formats used by asian bookies.
Decimal Odds
This is the simplest odds format that is used by the majority of sportsbooks and betting exchanges. Asian bookmakers include this too, because asian markets are very popular around the world.
How to read decimal odds
This type of odds format is expressed in decimal numbers like 1.85, 2.75 or 1.00. Decimal odds include stake in the payout. Odds under 2.00 are high probability and low payout. Odds above 2.00 are low probability and high payout.
In order to calculate their net profits, players use the following formulas:
Total Return = stake x decimal odds
Net profit = total return – stake
Players using betting exchanges need to remove the commission rate also on their winning bets, in order to see their real net profit.
In a football match between Team A and Team B, the odds for each to win are 1.85 and 2.75 respectively. If a bettor places a €100 stake in each outcome, their net profit would be as follows:
Team A
Total Return = €100 x 1.85 = €185
Net profit = €185 – €100 = €85
Team B
Total Return = €100 x 2.75 = €275
Net profit = €275 – €100 = €175
Hong Kong Odds (HK Odds)
Hong Kong odds are one of the main asian odds formats used by asian bookmakers. They are very close to decimal odds, but their main difference is that Hong Kong odds do not include the stake, while decimal odds include it.
In order to calculate their net profit, players use the following formula:
Net Profit = stake x HK odds
Total Return = stake + net profit
For example HK odds of 0.50 mean the player wins 0.50 units for every 1 unit bet. The stake is added afterward. If a bettor wants to back a horse to win at 0.50 with an €100 stake, they will get:
Net profit = €100 x 0.50 = €50
Total Return = €100 + €50 = €150
Hong Kong odds are easy to convert to decimal odds. Simply add 1 to the HK price. To convert the 0.50 HK odds to decimal would be 1.50 and they would include the stake in the total return calculation, which would be again €150, while the net profit would be the total return minus the stake, that is, €50. This makes Hong Kong odds useful for players who place many bets across different bookmakers.
Indonesian Odds (INDO Odds)
Indonesian odds show profit and risk using positive and negative values. They are close to American odds but divided by 100.
Positive Indonesian odds show prices above 0, while negative Indonesian odds show prices below 0. Positive odds show profit per 1 unit stake, while negative show how much must be risked to win 1 unit of profit.
In a football game between two teams Team A has Indonesian odds of -1.15 and Team B has odds of +2.10.
If a player decides to back Team A to win, they would have to place €115 stale in order to win €100. If they back Team B to win, they would have to stake €100 in order to get €210 in total. The net profit in this case would be €110.
Indonesian odds make it very clear if a bet is high risk or high reward. Negative odds show the favorite, while positive odds show the underdog.
Malaysian Odds (MY Odds)
Malaysian or Malay odds also use positive and negative decimal numbers. They are common in Southeast Asian, especially in football betting.
Positive Malay odds work similarly to Hong Kong odds, while negative Malaysian odds show how much the player risks to win 1 unit.
In a football game between two teams Team A has Indonesian odds of -025 and Team B has odds of +0.40.
If a player decides to back Team A to win, this means that the odds show a risk of 0.25 in order to win 1 unit. If the player places a €100 stake, to calculate the payout, they need to use the following math:
1 / 0.25 = 4
Total Return = stake x (1 + 4) = 100 x 5 = €500.
Net Profit = total return – stake = €500 – €100 = €400.
If a player decides to back Team B to win, this means that the player wins 0.40 units for every 1 unit bet. The stake is added afterward. With an €100 stake, they will get:
Net profit = €100 x 0.40 = €40
Total Return = €100 + €40 = €140
Malay odds look unusual at first, but they are very popular on Asian bookies because they show risk clearly.
European Odds vs Asian Odds Formats
All odds formats express the same idea: probability and payout. However, there are some differences in how they show the numbers. Many players prefer European odds that are usually in decimal format because they are easy. Other players prefer the Asian style because they show risk very clearly.
Similarities
- All positive formats represent potential profit
- All can be converted into one another
- All are used by Asian bookies
- All help players calculate total return and net profit
Differences
- Decimal odds show the full return, stake included
- Hong Kong odds show only net profit
- Indonesian odds use negative prices also to show risk
- Malay odds also use negative prices to show risk, but they calculate it differently.
How to Convert Odds Formats
Online Odds Converters
Many websites let players type one odds number price and instantly see the same value in decimal, hong kong, malay, Indonesian, american or factional, depending on the converter they want to use.
Built-in Tools on Asian Bookmakers
Most Asian bookies let players change odds format with one click in their platform’s home page after logging in or in the account settings.
Conversion Rules
Most players use automatic tools, but knowing these rules helps understand the logic behind asian odds.
Decimal → Hong Kong: Decimal number minus 1
Hong Kong → Decimal: HK number plus 1
Decimal → Indonesian:
if ≥ 2.00: decimal number minus 1
if ≤ 2.00: -1 / (decimal – 1)
Indonesian → Decimal:
if > 0: Indonesian number plus 1
if < 0: 1 + (1 / Indonesian)
Decimal → Malaysian:
if ≤ 2.00 (favorite): -{ (decimal -1) /decimal}
if ≥ 2.00 (underdog): 1 – (1 / decimal)
Malaysian → Decimal:
if > 0: Malay number plus 1
if < 0: 1 + (1 / Malay)
Why Asian Bookies Odds Formats Are Popular In International Sportsbooks
Asian odds are very popular with Asian and other International bookmakers not because they are “for Asians only”, but because of historical and practical reasons.
Tradition and Familiarity
Asian countries like Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Indonesia used these odds from the beginning. Players there already understand them well, so sportsbooks keep using them. For example, Hong Kong odds are easy for many people because they show profit per unit, not total return.
Easy calculation for certain betting types
Asian odds work very well with Asian Handicap and Asian Totals and spread betting, which is very popular in Asia, and with every year more popular around the globe. Negative Indonesian or Malay odds show how much money must be risked to win one unit. This helps players see the balance between the two sides of a game.
Global Accessibility
Asian sportsbooks offer Asian markets for players from everywhere, not only from Asia. These odds do not stop anyone from betting, they only need a simple explanation. Most sportsbooks now offer may formats, so players can use the one they like. In multibookmaker Asian platforms like Asianstorm players can pick their odds format and compare odds across more than ten Asian bookmakers and exchanges with only one account.
Marketing
Asian odds help Asian bookies and other sportsbooks look different and special, especially for people who like handicaps and spread betting or high liquidity games. Players from other countries can benefit too, because these odds show risk and reward very clearly.
FAQ on Odds Formats on Asian Bookies
What are Asian Odds?
Asian odds are odds prices expressed in various positive or negative decimal numbers. Some popular asian odds formats are Hong Kong odds, Indonesian odds, and Malaysian odds.
What is the easiest odds format?
The most commonly used odds format is the decimal. Decimal odds show the total payout. Asian odds are similar. Positive numbers show the net profit without the total return, while negative odds show how much a player must risk to win one unit.
Can I switch odds formats on Asian bookies?
Yes. Most Asian bookmakers let players change the odds format according to their preferences. In Brokerstorm, you can enjoy decimal odds in all platforms. For Asian odds, you can join PS3838 and pick your own odds format, or compare odds across many Asian bookies and exchanges with your favorite asian format in a single betslip.
Why are Asian bookmakers popular?
They are famous for offering very good odds, high limits, low margins and clear Asian odds formats that they show clearly the payout and risk involved in both sides of a game, important factor in Asian markets like Asian Handicap or Asian Totals.
In Short
Asian odds format are used in Asian and other international bookmakers that include Asian markets, and they represent the same information as regular odds formats but in different ways. Learning them helps players make better decisions, compare markets more easily, and understand risk and payout. Players from anywhere can use Asian odds like Hong Kong odds, Indonesian odds or Malay odds once they understand the basic idea or convert them to another format.
Originally published in September 2020. Fully updated for 2026.
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