Odds Question

I'm not very math-inclined, as one working in the editorial side of publishing, so I have a math question. I've seen the words "to" and "for" written here to refer to odds and payouts, but don't quite understand the difference. So, what is the difference between 30 to 1 and 30 for 1? Why is one worse than the other (I assume the answer to the former will also answer the latter).


Thanks!

"To" means you get your original bet back. "For" means you don't. As an example, let's use your numbers. Let's say I bet $5 on each of these.

30 to 1: When I win, the casino stacks up 30x$5 = $150 worth of chips next to my bet. I can now take all these back, including my original bet. My profit is $150. I can put $155 in my pocket.

30 for 1: When I win, the casino stacks up 30x$5 = $150 worth of chips TOTAL. My original bet counts as part of those. My profit is $145. I have $150 in my pocket.

As you can see, 30 for 1 is the same as 29 to 1, meaning it's worse than 30 to 1. "To" is more common, which is why "for" is a subtle way of paying out less.

Thanks so much! That makes a lot of sense. I'd never seen "for" used to represent odds before. The casinos certainly do everything they can to make a profit. I guess no one bats an eye at "30 for 1" because it would appear to be exactly the same. Similar to how some people see 6:5 payouts as better than 3:2 because 6 is a larger number than 3.

Video poker and slots are great examples of the use of the "for 1" situation.