pari-mutuel

noun

pari-mu·​tu·​el ˌper-i-ˈmyü-chə-wəl 

-chəl,

ˌpa-ri-;

-ˈmyüch-wəl

1

: a betting pool in which those who bet on competitors finishing in the first three places share the total amount bet minus a percentage for the management

2

: a machine for registering the bets and computing the payoffs in pari-mutuel betting

Examples of pari-mutuel in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Type Of Horse Racing Bets Morning Line pari-mutuel odds change on race day as wagering takes place ahead of the races. —Jay Ginsbach, Forbes.com, 5 Apr. 2025

Jai alai operators were hit hard by a 2021 law overturning a requirement that certain casinos host pari-mutuel gaming, like jai alai or horse racing, in exchange for keeping card rooms or slot machines. —Martin Vassolo, Axios, 18 Feb. 2025

Pegasus World Cup Invitational Field and Odds With pari-mutuel wagering, the odds are not fixed and rather are determined by the amount bet on each number and horse. —Jay Ginsbach, Forbes, 23 Jan. 2025

The amount of money wagered on pari-mutuel racing — where bettors gamble against other bettors and the odds constantly change ahead of the race — has declined by about 55% since 2000, when adjusted for inflation, according to the Paulick Report, a website about the horse-racing industry. —Contessa Brewer, CNBC, 31 Dec. 2024

Casino revenue decreased by $345,000, while pari-mutuel revenue decreased by $78,000. —Quartz Bot, Quartz, 8 Nov. 2024

In California, prize payout amounts are pari-mutuel, meaning it's determined by the sales and the number of winners. —Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 24 Oct. 2024

The challengers bringing the case before the court are known as West Flagler Associates, a group of pari-mutuels seeking to take away the Seminole Tribe’s monopoly on online sports betting in Florida. —Shira Moolten, Sun Sentinel, 15 June 2024

While tickets with five numbers, but missing the Mega number, sold in other states are worth $1 million or a multiple of $1 million, California law requires major payoffs of lottery games to be paid on a pari-mutuel basis, meaning they are determined by sales and the number of winners. —City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

French pari mutuel, literally, mutual stake

First Known Use

1881, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for pari-mutuel

• mutual
• mutuel