totalizator: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
LowTechnical / Official / Gambling
Quick answer
What does “totalizator” mean?
A machine or system for registering and displaying the total amount of bets staked on a horse race or other sporting event, used for calculating the odds and eventual payouts.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A machine or system for registering and displaying the total amount of bets staked on a horse race or other sporting event, used for calculating the odds and eventual payouts.
The organization or system that operates such betting pools, often associated with state-controlled or licensed gambling; by extension, can refer to a comprehensive or centralizing mechanism for aggregating sums or data.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The term is recognised but less commonly used in everyday American English, where 'pari-mutuel machine/system' or simply 'the tote' is more frequent. In British English, 'totalizator' is the formal term, with 'tote' being the ubiquitous short form.
Connotations
In the UK, 'tote' has specific historical associations with the government-run 'Horserace Totalisator Board' (the Tote). In the US, the concept is more likely linked to racetrack infrastructure.
Frequency
Both varieties use 'tote' much more frequently. The full 'totalizator' is rare in casual speech, found primarily in legal/official documents or historical contexts.
Grammar
How to Use “totalizator” in a Sentence
operate a totalizatorbet through the totalizatorthe totalizator showedwinnings from the totalizatorVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “totalizator” in a Sentence
adjective
British English
- The totalizator board displayed the updated odds.
- He placed a totalizator bet.
American English
- The totalizator system was implemented at the new track.
- Totalizator wagering has specific tax rules.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Refers to the financial and operational entity managing pooled bets.
Academic
Used in papers on gambling economics, history of betting, or statistical probability models.
Everyday
Virtually unused; 'tote' is the common term at racecourses or in sports news.
Technical
Precise term in gambling regulation, software for betting systems, and racing industry documentation.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “totalizator”
- Misspelling as 'totalisator' (UK variant) or 'totalizer' (which is a different device for summing non-betting totals).
- Using it as a synonym for any betting, rather than the specific pooled system.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. A bookmaker offers fixed odds and bets against the punter. A totalizator (tote) pools all bets, takes a commission, and divides the remainder among winners, so odds are not fixed until betting closes.
It's borderline. The term is strongly tied to horse/dog racing. For football pools (like classic British pools), 'pool' or 'pools' is the standard term, not totalizator.
'Totalizator' is the standard spelling. 'Totalisator' is a chiefly British variant. There is no difference in meaning.
Extremely rarely. In highly technical jargon, it might metaphorically describe a summing device, but this is exceptional. Assume a gambling context.
A machine or system for registering and displaying the total amount of bets staked on a horse race or other sporting event, used for calculating the odds and eventual payouts.
Totalizator is usually technical / official / gambling in register.
Totalizator: in British English it is pronounced /ˈtəʊt(ə)lʌɪˌzeɪtə/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈtoʊt̬ələˌzeɪtər/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “On the tote”
- “Place a tote bet”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'TOTAL-izator' - it TOTALS all the bets.
Conceptual Metaphor
A central nervous system for money in gambling; a communal pot.
Practice
Quiz
What is the most common everyday synonym for 'totalizator'?