Definition of Edge

What does the term "edge" mean in the world of sports betting? What is the definition of the term "edge"?

In sports betting, an "edge" is a person's perceived advantage when it comes to sports betting.

In the end, sports books make most of their money from casual sports bettors who usually bet on their favourite teams. These casual sports fans certainly don't have an "edge" and will almost certainly lose their betting bankrolls over time.

Now, let's take a professional gambler who has a massive database that includes practically every football statistic known to man. This gambler has created a program that spits out its own lines based on the data that is contained with the database. With this program, the gambler has been able to win 59% of the games against the spread over the past four years.

This program has given the gambler an "edge". Due to his success, this professional gambler has had his action refused from many different sports books. In the end, sports books don't like dealing with people who have a propensity to win money from the books.