When someone has action on the outcome of a sports game, it’s a way of saying they have placed a bet on the game. To have action means you have a monetary interest in the outcome of an event.
If you’re an avid sports bettor and you’ve likely been called an action junkie. In sports betting, getting called an action junkie would imply you’re simply someone who usually likes to place a large volume of bets, rather than someone who’s seen all of the latest action flicks.
Another use of action would be to describe the betting menu or schedule of games offered on a specific day.
If you overhear someone say (or read it on a message board), “What’s the action look like tonight?” it’s merely another way of asking what games are being played that day. In sports betting parlance, someone inquiring about action might be asking with a keen interest in what games are of interest to bet on.
Additionally, action can also be used by bookmakers to reference the slate games they’re offering odds and lines on. For bookmakers, action can also be used to refer to the number of bets or volume of wagers that have been taken by bettors.
Action is an expansive term, with many different use cases in sports betting. That being said, no matter the context, action always refers to when money is being placed on the outcome of a sporting event.