Stake

The amount of money a bettor places as a bet. The definition of "stake" is the amount of money that is risked or invested in the success or failure of a horse race, casino game or sports match. A bet can also be called a wager and represents the total amount of investment in a given bet. The term is also commonly used to refer to an investment (time, money, sweat, etc.) in a particular project.

The term "stake" originated in the United States, where land was highly coveted property. Plots of land were marked by wooden stakes driven into the ground to show where one piece of land ended and another began.