Unit is a term used by bettors and casino players to refer to the smallest amount of money used to place a bet.
The term was coined to describe the amount wagered by the player without having to mention currencies and to simplify gambling-related calculations so that players don’t have to deal with converting the money won or lost back and forth.
Before playing in a casino, a player should determine his total bankroll and the amount they plan on spending. Then, they should determine their unit, which is anywhere from 1% to 5% of the total bankroll in most cases. That way, players can simplify the process when using a betting system, and instead of betting amounts, they can simply bet units.
While players almost always use chips when playing in a casino, such as $1, $5, $25, $50 or $100 casino chips, instead of them having to bet, let’s say, five American dollars, they can simply think of it as betting one unit.