vigorish

 
Pronunciation: /ˈvɪg(ə)rɪʃ/

noun

US informal
  • 1 [in singular] an excessive rate of interest on a loan, typically one from an illegal moneylender.
  • 2 [mass noun] the percentage deducted from a gambler’s winnings by the organizers of a game: payment of vigorish to be made at a later time

Origin:

early 20th century: probably from Yiddish, from Russian vyigrysh 'gain, winnings'