Glueing together a few bets and watching the odds multiply can add a whole new level to your betting experience. Having an accumulator bet explained to you should be the first place to start. Once you grasp the basics of how they work, you can explore the markets with greater confidence. Irrespective of whether it's football, basketball, boxing, or any other sport with multiple selections, our accumulator betting guide has you covered.
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Accumulator bet explained
To put it simply, an accumulator bet is just a combination of different bets. All of the selections need to be successful for your bet to become a success, and because of this, it'll multiply the odds together. Technically, an accumulator bet can cover two selections; it could cover twenty – the premise remains the same. You may hear it referred to as “Accas,” “Multis,” or “Parlay” in the US or Canada.
Given that the odds and returns are more significant, this is a great tool for those who believe there's some value across several individual wagers. However, the negatives are also evident. The reason the odds are much higher is because they're much less likely to come in. So, these are the key considerations.
Types of accumulator
No accumulator betting guide would be complete without accurately detailing the individual markets that exist within this sector. A double is the smallest type of the available accumulator bets – and while most bookmakers will cap your selections at, say, twenty or twenty-five, there are also several different ways to merge these markets. Check out our table below, which gives you an insight into how many types there are.
| Double Bet | Combining two selections. This can be in dozens of sports or markets. Both must be a success for the bet to pay. | I am betting on Manchester City and Liverpool to win both of their games that match. Horse racing doubles include picking two winners in two different races. You can also combine some derivative markets into doubles, such as a double correct score bet, like Man City and Liverpool, both winning 2-1. It is one of the most prevalent accumulator bets. |
| Treble Bet | Same as above, instead you're choosing three selections instead of two. Each selection is multiplied together - so if the odds for each are 2/1 - a treble pays out at 8/1. | Choosing three teams or three winning selections across a sport. You could have West Ham, Aston Villa, and Everton draw their respective games, and so long as they all finish in a deadlock - your bet will be a success. Now that you have this accumulator bet explained, and you're equipped with the knowledge - this is how it works for multiple selections up to 20. |
| Outright Accas | Combining selections on outright markets throughout a season. | Betting on Liverpool to win the EPL and Mo Salah to win the Golden Boot, and betting Bayern Munich to win the Bundesliga and Harry Kane to win the Golden Boot would be an outright accumulator. The key distinction is that it pays out at the end of the season, encompassing the whole campaign instead of one match. |
| Cross-sport Accas | Combining your accumulator and bridging different sports. | Mobile betting has meant that more people are combining their favourite sports as part of their accumulator. One example would be Tyson Fury beating Oleksandr Usyk in their world heavyweight title fight, Manchester City winning the Champions League, and England winning the Euros this summer. |
| Trixies | Three doubles and one treble. | Often preferred for shorter odds, a Trixie bet will pay out a diminished return, even if the whole treble doesn't materialise. Covering four selections across three matches or games. |
| Yankees | One of the most notable accas - with eleven selections in total. A combination of one fourfold, four trebles, and six doubles. | 11 bets - which can theoretically be across any sporting market - as long as there are multiple markets. As you can see, there are many facets and possibilities, and having this niche type of accumulator bet explained to you, alongside many others, is the way to build your knowledge. |
Luckily, sportsbooks will do all this for you in the age of digital betting and the rampant use of technology. So, while having an accumulator bet explained to you is essential, the calculation isn't something you must manually piece together.
If you want to understand the calculation, it's a selection of mathematic sums. Many sportsbooks have accumulator betting calculators, and some will even incentivise your accas by adding a 10 or 20% additional amount to it. All you need to do is multiply the odds. Let's say you have a treble accumulator bet, and each selection is 5/1. This means the overall value of the treble is 125/1. The higher the selection, the higher the multiplier and potential payout.
Accumulator bet explained through scenarios & examples
Winning example
At least once a year, there seems to be an example of a punter winning an exorbitant amount of cash on an accumulator with over a dozen selections. Surprisingly, many betting companies don't mind this eventuality as long as it doesn't start happening every day.
It acts as good coverage for their service and can bring in more customers looking to replicate it. The truth is, betting odds are colossal, and of the millions of bets placed every weekend, the majority of them lose. If they didn't, there wouldn't be as many multi-billion pound companies currently operating.
Gambling should never be viewed as a source of income, and although these lucky punters were left rubbing their hands together – most people will lose money over a few years. Responsible gambling is important for any accumulator betting guide, so ensure you use the money you can afford to lose and speak to somebody if you believe it is becoming an issue.
In October 2023, one English bettor landed just over £250,000 when a 13-fold accumulator consisting of 9 wins and four draws across the top flights of English football landed him an enormous win. A late own goal netted the lucky punter this eye-watering jackpot. With a £50 stake on a 5274.10/1 wager, it was one of the biggest accumulator wins reported by the media for a long time.
Losing example
One of the most common examples of a losing accumulator is one selection letting down the entire wager. This can be particularly frustrating if your betting slip contains five or more selections. Often, punters will not trust a team that may have let down their bet many moons ago. We're superstitious like that; thanks, Everton!
No, in all seriousness, people will avoid teams who have been the last piece of the puzzle to let their accumulator down. However, as this market has evolved, with cashout options adding another potential angle to consider, and if five of your six selections are up by a few goals, and one is drawing, the cash out will likely be around 50 to 70% of your total payout.
Last year, an unfortunate Bet365 punter needed Manchester City to beat Leipzig in the Champions League to return a whopping £36,000. As you can see from the screenshot he posted below on his Twitter page, heartbreak ensued when Joško Gvardiol, who City signed later that year, equalised with 20 minutes left.
Each way example
Each way bets are more commonly utilised in horse racing due to the market structure. An each-way bet essentially pays out a depreciating amount for the top positions. So, you could bet on a horse to win a race or a team to win the league, and an each-way bet will still pay out smaller increments if they place in the top three or four.
Although they are offered in football, they're more prevalent in outright markets, whereas horse racing sees a hive of activity. When casual bettors flock to horse racing for big horse race meets like the Grand National or Gold Cup, an each-way bet provides a broader net of a payout and offers some sort of return – even in the event of the selection not being 100% successful.
Let's say you back a horse each way – placing a £10 wager, and you're given odds of 2/1. If the horse wins, you will win £30. If it finishes second, the wager is essentially split in half. So you'll receive £15. Likewise, if the horse places third or fourth, you'll receive diminishing returns, which are better than nothing, but you'll still be down overall.
How do you place an accumulator bet?
It depends on the provider you use and the variety of sporting selections. If you bet online or on your mobile phone, a box will appear with multiple odds once you make more than one selection. You'll see this number change accordingly as you add or remove selections. Now that you've had the definition of an accumulator bet explained to you, you should be able to understand how these wagers are calculated and the sort of payout you can expect depending on your selections.
This is the same throughout all sports betting markets. It doesn't matter if you're betting on football, basketball, or tennis; simply choose the wagers you want and ensure you select an accumulator bet. You'll then get confirmation of the amount and return, you can then finalise your betting slip. Once your bet is live, you can keep up to date with it on your desktop or mobile app, often exploring cash-out features and instant live updates.
Placing a horse racing accumulator bet with Bet365
Bet365 has risen to the top of the tree in the world of sports betting. Their innovative approach to accumulators across a range of sports and the ability to seamlessly cash out mid-game with nowhere near the same latency issues as some of the competition meant they quickly grew their customer base both in the UK and internationally.
As you can see in our example, horse racing bets are one of many markets on the left-hand side of the main site you can select. Once you have chosen your horse or horses, the bet slip will appear on the right-hand side. It'll break down the odds and allow you to enter your stake – once you have done this and placed a bet, you'll receive your confirmation and betting slip number. The pros use specific bet365 accumulator tips and a Bet365 bonus code to maximize their chances of striking gold.
System bets: a risk-free alternative?
The short answer? No. No football bet is risk-free, especially if you're in the business of combining multiple selections. System bets provide some level of cover and will return a smaller amount instead of an outright accumulator bet. A system bet involves eyeing all your chosen selections and betting individually on the games.
Let's use a treble as an example. Instead of placing a £15 treble on three teams to win, knowing that they all have to win otherwise your selection becomes invalid. You can slice this up into a system bet. Therefore, if one of the selections lets your bet down, you'll still be paid out on the other two. While the payout might not be as significant, it means you will have coverage and some level of insurance if one or more teams let you down without having to stake more money.
Are accumulator bets worth it?
Having the concept of an accumulator bet explained to you today should allow you to draw some of your conclusions to this question. It's a classic risk vs reward scenario – higher odds, higher risk, and higher reward. An accumulator bet embodies that structure that draws so many people to gamble in the first place.
Most punters who place an accumulator bet will do so because they believe there's market and likelihood across a selection of markets – whether it's two choices or ten. Some bettors will utilise the tools on offer from the sportsbook, such as cashing out of their accumulator mid-game or using a much smaller amount of their budget to reflect the more significant odds. Like any market, if you have luck on your accumulator, you'll be airing toward the opinion that they are worth it. If you've had nothing but bad luck from them, you'll be in the opposite camp.
