If you are an up and coming bettor, you have probably heard of accumulator bets. The beauty of accumulator bets lies in the excitement of having multiple successful selections for more substantial wins.
When you think of accumulator bets, you’ll probably think of sports betting on football matches in top competitions such as the Premier League, Serie A, and La Liga, where bettors try to test their wits and knowledge of the game and guess the outcomes of multiple fixtures. However, an accumulator bet can be placed on various sports, such as cricket, tennis, horse racing, etc.
If the idea of accumulator bets is new to you, and you would like to learn more about placing an accumulator wager, you are in the right place. Keep reading this guide and see yourself become an accumulator bet expert.
What Is An Accumulator Bet?
An accumulator bet, also known as an Acca, is a single bet composed of multiple unrelated selections that ultimately combine into one bet. For the accumulator bet to be successful, each of your predictions must be correct. Usually, there will be four selections or more on an accumulator bet slip. An accumulator with four events is known as a four-fold accumulator, but the number of fixtures you can use is virtually unlimited.
The magic behind an accumulator bet or Acca lies in the increased chances of scoring significant wins thanks to the combined odds. That said, there’s a greater risk involved since all of your predictions need to be successful. The way accumulator bets can influence the total profit and returns is rarely seen in any other form of sports betting.
What contributes to the whole atmosphere is knowing that you can find 50+ games in top football competitions to bet on using Acca bets and amass incredible wins from even the most unattractive odds.
Types of Accumulator Bets
As we have briefly stated in the last part of the article, an accumulator or Acca bet is a wager comprised of four choices or more. Still, that doesn’t mean you can’t have more or even fewer matches on the slip. When you have two or three selections, these are called double and treble accumulator wagers, respectively. The majority of online bookmakers will let you have up to 20 selections.
You will frequently hear accumulator bets being addressed as 5-fold, 6-fold, etc. The number that precedes the word fold is the key since it tells us how many selections are on your slip.
One important thing to note about accumulator betting is that most of these accumulator bets are non-runners. This means that if any of the relevant selections from the slip are removed for any reason, the combination bets will still stand, with adjusted odds.
On the other hand, there are also each-way accumulator wagers that effectively involve two bets — one on the selection to win and another on the same selection to place. This type of accumulator bet is seen mostly in horse and greyhound racing. If your choice wins, you will get the full payout, but even if it doesn’t win but is placed, you will get the corresponding payout. This is why this type of accumulator is referred to as each-way accumulator bet.
How Does an Accumulator Wager Work?
If you decide to use the accumulator option, you will have a chance to rack up big odds and potential returns — much more than in any single bet on individual fixtures. Let’s illustrate it with an example using a football accumulator with four selections, so be ready to put all those football betting tips you have learned to good use.
First, we need to set the unit stake, so let’s use $10 as an example. The four games, our predictions, and the odds are as follows:
- Manchester United to beat Chelsea at 3/1
- Manchester City to beat Arsenal at 2/1
- Liverpool to beat Everton at 4/1
- Tottenham to beat Leicester at 5/1
If all your predictions are correct, the slip will return the following winnings:
- With a $10 unit stake, your return on the first selection accumulator will be $40 ($30 winnings, plus your initial $10 stake).
- Your $40 now turns into your stake for the Man City win over Arsenal, which brings $120 ( $80 in winnings, plus your $40 stake)
- Now that $120 becomes the stake for the Merseyside derby and turn into $600 ($480 in winnings, plus your $120 initial stake)
- Finally, we take that $600 as the stake for the Tottenham clash, and if we’ve made the right choice, it will turn the total profit of the accumulator bet into $3,600 ($3,000 in winnings, plus your $120 initial stake)
The bookmakers will offer odds for accumulator bets on football, as well as cricket, tennis, horse racing, and many other sports. Accumulators are possible in pretty much every sport. Still, the football accumulator is the most common form of accumulator out there, possibly because football is the most popular market to bet on.
As you can see, calculating a possible Acca return is very easy and straightforward. Still, you can also opt for an accumulator bet calculator to see what the payouts might be on the given accumulator odds. Sports betting sites have built-in calculators that display possible returns right on your bet slip. The general premise here is that the more you risk, the more you can win.
Acca Promotions and Bonuses
You will frequently see bookmakers launch special Acca bonuses and promotions to get bettors to opt for accumulators and learn the benefits of this form of sports wagering. One of the most popular promotions related to accumulators is Acca insurance promotions.
With accumulator insurance, the bookmaker offers part of your stake back if one of your selections lets you down. This can save newcomers and inexperienced players a lot of money.
Bonuses can be a decisive factor for bettors when choosing the right betting site. Besides the Acca insurance promos, there can be free bet gifts in many sports betting sites that are usually designed to attract new players, so make sure to check those out as well. We can share some other tips about free bet rewards and other freebies related to those promotions’ technical details.
Make sure to read the bonuses’ terms and conditions and check the bookmaker’s license number to see if it is regulated. Never forget that bookies can invoke the all rights reserved clause in the T&C to change the conditions of the bonuses.
How to Place an Accumulator Bet?
To place bets on horse racing, football, and other sports using accumulator betting, you need to complete a straightforward process that is not much different from other bet types. Remember that all selections must win before you can cash out the winnings. Here’s an example of how it’s done:
- Choose an online bookie that supports accumulator bet options.
- Select the type of bet you want to place on your desired fixtures and sports.
- Add the selections to your bet slip.
- Under the Multiples section, you will find Accumulator, so choose it.
- Insert the amount you want to wager.
- Make sure to check your choices, the odds, and complete the procedure.
Are Accumulator Bets Worth it?
Accumulator bets are among the most lucrative in sports betting. The best part of accumulators is that they allow you to make big wins with small stakes rather than blowing money on bets on individual events.
If you don’t enjoy single betting events with shorter odds, accumulator bets are what you need. There is also the each-way accumulator option if you are into horse or greyhound racing. With insurance accumulators, you can still win something even if not every selection goes to plan.
There have been instances where bettors won hundreds of thousands on bets as small as 50p, so the win potential of accumulators is tremendous. Also, check our betting exchanges section as an alternative to keep winning.
