- Accumulator bets are a popular way to bet on many sports, including football
- It is a single bet consisting of at least four bets
- Potential big wins from a small stake
- Learn what an accumulator bet is and how it works with our concise guide
What Is An Accumulator Bet?
An accumulator bet – or ‘acca’ as you might have heard it referred to – is a single bet made up of at least four selections. Each of the selections must succeed for the overall bet to be a winner. Some bookmakers may refer to two and three-fold bets as accumulators – but these are more traditionally known as doubles and triples.
The attraction of these bets is in their ability to provide the potential for some big wins from a small stake. With at least four selections, the odds are always going to be much better than for a single event. If the accumulator bet is across at least four football matches, for example, an accumulator bet also provides a lot more interest in the day’s games than just one.
How Are Accumulator Odds Calculated?
Depending on your selections the odds for an accumulator bet can be fairly big. Essentially, the odds for each selection are multiplied. It is easier to work out if you are using decimal odds but here is a quick example.
If your individual selections have odds of 2.00, 1.50, 2.50 and 2.00, that would be 2 x 1.5 x 2.5 x 2. The total odds for this accumulator bet would therefore be 15.00.
The good thing is that you won’t need to work this out when you place a bet though. The betslip on the online sports betting site will do that automatically. Or, if you want to work it out before placing, you can always use an accumulator calculator.
How To Calculate Winnings
Work out your winnings with our Accumulator Bet Calculator.
USE ACCUMULATOR BET CALCULATOR
How Do Football Accumulators Work?
Accumulators have always been around but they have become more popular in recent years largely because of the rise in football betting.
Football fixtures offer an excellent opportunity to bet on a number of games in a single bet. This can help with increased interest as well as bringing some healthy returns.
In a football accumulator, you can bet on a variety of different outcomes as part of the larger bet. But the most common football acca predicts how at least four matches will play out. Here is an example:
- Manchester United to beat Arsenal at 1.50
- Liverpool to beat Spurs at 2.00
- Everton to draw with Southampton at 3.00
- West Ham to beat Chelsea at 2.00
The combined odds here would be 1.50 x 2.00 x 3.00 x 2.00 = 18.00.
Do Accumulators Include Extra Time?
Unless specifically stated, all football win bets cover 90 minutes. That means that your selection does not include extra time or penalties. This is the same case for football accumulator bets too.
- Read more on football accumulators
How To Place An Accumulator Bet
The way to build an accumulator bet can vary depending on the sport and the site. Our example shows you how to create a football accumulator with Betfred, but creating acca bets on other betting sites will be very similar as well.
Football Accumulator
To build a football accumulator on Betfred, head to the football section using the left nav bar. In there, we navigated to Premier League and then ‘matches’.
Then you pick who you want to back in your selection of the matches. These will then appear in the betting slip.
On the slip it’ll give you an accumulator option, which also shows that it’s just one bet. Simply place your stake in the accumulator section and the accumulator is done.
If you’re not on Betfred already, they have a great sign up offer. Head over to our page on the Betfred bonus code for more details.
bet365 Accumulator Bonus
Many sports betting sites offer promotions and bonuses on accumulator betting. bet365 is no different. It offers a bonus on winnings when a customer places an accumulator of at least three selections. The offer applies to a broad range of sports events and leagues.
- Multiple BC UK Bookmaker Awards winner, including Best Bookmaker
- Attractive promos, including boosted odds & free games
Find out more on this and their other offers with our bet365 bonus code page.
Types Of Accumulator Bet
Although we have already explained that an accumulator bet is a wager that covers at least four different selections, there are a few varieties on offer. These include:
| Type of Accumulator Bet | Definition |
| Each Way Accumulator | An each way accumulator can be placed in a horse race and is essentially two bets in one. One bet is for all your selections to win their races, the other is for your horses to place. This can be a good way of betting, as not all your horses need to finish first to win the overall bet. More on each way bets can be found here. |
| Five-Fold Accumulator | A five-fold accumulator is just another way of saying that there are five selections in your overall bet. For it to be successful, all five selections must come true. |
| Six-Fold Accumulator etc (Most betting sites allow up to 20 selections for an accumulator bet) | A six-fold accumulator is similar to a five-fold accumulator. It is just another way of saying that there are six selections in your overall bet. For it to be successful, all six selections must come true. You can produce accumulators which can involve up to 20 selections. |
An accumulator bet, also known as an acca, sees you combine multiple betting selections into one single bet. The betting site will combine the odds of these selections to produce the odds for your acca. In order to win your accumulator, you need all selections to win.
Accumulator bets can be complex if you make a lot of selections, and with you typically having to get every selection correct, is does make it harder to win a bet. However, it gives you bigger odds and more money to win. If you are very knowledgable with sports, then you can definitely use an accumulator bet to your advantage.
If one team or one selection loses in your acca then you have lost your bet; however, some betting sites give you the opportunity to still have a chance with promos. Sky Bet allow you to freeze selections in your acca, whilst other betting sites may give you back your stake as a free bet if one team loses.
Betting customers are able to cash out on an accumulator bet, and the cash out will change depending on how your selections are doing and how much you have staked for the bet. Some betting sites may not allow you to cash out on an accumulator bet if you are using free bets or promo bonuses that you have received.
Typically when a game that is in your accumulator is cancelled, your accumulator will still be live but that selection in your acca will be voided. If you have created an acca with 3 selections and 1 is cancelled or voided, then your accumulator just becomes a double instead of a treble and the amount of potential winnings will be slightly reduced.