What Is An Accumulator Bet? A Beginners Guide To The Acca
Last Updated on November 29, 2023
By Jacob Potter 
- 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. So, first, we’re going to be looking into how we create a football accumulator with Betfred.
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’.
We picked our selection of the matches, which 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 the bet 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.
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Up to 70% bonus for accumulators on selected leagues
Up to 70% bonus for accumulators on selected leagues
Applies to pre-match accumulators of 3+ selections on the standard Full Time Result, Both Teams to Score or Result/Both Teams To Score markets only. Bonus percentage is dependent on number of selections. Bonus capped at £100k and applied to returns. Bet restrictions and T&Cs apply. New and eligible customers only. Full T&Cs
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:
- Each Way Accumulator
- Five-Fold Accumulator
- Six-Fold Accumulator etc (Most betting sites allow up to 20 selections for an accumulator bet)
What Is An Each Way Accumulator Bet?
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.
What Is A 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.
