Acca Betting – How Betting Accumulators Work

Accumulator bets, or “accas,” are hugely popular among sports bettors, particularly in football. 

These bets combine multiple selections into a single wager, where each selection must win for the overall bet to succeed. 

Although high-risk, the rewards can be substantial, as the odds from each selection multiply together to form a larger potential payout. 

UK betting sites frequently highlight acca bets due to their popularity, offering unique features like acca boosts and acca insurance to add value. Bettors often enjoy the flexibility accas provide, allowing them to create high-stakes bets across various games or sports.

Definition of an Accumulator Bet

At its core, an accumulator bet, or acca, is a single bet made up of multiple individual bets, or “legs.” 

For the acca to win, each selection within it has to be correct. This “all or nothing” nature is part of what makes acca betting so exciting. The beauty of accas is that the odds from each selection multiply together, creating a potentially massive payout if everything goes your way.

In practice, an acca can cover a wide range of sports or events – from football matches to horse races – and can span different leagues, countries, or even sports. This means we can place accas on a Saturday’s full football lineup or spread our bets across different sports for a mix of risk and excitement. 

And because many UK betting sites feature dedicated football acca markets, finding a suitable bet on sites like LeoVegas or William Hill is usually straightforward.

Types of Accumulator Bets

Accumulator bets come in a wide range of types to suit different strategies. Here’s a closer look:

Football Accumulators

Football accas are among the most common, where you combine multiple selections across different matches. Popular markets include:

• Match result (win/draw/win)
• Both teams to score
• Over/under total goals
• Half-time/full-time results

Football accas can cover leagues globally or focus on tournaments like the Champions League, providing flexibility for football fans.

Horse Racing Accumulators

Horse racing accas allow us to bundle multiple race selections. You can either pick win-only accumulators, where each horse needs to win, or each-way accumulators, which provide partial returns if horses place rather than win.

Complex Accumulators

These multi-selection accas include combinations of doubles, trebles, and more to increase payout chances even if a few selections fall short:

• Trixie: 4 bets on 3 selections (3 doubles, 1 treble)
• Yankee: 11 bets on 4 selections (6 doubles, 4 trebles, 1 fourfold)
• Canadian (Super Yankee): 26 bets on 5 selections
• Heinz: 57 bets on 6 selections
• Super Heinz: 120 bets on 7 selections
• Goliath: 247 bets on 8 selections

Other Types

• Lucky 15: Similar to a Yankee but adds singles, creating 15 bets on 4 selections.
• Patent: 7 bets on 3 selections (3 singles, 3 doubles, 1 treble).
• Accumulator Specials: Many bookmakers offer Saturday accas or daily specials with boosted odds or customised markets across popular matches.

These options let you tailor your accumulator to your risk tolerance, whether you’re going for a high-stakes Goliath or a strategic Patent bet. 

How to Place an Acca Bet

All the bookies on this page make it very easy to place bets. Here’s a step-by-step guide for placing an acca bet:

1. Choose Your Selections: Pick multiple bets across games, matches, or sports. Each selection becomes a leg in your accumulator.
2. Add to Bet Slip: Add each pick to your bet slip. Most sites automatically combine them into an acca.
3. Review Odds and Payout: Check the combined odds and potential payout, which multiply with each selection.
4. Enter Your Stake: Decide how much you want to wager on the acca.
5. Place Your Bet: Confirm and place your acca bet to start tracking your selections.
6. Track Your Selections: As each leg plays out, you can follow the results in real-time through your betting account or app.
7. Cash Out Options: Some sites offer a cash-out feature, allowing you to settle your acca early if the results are favourable so far.
8. Final Payout: If every selection wins, the acca pays out according to the combined odds and your stake. If one leg loses, the entire acca bet is void. However, there are exceptions to this, which I will come back to further down.

Acca Bet Calculators

Acca bet calculators are built right into most betting sites, allowing you to see potential winnings directly from your bet slip. 

Simply add your selections, and the calculator will automatically display your combined odds and possible payout based on your stake. 

This feature saves you time and makes it easier to manage your bets, with bookies offering straightforward calculators as part of their platforms, so there’s no need for an external tool.

Accumulator Bet Markets

Accumulator bets let you tap into a wide range of markets, from standard match results to niche options across multiple sports. 

Popular choices include over/under (e.g., total points in rugby or goals in football) and both teams to score. 

Accas aren’t limited to just one sport; you can combine selections across football, tennis, horse racing, and more. 

Sites like Betfred and Jeffbet offer expansive acca markets, allowing bettors to create diverse bets for each unique event lineup.

Here’s a combined section covering various accumulator promotions in detail:

Types of Accumulator Promotions

Bookmakers offer a range of promotions tailored to accumulator bets, giving bettors added value and flexibility. Here are some of the most popular types:

• Acca Boost: Boosts increase the payout odds on accas with multiple legs. Typically, the more selections, the higher the boost.
• Acca Insurance: Offers a refund, usually as a free bet, if only one leg loses, providing a safety net for your bet.
• Early Payout: Some bookies settle a winning leg early if a team gains a substantial lead, letting you secure part of your acca.
• Edit Bet: Allows you to adjust selections even after the bet is placed. You can remove or replace legs, which can affect your final payout.
• Partial Cash Out: Secure winnings on part of your acca while keeping other selections active.
• Enhanced Odds Accas: Bookmakers create specific accas with boosted odds across popular matches or events.
• Acca Multipliers: Adds a percentage increase to the potential winnings on accas with more than a certain number of legs.
• Loyalty Club: Frequent acca bettors may earn free bets or bonuses by meeting weekly or monthly betting targets.

Acca vs. Bet Builders

Accumulator bets (accas) and bet builders offer unique ways to combine selections, but they each suit different types of betting strategies.

Accumulator Bets (Accas)

Accas lets you combine picks from multiple games or sports into one bet, making them ideal for betting across a large slate of events. This structure creates high-potential payouts but requires each selection to win.

Bet Builders

Bet builders focus on a single game, allowing you to pick multiple outcomes, like total goals, specific player performances, or card counts. This option is great for single-game betting, letting you explore varied results within one event.

Both accumulator bets and bet builders offer unique ways to combine selections, but each suits a different betting style. The table below highlights the key differences between accas and bet builders, making it easy to see which option might be the best fit for your next bet.

Feature	Accumulator Bets (Accas)	Bet Builders
Combines Multiple Events	Yes	No
Single Event Focus	No	Yes
Typical Markets	Match results, totals, both teams to score	Goals, cards, specific player stats
Ideal for	Multi-game betting across sports	Single-game betting for varied outcomes
Risk	Higher risk due to multiple events	Lower risk due to single-game focus
Cash Out Options	Available on most accas before events conclude	Limited to in-play betting on many platforms

Pros and Cons of Acca Betting

Accumulator betting offers exciting rewards but also comes with certain risks. Here’s a breakdown of the main advantages and disadvantages:

Pros of Acca Betting

• High Payout Potential: Each leg multiplies the odds, allowing for substantial returns even on smaller stakes.
• Increased Excitement: Combining multiple selections adds a layer of thrill, especially for events like football matches or horse races.
• Variety: Accas let you mix different sports, leagues, or events into a single bet, adding flexibility.
• Special Promotions: Many bookmakers offer promotions like acca boosts or acca insurance to increase potential winnings or reduce risk.

Cons of Acca Betting

• Higher Risk: Every selection must win; if one leg loses, the entire bet fails (unless covered by acca insurance or other promotions).
• Temptation to Overload: Adding more legs can increase payout potential, but it also raises the risk significantly.
• All or Nothing: Accas follow an “all or nothing” structure, meaning there’s no payout for partial wins without specific promotions or cash-out options.

Responsible Gambling in Acca Betting

While acca betting can be thrilling, it’s essential to keep responsible gambling practices in mind. Accas are high-risk, high-reward bets, which makes managing stakes even more important. 

Setting deposit limits and loss limits helps ensure you don’t overextend, and many bookmakers offer responsible gambling tools like time-outs or self-exclusion for when you need a break.

It’s also useful to treat acca betting as a form of entertainment rather than a guaranteed way to make money. And if gambling ever feels like it’s becoming an issue, support is available from organizations like GamCare and GambleAware, which provide resources and advice.

FAQs on Acca Betting