Updated: 2024
Whilst sports betting can offer some pretty lucrative odds, there are always punters looking to take things to the next level and maximise their profits.
In order to do this, some gamblers may use accumulator bets in order to get even longer odds. An accumulator bet is a wager that is comprised of multiple constituent bets known as ‘legs’.
If all of the leg bets come true, then the accumulator bet wins. If just one of them loses, then the whole accumulator is a bust.
Whilst these legs may have relatively short odds and their outcomes appear almost certain, combining them together into a single wager can make things much more profitable, as the likelihood of them all happening to succeed is much slimmer. However, because losing just one leg of the bet can derail the entire thing, accumulators are generally seen as quite risky forms of gambling.
One way that UK betting sites have sought to make accumulator bets more enticing to punters is to offer insurance on the bet itself. Whilst this may sound bizarre, it is actually a solid way for gamblers to protect their wallet and get more bang for their buck when betting. Accumulator insurance (also referred to as ‘acca insurance’) essentially provides some form of refund to the customer if a bet fails at one of the last legs. This typically means that the initial stake from the bet is returned in the form of free bets or even cash, depending on the particular company in question.
Whilst it may sound like offering a refund would cut into a bookmaker’s profits, this is actually far from the case. Accumulator insurance is advantageous to both the bookmaker and the gambler, as it cuts down on the amount of frustration felt by the customer whose bet failed by a slim margin and allows them to reinvest their original stake in another bet and potentially take home better winnings.
This also means that they are more likely to keep gambling and will over time provide the bookmaker with greater profits. This means that insurance on accumulator bets has become very popular in the sports betting market, especially when wagering on football league games.
However, it is worth keeping in mind that there are terms and conditions that come with accumulator insurance, meaning that some restrictions will be put on the exact bets (and the number of them) that the punter can wager on. This is to ensure that the system is not abused and that it is worth the betting company providing the service in the first place.
How Does It Work?
Due to the mutually beneficial nature of accumulator insurance, most betting sites will seek to make it as simple as possible to purchase. This is typically done when first setting up an accumulator bet and will often automatically restrict the available options to those permitted under the terms of the insurance. These will be changeable depending on the company being used.
There are a lot of variations in the terms surrounding the insurance offered by betting companies, though there are some things they have in common. Namely, the criteria under which they offer the insurance. These criteria include the type of event being bet on, the number of selections made in the accumulator, the type of bet market (i.e. match results, first to score etc) and the size of the possible fund that can be recouped.
The event that can be bet on is typically limited to the larger sports, as this is where there will usually be enough concurrent games being played to allow for an accumulator bet. It is also where the bulk of the company’s analysts will be focused on, meaning that they can offer the most accurate odds and not lose money to a simple miscalculation. The number of selections (of leg bets) is often limited to a minimum of five, giving an increased chance that the customer will at some point lose the accumulator and preventing players from simply protecting less risky bets and denying the company a profit in the long run. The type of market (meaning what is being bet on) is often limited to match results only, meaning that more complex bets are excluded and results can easily be determined. Finally, the size of the possible refund is usually kept in the low two figures, preserving some of the tension and chance that makes gambling such an appealing hobby for many punters.
What Do The Big Firms Offer?
Due to the different operating methods/business practices of various companies, even among larger companies, insurance does not conform to a standard format. The list below covers most of the large bookmakers in the UK.
William Hill
As one of the biggest bookmakers in the UK, William Hill has one of the broadest selections of events that accumulator bets can be used on, with all sports being eligible. As per the market standard, William Hill acca insurance allows a minimum of 5 leg bets within the wager, which must be comprised of either match results or score predictions. The maximum refund available in the event of a loss is £20.
Paddy Power
Paddy Power has established itself as one of the top sports betting sites in the UK.
However, its relatively small size compared to its competitors at the apex of the industry means that for now, at least, acca insurance Paddy Power promotes is relegated to football only and the legs can only be match result wagers. However, it does still have the usual minimum of 5 possible legs on the betting slip, as well as a maximum available refund of £20 if the player loses their bet.
Ladbrokes
Despite being one of the pre-eminent online and high street bookmakers’ franchises, the acca insurance Ladbrokes offers doesn’t have quite the breadth of sports available that the competition does. Instead, they are limited to football matches only, though the higher maximum refund of £25 does work in their favour. If you’re interested in football betting then this operator is right for you.
As expected, they have a minimum selection limit of 5 bets within the accumulator and stick to match results and team score only. You can sign up to Ladbrokes and claim a great welcome bonus in the form of free bets to start you off with betting at this platform.
Betfred
There are a wide number of eligible sports to be found on Betfred, with all domestic and international football covered, as well as most high profile American sports being open for speculation.
In line with the rest of the industry, the site has a 5 selection minimum rule for leg bets and only allows betting on match results and team score etc. However, the maximum refund for a failed accumulator is lower than expected, sitting at a somewhat disappointing £10 a day.
Bet365
The acca insurance Bet365 offers is pretty comprehensive in terms of domestic and international league football, though like most other companies, less popular sports fall by the wayside. In an effort to keep customers satisfied, minimum leg bets have been set to 3 and there is currently no odds restriction in place in order to purchase insurance.
Markets are the standard 1×2 (i.e. both teams to score and final match result). One distinctive feature is the fact that the possible refund for a failed accumulator bet is a whopping £100000.
BWin
Enjoying a good amount of popularity, BWin offers odds on a wide variety of football games where accumulators can be used. The terms of acca insurance BWin sells stipulate that the bet market must be limited to the match result.
The limit of leg bets is kept to a minimum of 5 selections per accumulator, as is found on most of the larger sites. Additionally, BWin imposes a £25 limit on the refund should the accumulator fail. There are also stipulations of a 1/5 odds limit on each individual leg, raising the overall odds of the accumulator itself.
Examples of Accumulator Insurance
Understanding the exact way in which accumulator insurance can pay out on a failed bet can be somewhat difficult due to the complex nature of the bets. To assist, here are some examples of how the most commonly encountered scenarios will usually play out.
The Accumulator Wins
A punter places an accumulator bet of £1 that has odds of 1/10 when taking into account the total insurance odds. Each individual leg of the accumulator bet wins and the gambler is credited with their winnings of £11. Because the bet succeeded, the insurance is not needed and they do not receive any refund on their initial investment, instead, taking home the winnings.
The Accumulator Bet Loses By One Leg
Again, the gambler makes an accumulator bet of £1 that has odds of 1/10 when taking into account the total insurance odds. As the matches they are betting on play out, each individual leg of the accumulator wins except for one. The bet, therefore, fails despite the majority of its components succeeding. However, due to the presence of accumulator insurance, the customer still gets a £1 refund (their initial investment). Depending on the exact bookmaker they are using, this may be awarded in the form of cash that can be withdrawn or betting credit for their account with that company.
The Accumulator Bet Loses By Several Legs
In the third scenario, the gambler once more makes an accumulator bet of £1 that has odds of 1/10 when taking into account the total insurance odds. This time, however, the bet fails on multiple legs. This is a total loss and will generally result in the punter receiving no refund from their insurance.
In the above scenarios, it is easy to see when accumulator insurance is the most effective. Generally speaking, it can best be used to protect bets that have a low chance of going awry and where the punter has a solid knowledge of the contest being wagered on and can accurately predict the result. If the bet is more of a longshot or even made at random, then using accumulator insurance could prove to be a waste of time.
