For anyone looking to place a bet online the options are seemingly endless. In the UK we've got pretty much every type of gambling covered, from spinning the reels on the latest slots, high stakes roulette at casino sites like these, or even eSports for video game fans. And yet you still can't beat a punt on the football each week where the chance of cashing in a winning bet slip adds another level of thrills to watching some of the best action in Europe.
One of the best ways to spice things up even further is Acca, or accumulator betting. It's loved for making the most mundane games a little more exciting and giving you the chance to hit some big, big payouts. But what is Acca betting, and how can you get the most out of it? This short guide takes you through everything you need to know to start placing ACCA bets.
What is Acca betting?
Accumulator bets take a single bet and join it with two or more to make each dependant on the others. If one falls through, the bettor loses their stake (unless insurance is involved – we'll get onto that later). Acca bets have the ability to turn a small stake into a sizeable win if done properly, which is why they are so popular.
Which sports can you bet on with Acca?
Acca bets are most commonly used for football and horse racing, though bookmakers offer accumulator bets across most sporting events. The best sports for Acca bets are those with a high volume of events held across the same day.
Football is the most popular sport to place an Acca bet on. Bookmakers tend to offer a huge range of matches for punters to choose from to make the very best selection possible. The high frequency of matches played throughout the week adds another layer of excitement
Horseracing follows closely behind thanks to the huge number of races that take place across the UK every day. The high volume of races combined with such a large number of runners means accumulator bets can play out very quickly.
Tennis is also pretty Acca-friendly. The sheer number of matches that take place each week across the globe means there's always a least a few bets to take the punter's fancy.
How do you place an Acca bet?
Placing an accumulator bet is pretty straightforward once you have the know-how. Follow our simple steps to get your accumulator bet going quickly. It's a good idea to go into this with a brief idea of what you want to bet on already.
1) Follow the process of making a single bet, then continue to make more selections based on the odds that take your fancy
2) Once you're satisfied with your choices, click on your bet slip. Check your bets and the odds of each selection
3) Move to the bottom of the slip and find the accumulator betting option- some bookmakers will name it as such, while others will state the number of bets you've placed, followed by ‘fold'
4) Place your bet on the accumulator. You can also add individual bets to your bet slip at the same time if you'd like to.
What is Acca insurance?
Acca insurance is pretty handy if just one bet in a large accumulator lets you down. When this happens and insurance is in place, you'll get all or part of your stake back. It's a great way to lower the risk of your bet, especially if you're new to sports betting.
Most bookmakers offer some sort of insurance, and the best deals are always on football accumulators. The maximum insurance value is usually around £25, so you might want to split your Acca bets up with several bookies.
Generally, you'll qualify for accumulator insurance if you've placed a 5-fold or more selection and just one bet is down. Your stake may come back to you in cash or a free bet, depending on the bookmaker.
Top three best-ever Acca wins
Accumulator bets are popular thanks to their ability to turn a small stake into a huge win. There's been a fair few impressive bets over time that have brought back a crazy sum of money. Here's our top three.
Fred Craggs' horseracing luck
Fred Craggs is known for being the first million-pound bet winner at a UK bookmaker. The lucky punter placed an 8-fold Acca on a series of horseraces at a William Hill betting shop, then went home and forgot all about it.
It wasn't until the next day when a clerk checked his bet slip that he found out it was a big winner. Craggs went on to pick up a huge £1 million in winnings. It would have been £1.4 million if William Hill didn't have a limit on Acca winnings!
£170,000 scoop from just £1
We love that the smallest stakes often go the longest way when it comes to Acca. A 33-year-old from Cambridgeshire won a huge £170,000 when he placed a £1 Acca in 2015. The bettor had tried his luck in the hopes of winning some money for his new-born son, which makes this win just that little bit sweeter.
Leicester Premier League bet brings home £200K
Ok, it's not an Acca but it still gets a mention because it's one of the greatest outsider achievements ever! Leicester defied all odds when the football team went from near-relegation to winning the 2015/16 Premier League. The bookies had set odds of 5000/1 for them to win the league at the start of the season. This really worked in the favour of one lucky punter who stuck his £100 bet out until the very end, winning £200K. The Leicester odds cost bookmakers over £20 million in payouts that year.
