Acca Insurance Explained: How It Works, Rules and Tips

Almost since punting began, bettors have found it hard to resist the allure of the small-stakes, big-return opportunity. The chance to turn pennies into a relative fortune drove the popularity of the football pools and, more recently, the National Lottery. It is also a big part of the appeal of one of the betting world’s most popular wagers. Accumulators, or accas for short, reach across all sports but are particularly popular in the UK’s most popular betting pursuit, football.

If the potential returns of an acca are the big selling point, the main drawback is the fact that it only takes one leg to go wrong for the whole bet to go up in smoke. If only there were a safety net or consolation prize for those occasions when only one of your selections misses the target…

Thankfully, there is. Available at a selection of the sites featured on NewBettingSites.uk, acca insurance provides a refund in the unwanted one-leg-let-me-down scenario.

Here, we take a closer look at this popular concession, including how it works, acca insurance variations, rules to be aware of, and more.

What Is Acca Insurance?

Acca insurance is a concession offered by a bookmaker whereby, if exactly one leg lets you down, you receive a refund. This refund may take the form of betting credit, a single free bet to match your stake, or, best of all, a full cash refund.

Acca insurance offers applies to accumulators that match the specified terms outlined by the betting site. Examples of such terms could be the offer applying to accas with 5+ legs or requiring each leg to be priced at ½ (1.50) or higher.

How Does Acca Insurance Work?

Most bookmakers apply acca insurance automatically; others require you to opt in. This always feels like an unnecessary hindrance (why would you not want the offer?), but it is usually as straightforward as clicking an opt-in tab.

With my opt-in gripe out of the way, let’s say we are placing an acca with a bookie who applies acca insurance to all accas with 5+ selections, where each selection is priced at 4/6 (1.67) or higher. As luck would have it, we fancy five teams on the weekend longlist, all priced at even money (2.0).

Having placed a £10 five-fold on our five even-money shots, we settle down to watch the scores come in and await our fate. With acca insurance in play, we have three possible outcomes:

• All Five Legs Win - Hooray! Who needs acca insurance when you have £320 coming your way?
• 2+ Legs Let You Down - Even acca insurance won’t save you here. It all looked so good on paper, but another bet for the dustbin. There’s always next week.
• Exactly One Leg Lets You Down - The acca insurance is triggered, and an acca-refund silver lining arrives. This refund will usually take the form of a free bet, betting credits, or cash, depending on the bookmaker.

Types of Acca Insurance

The main differences between acca insurance types concern leg requirements, minimum odds stipulations, and the form of the refund.

In terms of the number of legs, some bookmakers apply the offer to accas with as few as three legs, while others require 5+, 6+, 7+, or more.

Any odds requirements are expressed as odds per leg, e.g. each leg must be priced at 1/2 (1.50) or higher, or as total odds for the acca, e.g. cumulative odds must be at least 3/1 (4.00).

If only one leg lets you down and you trigger the promotion, your refund will usually take one of the following forms:

• Free Bet - This will usually match your stake. For example, if you trigger the offer with a £10 stake, you will receive a £10 Free Bet as a refund. Depending on the terms, you may need to use this Free Bet on one bet rather than splitting it into two £5 bets, for example. Free Bet stakes are not included in any returns.
• Free Bet Credits - Rather than a single free bet, you may receive the value of your stake as betting credits. Sticking to our £10 example, you may be able to divide this credit across multiple bets: 1 x £10 bet, 2 x £5 bets, 10 x £1 bets, etc. Betting credits sometimes come with turnover requirements, but this is more common in casino gaming bonuses. As with a Free Bet, betting credit stakes usually aren't included in any returns.
• Cash - The least common type of refund. With a cash refund, you can do as you please: use the funds to place more bets or withdraw them to your bank account; the choice is yours.

One final thing to note is that Acca Insurance offers may come with a maximum refund stipulation, e.g., get your stake back as a free bet if one leg lets you down, up to a maximum value of £20. In this example, if you placed a £50 acca and only one leg let you down, your Free Bet refund would be capped at £20. Worth being aware of in advance.

Our explanation of the Hollywood Bets Acca Insurance Offer provides a good example of how an individual operator might present this promotion.

Acca Insurance Rules to Look Out For

• Opt-in requirements - Be sure to double-check if you need to opt in to the offer. Most of the time you won’t need to, but double-checking avoids potential disappointment later.
• Eligible markets - Some acca insurance offers are restricted to specific sports and markets. E.g. only football, and only the win-draw-win market. Most betting sites are much more flexible than this, but again it is worth checking before placing your bet.
• Void selections - If one of your selections is void, this may make your acca ineligible for the promotion. This may apply if the voided leg takes your acca below the minimum number of legs or minimum odds requirements.
• Partial Cash Out - Using Partial Cash Out may affect your eligibility for acca insurance. Check the promotion terms before using this feature.
• Free Bet expiry - Many Free Bets have an expiry date, e.g. a Free Bet is valid for 14 days from the date of issue.

FAQs

• Can You Use Acca Insurance on a Bet Builder? - Usually not. However, rules vary between bookmakers, and some betting sites run similar deals that apply specifically to Bet Builders.
• What Happens to Acca Insurance if One Leg Is Void? - If the void selection takes your acca below the minimum legs or minimum odds requirements, you may no longer be eligible for acca insurance.
• Do I Get My Stake Back in Cash With Acca Insurance? - Not always. Depending on the promotion, your refund may be paid as a free bet, betting credits, or cash.
• Do Bets Placed Using a Free Bet Qualify for Acca Insurance? - Usually not. Bets placed using a Free Bet or other promotional credit are commonly excluded from the acca insurance deal.
• Is Acca Insurance Only Available for Football Accas? - No. Some bookmakers offer acca insurance on other sports, such as American football, basketball, and tennis. Always check the promotional terms.