Bookmakers in the United Kingdom offer an exhaustive list of ways to bet on sporting events such as football matches and horseracing. ‘Multiple Selection’ bets are often the most popular, though fixed odds betting is also common.
A bet to ‘win’ will only produce a return when the selection is placed first. A punter can place bets on a single event or make two or more selections; the latter is known as a multiple bet. Multiple bets can be a double, triple or an accumulator, where a stake on a series of events must result in them all being wins in order to yield a return. If one selection loses then the whole bet is lost. An accumulator is a bet that relates to four or more selections. For example, a punter may bet on the outcomes of five separate football matches, but each of these five selections must ‘win’ if the punter is to gain a return. A ‘place’ bet can produce a return if the selection comes first or within a set number of positions or ‘places’ of the eventual winner. The odds paid on the place bet; the selection finishing second or third, are a percentage of the winning odds.