An acca insurance calculator works out the lay stake and expected profit from accumulator insurance offers, where the bookmaker refunds your stake as a free bet if exactly one leg of your acca loses. By laying the appropriate amount on an exchange, you convert this conditional refund into guaranteed cash regardless of the outcome.
Enter the full accumulator odds, the qualifying stake, the free bet value you expect to receive, and the lay odds. The calculator shows your lay stake, liability, and expected profit across all outcomes.
How to Use the Acca Insurance Calculator
- 1Enter your acca stake — the amount you are placing on the accumulator at the bookmaker.
- 2Enter the total accumulator odds — the combined decimal odds for all legs of the acca.
- 3Enter lay odds and commission — the exchange lay price and your commission rate.
- 4Read your profit scenarios — the calculator shows profit if the acca wins, if it gets insurance (one leg loses), and if it loses without insurance.
Acca Insurance: A Worked Example
Setup
€20 stake on a 5-leg acca at total odds of 30.0. Bookmaker offers money-back as free bet if exactly one leg loses. Lay odds: 31.0 at 5% commission.
Lay stake for the acca
Lay = (30.0 × 20) ÷ (31.0 − 0.05) = 600 ÷ 30.95 = €19.39
Liability: €19.39 × (31.0 − 1) = €582
Outcomes
Acca wins: bookmaker pays €600, exchange lay costs €582. Profit: ~€0 (qualifying bet).
One leg loses (insurance triggered): receive €20 free bet. Convert via matched betting calculator to ~€16 cash. Lay stake returned on exchange. Net profit: ~€16.
Two+ legs lose: lose €20 stake, lay stake returned. Net: −€20.
How to Value Acca Insurance Offers
Acca insurance is only profitable if the probability of exactly one leg failing is significant. With a 5-leg acca where each leg has 70% win probability, the chance of exactly one failure is about 36%. This makes the expected value of a €20 free bet offer approximately €20 × 36% × 80% (free bet conversion) = €5.76 expected value added.
Shorter accas (3–4 legs) increase the probability of triggering insurance. Longer accas reduce qualifying loss but also reduce the insurance trigger probability.
Common Mistakes with Acca Insurance
- ✕Ignoring the "exactly one leg" condition. Some bookmakers require exactly one leg to lose for insurance to trigger. If two legs fail, there is no refund. Read the terms carefully.
- ✕Not checking minimum odds per leg. Most acca insurance offers require each leg to be at minimum odds (typically 1.50–1.70). Including lower-priced legs can invalidate the offer.
- ✕High acca odds inflating the lay liability. A 50.0 acca requires a €50 lay liability per €1 stake at similar exchange odds. Ensure you have sufficient exchange funds before placing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is acca insurance in matched betting?
Acca insurance is a bookmaker promotion that refunds your stake (usually as a free bet) if exactly one leg of your accumulator loses. In matched betting, you lay the full acca on an exchange and then convert the free bet into cash if insurance triggers.
Is acca insurance worth doing?
Yes, if the probability of triggering insurance is reasonable. A 5-leg acca with selections each at around 70% win probability has roughly 36% chance of exactly one failure. Over multiple offers this converts to consistent profit.
How many legs should I include?
Most traders use 5 legs as the default. Fewer legs raise the insurance trigger probability but reduce the acca odds and free bet value relative to stake. More legs lower the trigger probability and raise the lay liability.
What happens to my lay bet if the acca wins?
If the acca wins, you pay out on the exchange lay. The bookmaker payout covers this, leaving you roughly flat (small qualifying loss). The profit comes from triggering insurance on a different run of the offer.
After receiving your acca insurance free bet, use the matched betting calculator to calculate the optimal lay stake to convert it to guaranteed cash.