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Acca insurance is a feature offered by some bookmakers that can give you your stake back if one selection in an accumulator bet loses. The refund usually comes as a free bet rather than cash.
For example, imagine a football accumulator with five matches. Four of your predictions are correct, but one is wrong. Normally, the entire accumulator would lose. With acca insurance, you might get your stake back as a free bet, depending on the bookmaker’s rules.
In this guide, we’ll explain more in detail what acca insurance means, how it works, when it applies, and what you should know about its restrictions.
What Is Acca Insurance?
Acca insurance, also called accumulator insurance, is a bookmaker promotion that offers a refund when an accumulator loses because of just one selection.
An accumulator, often called an acca, combines several predictions into one bet. Each prediction is known as a leg. For a normal accumulator to win, every selection must be correct. If even one loses, the entire bet loses.
Acca insurance changes what happens in some cases when only one selection is wrong. Instead of losing your full stake, you may receive a refund, usually as a free bet.
However, there are a few important things to remember:
- Acca insurance usually covers only one losing selection.
- The accumulator must meet the bookmaker’s rules.
- Refunds are usually given as free bets, not cash.
- There may be a maximum refund amount.
Despite its name, acca insurance isn’t a guarantee that you won’t lose money. It’s a promotional feature with specific conditions.
How Does Acca Insurance Work?
The easiest way to understand acca insurance is with a simple football example.
Imagine a five-match accumulator with a £10 stake. Here are the results:
| Selection | Result |
|---|---|
| Team A to win | Won |
| Team B to win | Won |
| Team C to win | Won |
| Team D to win | Lost |
| Team E to win | Won |
Four selections won, but one lost. Without acca insurance, the accumulator would lose, and the £10 stake would be lost. With qualifying acca insurance, the bookmaker might return the £10 as a free bet.
This doesn’t mean the accumulator won. You don’t receive the winnings you originally expected. You simply receive a refund under the promotion’s rules.
What Happens if All Selections Win?
If every selection wins, the accumulator is settled as a normal winning bet. The potential return depends on the combined odds of all selections. Acca insurance doesn’t usually add anything extra in this situation. To understand how combined odds work, see our Betting Odds guide.
What Happens if Two Selections Lose?
Standard acca insurance usually applies only when one selection loses. If two or more selections lose, the accumulator loses, and no insurance refund is normally given.
How Many Selections Do You Need for Acca Insurance?
Most acca insurance promotions require a minimum number of selections. For example, a bookmaker might require an accumulator with at least five legs. A five-leg accumulator is also called a five-fold. If a promotion requires five selections, an accumulator with only three or four won’t qualify.
Some bookmakers offer insurance for accumulators with fewer selections, while others may require more. It’s also possible for the bookmaker to set minimum odds for each selection or for the accumulator as a whole. You can learn more about accumulators and other betting formats in our Bet Types guide.
Do You Get Your Money Back with Acca Insurance?
This is one of the most important things to understand about accumulator insurance. Getting your stake back doesn’t always mean getting cash back. Most bookmakers provide the refund as a free bet.
Let’s look at the difference.
Free Bet Refund
Imagine a £10 accumulator loses by one selection and qualifies for acca insurance. The bookmaker gives you a £10 free bet. That £10 is not normally available to withdraw as cash. It can only be used according to the free bet’s rules. Free bets may also have an expiry date or restrictions on which markets they can be used on.
Cash Refund
Some promotions may offer a cash refund instead. In this case, the refunded money is credited to your account as cash rather than a free bet. This is different because cash and promotional free bets have different rules. Whether the refund is cash or a free bet depends entirely on the specific offer.
How Does an Acca Insurance Free Bet Work?
A free bet is a promotional amount provided by a bookmaker.
For example, suppose a £10 free bet has been awarded through acca insurance. If that free bet is used at decimal odds of 3.00 and wins, the calculation will often look like this:
£10 × (3.00 − 1) = £20 profit
The £10 free bet stake is usually not returned, so the total amount received would be £20 rather than £30. If the free bet loses, there is normally no return.
This is different from a normal £10 cash bet at the same odds, which would return £30, including the original £10 stake. Some free bets may have different settlement rules, so it’s important to check the conditions.
What Are the Main Acca Insurance Rules?
Every bookmaker can set its own acca insurance terms and conditions. Here are the most common restrictions.
1. Minimum Number of Legs
The accumulator must contain a certain number of selections. For example, a promotion might require at least five legs.
2. Minimum Odds
Each selection may need to meet a minimum price. For example, a bookmaker might require every selection to have decimal odds of at least 1.50. Other promotions may set a minimum combined price instead.
3. Maximum Refund
Bookmakers often limit how much they will refund. If an offer has a £10 refund limit and the original stake was £20, the refund would be capped at £10.
4. Eligible Sports and Markets
Some acca insurance promotions apply only to football. Others may cover selected markets in sports such as basketball or tennis. Not every type of accumulator is necessarily included.
5. Free Bet Expiry
A free bet received through acca insurance may have an expiry date. It might remain valid for seven days. After that, it could expire if unused.
6. Opt-In Requirements
Some bookmakers apply acca insurance automatically to qualifying bets. Others require customers to activate the promotion or select an insurance option beforehand.
7. Excluded Bets
Certain bets may not qualify. For example, a promotion might exclude:
- Bets placed during live matches
- Accumulators using free bets
- Bets settled early through cash out
- Certain special markets or Bet Builders.
These exclusions vary, so it’s important to read the rules of the particular promotion.
Is Acca Insurance Automatic?
Not always. Some bookmakers automatically apply insurance to accumulators that meet their requirements. Others require an opt-in, which means the promotion must be activated before the bet is placed. An eligible accumulator may also have an insurance label or symbol on the bet slip.
However, the absence or presence of a label doesn’t replace the bookmaker’s official terms. If the promotion requires activation and that step wasn’t completed, the accumulator may not qualify for a refund.
Does Acca Insurance Work on All Sports?
No, acca insurance doesn’t automatically cover every sport. Football is one of the most common sports associated with accumulator insurance, but some bookmakers offer similar promotions for other sports. The available sports and markets depend on the offer.
Does Acca Insurance Work on Bet Builders?
A Bet Builder combines several predictions from the same match. It might include:
- Particular team to win
- Over 2.5 total goals
- Both teams to score.
Although a Bet Builder contains several selections, it doesn’t always qualify for standard acca insurance. Some bookmakers exclude Bet Builders, while others may offer separate promotions for them.
What Happens if One Acca Selection Is Voided?
Sometimes, a selection is cancelled or declared void. This might happen if a match is postponed, a market is cancelled, or another event occurs under the bookmaker’s settlement rules.
In a standard accumulator, a void selection is usually settled at decimal odds of 1.00, leaving the remaining selections in the bet. However, this can affect acca insurance. For example, if a five-leg accumulator has one void selection, it may effectively become a four-leg accumulator. If the promotion requires five qualifying legs, it might no longer meet the requirements.
Does Acca Insurance Work with Cash Out?
Some bookmakers allow customers to use cash out to settle a bet before all events have finished. However, using cash out can affect acca insurance eligibility.
Many insurance promotions exclude bets that have been fully or partially cashed out. For example, an accumulator may originally qualify for insurance, but settling it early could remove that protection.
Our Cash Out guide explains how early settlement works and why cash-out values change.
What Is the Difference Between Acca Insurance and Acca Boost?
Acca insurance and acca boosts are different promotional features. Acca insurance may return your stake if one selection loses. Acca boost may increase the potential winnings of a qualifying accumulator if all required selections win.
Here’s a simple comparison:
| Feature | Acca insurance | Acca boost |
|---|---|---|
| Main purpose | Possible refund after one losing leg | Increase potential winnings |
| If all legs win | Normal winnings | Winnings may be boosted |
| If one leg loses | Refund may apply | Normally no payout |
| Main restrictions | Minimum legs, eligible markets, refund limit | Minimum legs, odds requirements, boost limit |
Some bookmakers have promotions that combine elements of both features, but that doesn’t mean every accumulator qualifies.
Is Acca Insurance Really Insurance?
Despite the name, acca insurance is not the same as ordinary insurance. It is a promotional offer provided by a bookmaker. It doesn’t cover every possible loss, and it doesn’t guarantee that the original stake will be returned in cash.
The promotion normally applies only when the bet meets specific requirements and loses in a particular way. It’s better to think of acca insurance as a conditional refund offer rather than full protection against losing money.
Acca Insurance FAQs
What does acca insurance mean?
Acca insurance is a bookmaker promotion that may refund your accumulator stake when exactly one selection loses. The refund is usually provided as a free bet.
How does acca insurance work?
If an eligible accumulator loses because of just one incorrect selection, the bookmaker may return some or all of your stake. The amount and type of refund depend on the promotion's rules.
What happens if one leg of my acca loses?
Normally, the whole accumulator loses. If the bet qualifies for acca insurance, you may receive a refund, usually as a free bet.
What happens if two legs of my acca lose?
Standard acca insurance doesn't cover two or more losing selections. In that situation, the accumulator normally loses without a refund.
How many legs do you need for acca insurance?
Many bookmakers require four or five selections, although the minimum varies between promotions. Some offers may have additional odds requirements.
Is acca insurance free?
Acca insurance is commonly offered as a promotion without a separate insurance fee. However, you still need to place a qualifying bet using your own money, and that money can be lost.
Do you get cash back with acca insurance?
Usually not. Most acca insurance refunds are provided as free bets, although some promotions may offer cash refunds.
Responsible Gambling
Acca insurance doesn’t make betting risk-free. You can still lose your entire stake, even when an accumulator qualifies for the promotion. Never bet more than you can afford to lose, and don’t treat gambling as a way to earn money. If you need help or support, visit BeGambleAware.
About the writer
Sports Betting Editor
Mike Brown is the Sports Betting Editor at CaughtOffside. A former tipster and betting syndicate analyst, he writes on odds, bookmaker margins and expected value. He also reviews UK sportsbooks on withdrawals, KYC and promotional terms. He’s based in Manchester.
