A football bet builder combines several selections from the same match into one bet, such as the result, total goals and a player to score. Every selection must win for the bet to pay, and the bookmaker prices the combination as a whole rather than simply multiplying the individual odds.
What is a football bet builder?
A bet builder groups together selections from one match on the same bet slip. This differs from an accumulator, which combines selections across different events. Selections can typically include a match result, total goals and a player to score, and all legs must land for the bet to win.
For example, a bet builder might contain:
- the home team to win
- the match to go over a chosen number of total goals
- a named striker to score
If the home team wins and the striker scores but the goals total falls short, the whole bet loses. There is no partial payout for getting most of it right, which is why a bet builder is an all-or-nothing bet.
How are bet builder odds calculated?
The key feature of a bet builder is that it is priced as a single bet, not as individual selections multiplied together. The reason is that outcomes in the same match are related. A team that wins comfortably is more likely to have scored several goals, and its main striker is more likely to have been among the scorers. In a normal accumulator the selections come from separate events, so their results do not depend on each other. In a bet builder the legs lean on each other.
The bookmaker takes this relatedness into account when it prices the combination. As a result, the price of a bet builder is usually shorter than a normal accumulator of the same parts would suggest. The bookmaker works out the price as selections are added, so the combined figure on the bet slip is the one that counts, not one you can calculate by multiplying the separate odds.
What happens when a player does not play?
Player selections raise the most important settlement question. If a player selected to score, for example, does not start or does not play at all, rules differ between bookmakers. Some remove that leg and settle the bet on the remaining selections. Others void the whole bet. The same bet slip could therefore be settled in two quite different ways depending on where it was placed.
This difference can change the outcome of a bet completely, so it is worth reading the bookmaker's bet builder rules before placing one, especially when a player's place in the starting line-up is uncertain. Checking team news before kick-off helps, although it cannot guarantee that a selected player will take part.
Because every leg must win, each extra selection adds another way for the bet to lose. Adding selections lengthens the price, but it also makes the bet less likely to come in, and the bookmaker's margin is built into the price whatever the combination.
Gambling is for adults 18 and over and costs money; UK players can set deposit limits, use GAMSTOP or call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133.
