Parlay
What is a Parlay / Accumulator Bet?
US term for an Accumulator: 2+ selections rolled into one bet (commonly 2- to 10-leg parlays).
Parlay / Accumulator Example
| Selection Name | Odds |
|---|---|
| Team A | 2/1 |
| Team B | 3/1 |
| Team C | 4/1 |
Multiply all leg odds together, then by stake; all must win. Use the calculator below to see exact returns for each component bet and the total.
Examples
Football (decimal odds)
NFL parlay: 1.80 × 1.95 × 2.10 × 1.85. $10 returns if all legs win.
Horse racing (fractional odds)
Racing parlay (four-fold) at 6/4, 7/4, 9/4, 3/1.
Fractional odds explained
- Written as a/b (e.g., 5/2). This means you win a profit of a for every b you stake.
- Profit = stake × (a ÷ b). Total return = stake + profit.
- Quick convert to decimal: 1 + (a ÷ b). Example: 9/4 → 1 + 9/4 = 3.25.
- Example: at 2/1, a £10 stake: profit £20, total return £30.
Formulas
Accumulator
Multiply all leg odds together, then multiply by your stake.
Profit = Return − stake.
Reasons for making a Parlay / Accumulator Bet
- Increased chances of winning: Multiple combinations create more ways to get a return than a single bet.
- Potential for significant returns: When several selections win, combined payouts can grow quickly.
- Risk management: Some combinations can still return even if not all selections win.