Last Updated on 02/04/2026 by Andy Clark
Acca insurance is one of the most popular promotions in football betting. If you place a qualifying accumulator and only one selection lets you down, the bookmaker refunds your stake – usually as a free bet.
It is effectively a safety net for the most frustrating outcome in betting: the one-legged loser.
What Is Acca Insurance?
Acca insurance means your stake is refunded if your accumulator loses by just one selection. Every other leg must win – if two or more selections lose, the insurance does not apply.
The refund is almost always paid as a free bet rather than cash, and most bookmakers set a maximum refund amount of between £10 and £25.
Example:
You place a £10 five-fold football accumulator. Four legs win. The fifth loses. Without acca insurance, your £10 stake is gone. With acca insurance, you receive £10 back as a free bet to use on your next accumulator.
If two legs had lost, you receive nothing back – acca insurance only covers a one-leg loser.
Best Bookmakers for Acca Insurance
The bookmakers below all offer acca insurance as an ongoing promotion for existing customers. Check each bookmaker’s promotions page for their current terms.
Which Bookmakers Offer Acca Insurance?
Betfred
Betfred offer acca insurance on football accumulators as one of their core existing customer promotions. Stake is refunded as a free bet if one leg loses, up to a maximum of £10. Selections must be at minimum odds of 1/2 and the bet must be placed on eligible markets, including Full Time Result and Both Teams to Score. Read the full explanation of Betfred Acca Flex to find out how you would also get a bonus if your accumulator wins.
Betfred also offer an excellent bonus for Lucky 15 bets – see our Betfred Lucky 15 bonus guide for details.
Ladbrokes
Ladbrokes offer football acca insurance on your first accumulator of the day. The combined odds of the acca must be at least 3/1 and individual selections must be at minimum odds of 1/10. Refund paid as a free bet. Eligible on Match Result and Both Teams to Score markets.
Boylesports
Boylesports offer acca insurance across multiple sports on accumulators of five or more selections. Each selection must be priced at minimum 1/5 (1.2). Maximum refund is £20, paid as free bets valid for 7 days. Must select Acca Rewards and choose Acca Insure to activate.
William Hill
William Hill offer acca insurance on football accumulators of five or more selections across eligible markets. Maximum refund varies – check the promotions page for the current maximum. Paid as a free bet.
Paddy Power
Paddy Power offer acca insurance on 5-fold or more accumulators at combined odds of 3/1 or greater. If one leg fails, the stake is returned as a free bet. Eligible on all sports excluding horse racing.
Sky Bet
Sky Bet offer a variation called Acca Freeze – on accumulators of five or more legs, you can freeze a winning scoreline to protect that leg even if the score changes later. A slightly different concept to standard insurance but serves a similar purpose.
BetVictor
BetVictor offer football acca insurance on accumulators of five or more legs. Selections must be from Match Betting or Both Teams to Score markets. Maximum refund is £10 per day paid as a free bet.
Betfair
Betfair offer acca insurance on qualifying accumulators. Refund paid as a free bet. Check their promotions page for current minimum selections and odds requirements.
How Does Acca Insurance Work?
The standard process across virtually all bookmakers:
- Opt in if required – most major bookmakers apply acca insurance automatically but some require you to opt in via the promotions tab
- Place your accumulator – must meet the minimum number of selections (usually 5+), minimum odds per selection, and be placed on eligible markets
- Wait for settlement – all legs must be settled
- One leg loses – if exactly one selection loses and all others win, the insurance applies
- Receive your free bet – the refund is credited to your account as a free bet, usually within 24 hours of settlement
- Use your free bet – most bookmakers require the free bet to be used on another accumulator within 7 days
Acca Insurance Terms to Check
Not all acca insurance offers are equal. Before placing, always check:
Minimum selections. Most offers require at least 5 legs. Some require 4, a few require as many as 6.
Minimum odds per selection. Typically 1/5 (1.2) or 1/2 (1.5) per leg. Short-priced selections that fall below the minimum will disqualify the bet from insurance.
Combined minimum odds. Some bookmakers (Ladbrokes, Paddy Power) require the full acca to be at a minimum combined odds of 3/1. A five-leg acca at short prices might fall below this threshold.
Eligible markets. Most offers apply to Full Time Result and Both Teams to Score. Some bookmakers exclude Correct Score, Asian Handicap and in-play selections. Bet Builders may or may not qualify – check individual terms.
Maximum refund. Typically £10-£25. If your stake exceeds the maximum, only the maximum is refunded.
Refund format. Almost always a free bet, not cash. Free bet stakes are not returned with winnings. Most free bets must be used on another qualifying accumulator.
Free bet expiry. Usually, 7 days from credit.
Acca Insurance vs Acca Boost – What’s the Difference?
These are two different promotions that are sometimes confused.
Acca insurance is a refund protection – it kicks in when your acca loses by one leg. It does not affect your winnings when you win.
Acca boost (also called acca bonus) is a winnings enhancement – it adds a percentage to your returns when your acca wins. bet365 offers up to 70% acca boost on winning football accumulators. It does nothing when your acca loses.
Some bookmakers offer both. Boylesports allows you to choose between Acca Insure and Acca Boost on the same bet – useful depending on whether you want protection or enhanced returns.
Is Acca Insurance Worth It?
For regular accumulator bettors, yes – significantly. The maths is straightforward.
If you place two £10 five-fold accumulators per week through the football season (roughly 38 weeks), that is approximately 76 accumulators and £760 staked. Studies suggest that around 15-20% of accumulators that lose do so by exactly one leg. At that rate, acca insurance would return roughly £114-£152 in free bets across the season – almost entirely from near-misses that would otherwise be total losses.
The practical caveats: the refund comes as a free bet, not cash, and free bets require a further bet to convert. But used consistently on a bookmaker you bet with regularly, acca insurance is one of the most straightforward existing-customer promotions available.
Acca Insurance FAQs
What is acca insurance?
Acca insurance is a bookmaker promotion that refunds your stake (usually as a free bet) if your accumulator loses by exactly one selection. All other legs must win for the insurance to apply.
How many legs do you need for acca insurance?
Most bookmakers require a minimum of 5 selections. Some accept 4-folds. Check the specific terms of your chosen bookmaker.
Do you get cash back with acca insurance?
Almost always a free bet rather than cash. A small number of bookmakers refund in cash – Betfair is one example – but the majority pay as a free bet.
Does acca insurance apply if two legs lose?
No. Acca insurance only applies when exactly one leg loses. If two or more selections lose, no refund is paid.
Which bookmaker has the best acca insurance?
Ladbrokes and Betfred are consistently rated among the best for football acca insurance. Boylesports is strong for multi-sport accas. Paddy Power’s offer is generous given its 4-fold minimum and all-sport eligibility.
Can I use acca insurance on horse racing?
Most acca insurance offers are football only. Paddy Power excludes horse racing specifically. Some bookmakers do offer racing acca insurance as a separate promotion – check the individual bookmaker’s promotions page.
Does acca insurance apply to Bet Builders?
It varies. Paddy Power include Same Game Multi (Bet Builder) in their acca insurance. Most other bookmakers exclude Bet Builders from their standard acca insurance terms.
Do I need to opt in for acca insurance?
Most major bookmakers apply it automatically to qualifying bets. Some require a one-time opt-in via the promotions tab. A few require you to select acca insurance on the bet slip before placing.
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Andy is the founder, owner and editor of thatsagoal.com, with over 20 years of experience in betting on sports. He has a keen eye for stats, particularly when looking at players to be carded, and these form a large part of the bet builder tips you see on the site. As well as creating daily football tips, Andy also keeps thatsagoal updated with all the best bookmaker promotions and offers for our readers.