Betting sites are always looking at ways to evolve and grow to satisfy customers looking for new and innovative ways to bet.
Bookmakers have a wide range of markets and special features for customers to use across their sites and betting apps.
But, bet builders have filled a gap, allowing customers to use multiple markets from a single game or event to combine into one bet.
For those people that are new to this type of bet, we’ll break down exactly what they are in our complete guide to bet builders.
What is a bet builder?
A bet builder is like an accumulator, only all the legs are from the same event. Those various legs are then combined, with the odds of each selection multiplied to give punters a price.
The term bet builder is usually made up of three or more selections, which are called legs.
A bet builder allows users to create personalised bets by combining a number of selections from a single event into a multi-leg bet.
For example, in a Premier League match between Manchester City and Liverpool, users can select a result, goalscorer and cards market to combine into one bet, which offers greater odds than a single bet on each outcome.
Bet builders first became popular with Premier League bookmakers but have steadily spread to other sports, with bet builders now available on most team sports.
How does a bet builder work?
A bet builder is not much more complicated than a normal bet, so those who use accumulator betting sites regularly will feel right at home placing a bet builder.
Punters choose various markets within a single game to create a custom bet so it should appeal to those who enjoy betting on multiple options during a match.
It’s a bet for true fans of your chosen sport, and a good chance to use that knowledge to pick out facets of an individual game to potentially secure a bigger profit by combining selections together.
Bet builders do carry a greater risk than a bet on a single market. Users normally need all selections on their bet builder to win to be successful (though some bookies run special offers to refund your stake if just one leg lets you down).
What is a football bet builder?
Football bet builders are the most popular bet builders, and the most commonly available to punters.
Football bookmakers allow users to place bet builders on a wide range of leagues and competitions like the Premier League, Champions League and international matches using a variety of markets.
What markets are available for a bet builder?
A bet builder allows punters to access a number of markets, and also combine them into a single bet.
Available markets include, match result, both teams to score, over/unders, goalscorer, cards, corners and other propositions.
While bet builders are popular in football, they can also be placed across other sports, such as tennis, cricket, basketball, NFL and rugby among others.
Types of bet builders
There are many different types of bet builders. For example, someone looking to bet on football might choose cards, goalscorers and score at the end of the first half, to include a number of different interests across the match.
In basketball, someone might choose how many points each player will score, or the result at the end of a particular quarter, as well as the full-time result. An NFL game may include passing yards for each quarterback or for a player to score a touchdown.
Bet builders are unique in that they offer customers the option to bet on various game scenarios and individual player performances. The flexibility allows customers to build bets to suit their style of wagering, even pursuing low odds with a higher stake or higher odds with a lower stake.
The sports and options offered by bet builders are expanding all the time with, Unibet originally jumping clear of its rival horse racing betting sites by becoming the first to offer a racing bet builder. The same race multi allows you to bet on multiple outcomes in the same race.
Betting sites also offer the possibility of creating multi bet-builders, where users can combine bet builders from different matches into one substantial bet. These are not universally available, but operators such as Bet365 and Unibet offer this service.
How to use a bet builder calculator?
Top betting sites across the UK offer bet builder calculators to price up a punter’s bet builders before they are placed. This allows customers to compare odds and potential returns across different sites before placing a bet.
Bet builder tips
Before placing a bet builder, research is definitely key. A punter might want to look at team form, player statistics or recent performance trends, in a similar way to choosing a fantasy football team.
In order to increase chances of winning, choose selections that naturally combine: choosing as a player to score and their particular team to win, or one with a track record of cards, might have a higher chance of accruing those over the course of a match.
Using promotions offered by betting sites is always a sound approach. Many bookmakers provide money back offers in free bets if your bet builder fails by one leg or substitute guarantees if your player is substituted before half-time.
Bet builders are now even part of welcome offers offered by bookmakers, including the NetBet sign up offer.
What is the difference between an acca and a bet builder?
An acca involves multiple games, and usually includes betting on a number of results in different matches. Conversely, a bet builder is limited to selections within a single game.
There are multi-game bet builders, and the number of these are rising but they still differ from accas. The offer from Unibet’s bet builder is a good example of how you can combine matches on a bet builder.
Conclusion
Bet builders have exploded in popularity and are now offered as standard by nearly every bookmaker, who now cater many of their offers and promotions to bet builders.
Initially offered only on football, the bet builder has continued to evolve and can now be found on cricket, rugby, NFL, NBA, tennis, and even UFC betting sites, among others.
With more sports and markets being offered all the time, watch this space to stay up to date with how bet builders work.
Responsible gambling
Customers must ensure that they follow responsible gambling practices from the minute they sign up for any bookmaker.
Betting is not a way to make money online and should be considered a form of entertainment. Never bet more than you can afford to lose, and always assume you will lose when placing bets.
The same applies whether you’re using betting sites, casino sites, slot sites, poker sites or any other form of gambling.
It’s particularly important not to get carried away by free bet offers or casino offers, both of which are available in abundance on new casino sites and new betting sites, but must be approached with caution.
Customers should always remain in control of their budget. Should you wish to seek help for gambling-related issues, there are multiple charities and healthcare providers who offer support and information.
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