What is an accumulator (multi) bet?
An accumulator is one bet made of two or more selections, called legs. Bookmakers use different words for it. Sportingbet's help page says bets on two or more results are "automatically displayed as a multi (parlay) bet" [1]. Supabets says "It is possible to bet on singles and multiples" [2], and SportyBet lists Multiples among its bet types [3].
Sportingbet's example is two different football games [1]. SportyBet adds that "Multiple and System bets may include different sports" [3]. Whether a particular pick can be added is the bookmaker's decision, covered below.
Does every leg have to win?
On Sportingbet, yes. Its help page says a multi "does not pay out anything unless all your picks turn out to be correct" [1]. One losing leg loses the whole bet, however many of the others win.
The prices of the legs multiply to give the total price, which the decimal odds guide works through. For settlement, take three invented legs priced 1.50, 2.00 and 1.80. Multiplied they give 5.40, so a R100 stake returns R540.00 if all three win.
| Case | Total price | Return on R100 |
|---|---|---|
| All three legs win | 5.40 | R540.00 |
| The 2.00 leg is void and the other two win | 2.70 | R270.00 |
| One leg loses, whatever the others do | None | R0.00 (the stake is lost) |
Invented prices, calculated for this guide. The void case applies the Sportingbet rule described in the next section.
What happens if one leg is void?
Sportingbet's general rules treat a void bet as won at odds of 1.00 [4]. For a multi they add: "the total odds will be adjusted accordingly and the multi bet can still be won if all other bets it contains are won too" [4]. The void leg adds nothing to the total price.
SportyBet's help page says a match set as void is treated as "an odd of 1.00" and that "other selections of a winning ticket will then be paid out regularly" [3].
Supabets words it without a price. If a void match is in a multiple bet, that leg is treated as a non-runner, and "the outcome of the multiple will be decided on the result of the remaining legs" [2].
The three wordings read the same way to us: the void leg drops out and the remaining legs decide the bet. That is our reading. Only Sportingbet and SportyBet give the 1.00 figure on the pages we read. The middle row of the table above applies Sportingbet's rule.
What if a match in the multi is postponed or abandoned?
Sportingbet's general rules for a multi cover a selected event that is "called off, abandoned or cancelled or does not take place for other reasons, and the respective betting events are not held within 72 hours". Those selections are evaluated as won at odds of 1.00, so the multi can still be won on the other results [4].
The same rules say a postponed event restarted "not later than 72 hours from the displayed start date" still counts for the bet. If it restarts later than that, the bets are void [4].
Sportingbet's football rules say they "will take precedence over the Sports betting general rules" [5]. They void bets on a cancelled or postponed match "unless the match is delayed prior to the scheduled kick-off time and takes place on the same day (local time at venue)" [5]. Our reading: for a football leg that same-day wording governs, and a void leg then counts as 1.00. The pages do not walk through that case.
For a match abandoned part-way, the football rules void bets "with the exception of all bets the outcome of which has already been determined at the time of abandonment" [5]. Our reading: in a multi, a leg already decided when the match stops can stand, and an undecided leg is void.
Other bookmakers use other windows. Supabets says that "For all sports unless clearly stated", events postponed and then rescheduled "to a time more than 24 hours after the original start time" are void [2]. SportyBet's help page says a void bet "occurs when an event is postponed, or an event's results are unverifiable" [3]. Its football rules say that if a match "is not continued within 48h after initial kick-off date betting will be void" [3].
Can I put two bets from the same match in one multi?
Often not. Sportingbet's general rules say: "The customer may not combine (parlay) related bets on the same event. Related bets are two or more different bets that have related contingency." [4] Its help page adds that several bets on the same game "cannot usually be placed as a multi (parlay) or system bet" [6].
The same help page says "It is the bookmakers who decide what bets can be combined" [6]. The rules also say the company "reserves the right to determine which bets are related to each other", and may declare a multi with related picks accepted in error invalid [4]. We found no worked example of what is paid back in that case.
Supabets has its own rule: "Multiple bets are not accepted where the outcome of one part of the bet contributes to the outcome of another. When a multiple bet of this type has been accepted in error, it will be settled by equally dividing the stake unit where the related outcomes clash." [2]
Which pairs count as related is the bookmaker's call. The both teams to score guide and the over/under guide show pairs from one match that Sportingbet lists as conflicting.
How is a bet builder different from a multi?
Sportingbet's terms define Build a Bet as "a bet with two or more legs (selections) within a single event with the odds calculated based on the relationship between the different legs" [7]. A multi, by contrast, combines results from different events, such as two different football games [1].
A void leg is treated differently. In a Build a Bet, "If a leg within a Build a Bet is voided, then the entire Build a Bet will be voided, regardless of the outcome of the other legs" [7]. In a Sportingbet multi, a void leg counts as 1.00 and the rest carry on. That comparison of the two rules is ours.
Build a Bet+ joins a Build a Bet to "additional legs from different event(s)" [7]. If a leg inside the Build a Bet is voided, only that part is voided, and the terms say the bet "will still stand on the price of Build a Bet 2 like any other accumulator" [7].
Is there a limit on legs or winnings?
Yes, on the three bookmakers whose pages we read, but the figures differ. Sportingbet's help page says a multi can combine "fifty picks" [1]. SportyBet says "The maximum number of selections you can add to your betslip is 50" [3]. Supabets' soccer table, below, runs from a single bet to 50 + legs [2].
| Bet | Maximum winnings stated |
|---|---|
| Single Bet | R50 000.00 |
| Two Legs | R150 000.00 |
| Three Legs | R400 000.00 |
| Four Legs | R600 000.00 |
| Five Legs | R1 000 000.00 |
| Six – Seven Legs | R5 000 000.00 |
| Eight Legs to 49 Legs | R10 000 000.00 |
| 50 + Legs (Last leg to be correct Score) | R 30 000 000 |
Soccer excluding electronic leagues, as worded in Supabets' betting terms [2]. The same page gives other figures for other sports, and a general maximum pay-out of R10 000 000 for single and multiple bets unless agreed in writing, so read it before you bet.
Sportingbet's rules state winning limits of "R10 000 000" for each player and offered bet, and for each player and week, and say it may set different ones [4]. They also list limits of ZAR 5,000,000 for pre-event bets on named football leagues and other listed competitions, and for all live betting [4]. For a multi, "the lowest winning limit will be relevant for the total winning limit of the Multi bet" [4].
If a payment would pass the limit, Sportingbet says "the company is not liable for the excess amount" [4]. SportyBet states "The maximum winnings for each sports bet is ZAR 20,000,000" and caps a customer's potential winnings in any 24-hour period at the same figure [3]. Our reading of the Sportingbet rule: where a multi's price would take the payment past a limit, the limit sets the most it pays, because the winnings "will be reduced correspondingly" [4].
Can I cash out a multi?
On Sportingbet, yes where it is offered. Its Cash Out terms say: "The 'Cash Out' functionality is available for single and multi bets only." They add that "System bets are not part of the 'Cash Out' functionality" [8].
The amount is not fixed: the terms say it "is calculated based on the current odds and is subject to change depending on when you chose to accept a 'Cash Out'". They also say Sportingbet may "withdraw or suspend 'Cash Out' offers without further notice" [8].
Supabets has its own cash-out terms, which say it is "available on a wide variety of markets" [2]. They do not mention multiples. SportyBet's help page has a Cashout section. It says "A Partial Cashout is allowed when an unsettled bet is a Single or Multiple with one combination" and that "SportyBet cannot guarantee that the Cashout feature will be available on your bet selection" [3]. This guide gives no view on whether to use it.
Whose rules does this guide use?
We read the published rules of three of the eight bookmakers we review, on 28 October 2026: Sportingbet's general, football, Build a Bet, bet type and Cash Out pages, the SportyBet help page, and Supabets' betting terms.
We could not read the rules of Betway, Hollywoodbets or World Sports Betting. From our own network, our internet provider sent all three to a block page. From a second network, Betway's rules page loaded but did not show its rules text, and Hollywoodbets and World Sports Betting returned an access-denied response (HTTP 403).
10bet returned HTTP 403 with a page titled 'Just a moment...'. Easybet redirected us to a page titled 'easybet.co.za - Only Available in South Africa'. We worked around none of these.
Before you bet: limits and help
- Read the bookmaker's own rules for void and postponed legs, for picks it counts as related, and for limits on legs and winnings.
- Check the possible return the betslip shows before you confirm a multi.
- Set your betting limits before you deposit, not after a loss.
- If a bet is settled in a way you do not understand, ask support in writing and keep the reply.
- If that does not settle it, check the bookmaker's licence and contact the provincial board that issued it. If the board has not been able to assist, the NGB says to escalate the complaint in writing to [email protected] [9].
- If betting stops being a pastime, see responsible gambling and the helpline.
Sources
The numbers in the text point to these pages. Each was opened on the date shown.
- Sportingbet South Africa, Help: What are multi bets?. Read 28 October 2026.
- Supabets, Betting Terms and Conditions. Read 28 October 2026.
- SportyBet South Africa, Help (Sports rules and How to Play sections). Read 28 October 2026.
- Sportingbet South Africa, Help: Sports Betting General Remarks (the page is marked last updated 05/10/2017). Read 28 October 2026.
- Sportingbet South Africa, Help: Sports Betting Special Rules, Football. Read 28 October 2026.
- Sportingbet South Africa, Help: Which bets can be combined to form a multi (parlay)?. Read 28 October 2026.
- Sportingbet South Africa, Help: Build a Bet Terms and Conditions. Read 28 October 2026.
- Sportingbet South Africa, Help: Cash Out Terms and Conditions. Read 28 October 2026.
- National Gambling Board, Frequently Asked Questions. Read 28 October 2026.
About this guide
Published by Avenmark Media. A separate pass re-opened every source above and checked each claim against it, on . A second, independent check compared a sample of the claims with the same sources. How we write and correct our pages.
Found a mistake? Email [email protected]. We correct the page, change its updated date and say what changed.
If gambling is causing you harm
Call the National Responsible Gambling Programme line, free and confidential, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week:
You can also message 076 675 0710 on WhatsApp or email [email protected].
Sources: South African Responsible Gambling Foundation, The SARGF (read 3 Oct 2026); South African Responsible Gambling Foundation, The NRGP (read 3 Oct 2026); National Gambling Board, National Responsible Gambling Programme (read 3 Oct 2026)