Use our free bet calculator to work out exactly what any bet will return before you place it – and to see what a bookmaker free bet is really worth once the stake isn’t returned. Enter your odds, set each result, and the calculator settles the bet the way a UK bookmaker would, including each-way terms, Rule 4 deductions, dead heats and non-runners.
Free Bet Calculator
Work out the returns and profit on any UK bet — singles, accumulators, Lucky 15s and more. Tick free bet for stake-not-returned offers.
How the calculator works
Pick your bet type or press + Add selection to build the bet, enter each selection’s odds (switch between fractional and decimal any time) and set each result to Won, Placed, Lost or Non-runner. The unit stake is charged per bet — a Lucky 15 at £1 costs £15 (£30 each-way).
Rule 4 applies a deduction (in pence per £) to your winnings when a rival is withdrawn late — enter the total deduction shown by your bookmaker. Dead heat settles a tie at a reduced stake: pick “Won (dead heat)” and enter how many runners tied and for how many places.
Each-way splits every line into a win and a place bet at your chosen fraction of the odds. Tick Free bet and the free stake isn’t returned with your winnings, matching a standard bookmaker free bet.
How to use the free bet calculator
- Choose your bet type from the dropdown. The tool automatically creates the right number of selection rows — a Double gives you two, a Lucky 15 gives you four — or use + Add selection to build up to eight.
- Set your odds format. Toggle between Fractional (two boxes: 5 / 1) and Decimal (6.00). Switching converts everything you’ve already entered, so you won’t lose your figures.
- Enter your unit stake. This is the stake per bet, not the total. A £1 Lucky 15 costs £15 (£30 each-way), and the calculator shows the full outlay under “Total stake”.
- Set each selection’s result — Won, Placed, Lost or Non-runner. The returns update instantly.
- Add the extras if they apply: Each-way splits every line into a win and a place bet at your chosen fraction; Free bet (stake not returned) models a standard bookmaker free bet; Rule 4 applies a late-withdrawal deduction; Dead heat settles a tie at a reduced stake.
- Read your result — total returns up top, with a breakdown of number of bets, total stake, any Rule 4 deduction, and your net profit or loss.
Bet types in the calculator
Every full-cover bet below is worked out automatically — the calculator generates each individual double, treble and accumulator from your selections, so you don’t have to.
- Single — 1 selection, 1 bet. One outcome; the simplest bet there is.
- Double — 2 selections, 1 bet. Both must win to return.
- Treble — 3 selections, 1 bet. All three must land.
- Accumulator — 4+ selections combined into a single bet; every leg must win. The generic option grows with each selection you add (Four-Fold to Eight-Fold are also listed individually).
- Trixie — 3 selections, 4 bets: 3 doubles + 1 treble. No singles, so at least two must win.
- Patent — 3 selections, 7 bets: 3 singles + 3 doubles + 1 treble. One winner guarantees a return.
- Yankee — 4 selections, 11 bets: 6 doubles + 4 trebles + 1 four-fold.
- Lucky 15 — 4 selections, 15 bets: 4 singles + 6 doubles + 4 trebles + 1 four-fold.
- Canadian (Super Yankee) — 5 selections, 26 bets: 10 doubles + 10 trebles + 5 four-folds + 1 five-fold.
- Lucky 31 — 5 selections, 31 bets: the Canadian plus 5 singles.
- Heinz — 6 selections, 57 bets: 15 doubles + 20 trebles + 15 four-folds + 6 five-folds + 1 six-fold.
- Lucky 63 — 6 selections, 63 bets: the Heinz plus 6 singles.
- Super Heinz — 7 selections, 120 bets: 21 doubles + 35 trebles + 35 four-folds + 21 five-folds + 7 six-folds + 1 seven-fold.
- Goliath — 8 selections, 247 bets: 28 doubles + 56 trebles + 70 four-folds + 56 five-folds + 28 six-folds + 8 seven-folds + 1 eight-fold. No singles.
How to place a bet
- Pick a licensed bookmaker. Only bet with operators licensed by the UK Gambling Commission — every site we list is UKGC-licensed. Compare offers on our best free bet offers and betting apps pages.
- Open an account and verify. The bookmaker must confirm your age and identity before you can bet or withdraw, so have ID ready to speed up verification.
- Deposit. Add funds using a supported method — card, PayPal, Apple Pay or pay by mobile. Check any minimum deposit needed to trigger a welcome offer.
- Find your market. Navigate to the sport, event and market, then tap the odds to add each selection to your betslip. Add several to build an accumulator or full-cover bet.
- Enter your stake. For multiples and full-cover bets the stake box is usually a unit stake — the betslip multiplies it by the number of bets. Tick each-way if you want it.
- Check the return, then place. Use the calculator above to confirm the potential return, then confirm the bet. To use a free bet, select the free bet token on the betslip before placing — most free bets are stake-not-returned, so your returns are winnings only.
Free bet calculator FAQs
Do free bets return your stake?
Almost never. UK free bets are typically stake not returned (SNR) — you keep the winnings but not the free stake. A £10 free bet at 5/1 (6.0) returns £50, not £60. Tick “Free bet” in the calculator to model this exactly.
What’s the difference between a qualifying bet and a free bet?
A qualifying bet is placed with your own money to unlock an offer; the stake is returned if it wins. A free bet is a bonus token where the stake is not returned. That’s why the same odds return less on a free bet than on a cash bet.
What is a Rule 4 deduction and how much is it?
When a horse is withdrawn too late to reform the market, bookmakers apply a Tattersalls Rule 4 deduction to winnings, based on the withdrawn runner’s odds at the time:
| Withdrawn runner’s odds | Deduction (per £) |
|---|---|
| 1/9 or shorter | 90p |
| Over 1/9 to 1/4 | 80–85p |
| Over 1/4 to 2/5 | 70–75p |
| Over 2/5 to 4/5 | 55–65p |
| Over 4/5 to 6/5 | 45–50p |
| Over 6/5 to 7/4 | 35–40p |
| Over 7/4 to 3/1 | 25–30p |
| Over 3/1 to 11/2 | 15–20p |
| Over 11/2 to 11/1 | 5–10p |
| Over 11/1 | No deduction |
Enter the pence figure your bookmaker states and the calculator applies it to your winnings only, never your stake.
What is a dead heat and how is it settled?
A dead heat is when two or more selections tie for a position. Your stake on that selection is divided by the number tied for the places available and paid at full odds; the rest loses. Two runners dead-heating for one place pays half your stake at full odds. Choose the dead-heat result and enter the runners tied and places to settle it correctly.
How is an each-way bet calculated?
An each-way bet is two bets: one on the win, one on the place. The place part pays at a fraction of the odds (commonly 1/5 or 1/4) if your selection finishes in the paying places. Enter your place terms and mark selections as Won or Placed — the calculator settles both parts.
Does the calculator include Lucky 15 / 31 / 63 bonuses?
No — bonuses such as a one-winner consolation or an all-winners bonus vary by bookmaker and promotion, so they’re not applied automatically. The calculator returns the true bet settlement; add any bonus your bookmaker offers on top.
What does “Non-runner” do to my bet?
A non-runner (void leg) is removed and the bet re-formed around it — a treble with one non-runner is settled as a double, a Lucky 15 becomes a Lucky 7 across the remaining three, and so on. Set the selection to Non-runner and the returns adjust automatically.
Are betting winnings taxed in the UK?
No. Gambling winnings are not taxable for the punter in the UK — you keep 100% of your returns. The tax is paid by operators, not customers.
Fractional or decimal — which odds do I enter?
Either. Use the toggle to switch formats at any time. Enter the price you actually took, not the starting price, unless you bet at SP.
How many selections can I add?
From one up to eight, which covers everything from a single to a Goliath. Use + Add selection to expand, or the × to remove a row.
18+. Please gamble responsibly. Set a budget, never chase losses, and only stake what you can afford to lose. Free support is available at BeGambleAware.org.