What is a Lucky 15 Bet? Complete Guide for UK Punters

Peter Addison

Peter Addison

Sports betting writer

Peter joined the BettingSites.co.uk team in 2023, having previously worked for many high-profile gambling-related sites such as RightCasino, JustSlots, WhichBingo and Gambling.com. An experienced head when it comes to all aspects of iGaming, Peter is a fanatic fan of sport, including football and US sports such as baseball and American football. He is also a multi-published fiction writer, although sadly, not a wealthy one.

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Once you have been around the betting realm, you might begin to hear a few betting terms that sound interesting. One of those is a ‘Lucky 15’ bet – but what is Lucky 15 bet? It is a bet on 15 selections? Is it a bet where 15 selections are randomly picked for you? Just how does a Lucky 15 bet work?

Well, you’re in luck! This page will fully explain what is a lucky 15 bet in horse racing, football and many other sports. It will also explain what is a Lucky 15 each way bet, how to work out a Lucky 15 bet, and even how to place a Lucky 15 bet. It will also briefly explore the related Yankee bet, so you can see which is better for you – Yankee bet or Lucky 15.

Okay, let’s go!

What is a Lucky 15 Bet?

A Lucky 15 bet is actually a bet on four selections, not 15. The Lucky 15 bet covers all possible bets and combinations involving the four selections, as follows:

Therefore, it does not take a brainiac to work out that the Lucky 15 bet is so-called because it consists of 15 separate bets in total, covering the four selections. This bet type is like the Yankee bet except that as the Yankee does not cover any singles, it only consists of 11 bets. Also different to the Yankee bet, only one of your selections has to win in order for your Lucky 15 bet to generate a return.

The permutations of a Lucky 15 bet are as follows. Let’s call our four selections ABCD:

It goes without saying that the more selections in your Lucky 15 bet that are winners, the more money your Lucky 15 bet will return.

How to Place a Lucky 15 Bet

Let’s now work through a real example of how to place a Lucky 15 bet. So that we can offer an answer to the question ‘what is a Lucky 15 bet in horse racing’ we are going to be placing our bet on horses. You can place a Lucky 15 on any sport, or you can even combine four bets from four different sports into a single Lucky 15 bet.

We are going to be using one of our favourite sports betting sites, bet365, for this how to place a Lucky 15 bet example. We are going to choose four horses from one meeting – Brighton – for our Lucky 15 Bet. The selections are as follows:

• 2.25: Darvel (3.50)
• 2.57: Lucidity (3.00)
• 3.27: Long Call (5.00)
• 3.57: Gatwick Kitten (3.25)

Here are our four selections, added to our betslip:

Because we have added four selections to our betslip, bet365 has automatically decided that we want to place a 4 fold, or acca, however, as we don’t, we need to expand the ‘5 other multiples’ tab in order to find the Lucky 15 option, as seen below:

Once expanded, the Lucky 15 option becomes available. To select this bet, we need to enter our stake in the stake box. This will be our stake-per-unit and not our overall stake. We have set our stake-per-unit at £1, so as the Lucky 15 contains 15 bets, our overall stake will be £15. To place our final Lucky 15 bet, we just need to hit the ‘Place Bet’ button.

Calculating the potential returns from a Lucky 15 bet can be tricky as it depends on how many of your selections win. If all four win, then you need to work out all the returns from your singles, doubles, trebles and acca, multiplying the combined prices by your stake. If some of your selections win but others don’t, then you just discard any bets that involve non-winning selections.

To make life easier, we recommend using decimal odds to calculate potential winnings as they can just be multiplied together, and then by your stake. When you use fractional odds, you will need to remember to add your stake back on to your calculations, as fractional odds only calculate winnings, and not returns.

To make life even easier, we recommend using our Lucky 15 bet calculator to calculate returns and potential returns. Just plug in your selection prices, and indicate if they won or not. Our calculator will then work our your winnings and returns, saving you both time and headaches.

Lucky 15 Each Way Bet – What it is and How it Works

If you take a look at the last image about this paragraph, you’ll notice on the ‘Lucky 15’ option there’s a check box marked ‘E/W’. This is giving you the option of placing a Lucky 15 each way bet, which is 30 bets as opposed to 15.

With each way, you are making two bets in one – a bet on a horse to win, and a bet on a horse to place. The number of places can vary from three to five, depending upon the type of race, and the number of runners. Each way is available on greyhounds too, although there a place is only ever first or second.

So, in answer to the question what is a Lucky 15 each way bet, it’s a Lucky 15 on winners, and a Lucky 15 on horses or greyhounds that place. You cannot mix-and-match i.e. none of the selections that place qualify as winners on your winners bet, but all selections that win also count as ‘winners’ on your place Lucky 15, as a win is automatically a place too.

Why Do You Want to Place a Lucky 15 Bet?

Placing a Lucky 15 bet is a decent prospect for any avid punter, and there are plenty of reasons why this particular wager stands out from the crowd. Firstly, the Lucky 15 offers an enticing combination of excitement and potential rewards. By selecting four different selections and combining them into one bet, you have the chance to multiply your winnings if all your selections come through.

You also have some sort of safety net if not all of your selections win, because you have so many bets covered. This should help you gain some return from your Lucky 15 bet, even if it is not the amount you were hoping for. Depending upon the starting prices of your selections, two winners should be enough to cover your stake, and three will definitely have you smiling. The dream is four though, which will give you more than enough reasons to celebrate.

Popular Sports for Lucky 15 Bets

You can place a Lucky 15 bet on any sport, and you can indeed place a Lucky 15 bet on multiple sports – just make four selections and indicate that your bet is a Lucky 15 bet. However, some bets are more popular than others when it comes to the Lucky 15 bet, as we will explore below.

Drawbacks of Lucky 15 Bets

We fell the positives of a Lucky 15 bet far outstrip any negatives, but here are two drawback factors that we think you need to be aware of.

Yankee Bet or Lucky 15 – Which is Right for You?

So, you may be faced with a choice of placing a Yankee bet or Lucky 15 – but which is right for you? Remember, a Yankee bet is just a Lucky 15 bet minus the singles, so how do you make the choice.

It depends upon how successful you think your selections will be! If you feel confident that three or four of your selections will win, then go Yankee, if not, go Lucky 15.

If we place a Yankee bet with four selections at 3.00 (same as our example from the ‘at least two selections have to win to return your stake’ above) the returns would be £0 for one winner, £9 for two winners, £54 for three winners and £243 for four – bear in mind though that as the Yankee is 11 bets, your stake will be £4 cheaper.

Top UK Bookmakers That Offer Lucky 15 Bet

All the bookmakers online operating in the UK will offer the Lucky 15 bet. In the rare circumstance that a site doesn’t you can create a Lucky 15 bet yourself by placing all the necessary singles, doubles, trebles and the acca.

We suggest you hunt around for the best site at which to place your Lucky 15 bet. To start you off, why not consult our list of the best UK bookmakers.

Wrapping Up

If you are accomplished at picking winners, then multiple or system bets like the Lucky 15 bet could pave your way to betting success. If you achieve four winners with your Lucky 15, you will almost certainly be reaping the betting rewards, although this is not an excuse for you to cast off your responsible betting expectations.

Now you know what is a Lucky 15 bet, why not have a go at placing a Lucky 15 football bet or horse racing bet today, or whatever sporting discipline takes your fancy? Armed with your knowledge of how to work out a Lucky 15 bet, you can check whether the potential returns from your Lucky 15 bet are worth risking your stake.

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Peter Addison

Sports betting writer

Peter Addison

Sports betting writer

Peter joined the BettingSites.co.uk team in 2023, having previously worked for many high-profile gambling-related sites such as RightCasino, JustSlots, WhichBingo and Gambling.com. An experienced head when it comes to all aspects of iGaming, Peter is a fanatic fan of sport, including football and US sports such as baseball and American football. He is also a multi-published fiction writer, although sadly, not a wealthy one.

All posts by Peter Addison