What Is a Bet Builder and How to Use It in Betting

Not so long ago, punters’ choices were limited to staking on match outcomes. However, innovative betting features like bet builders have ushered in a new era of personalized wagering.

A bet builder is a special bookmaker feature that allows you to select multiple events from the same match on a ticket. This lets you curate your bet slip to your taste and preference, giving you a better winning potential.

In this guide, we’ll break down what bet builders are, how to use bet builders, and the top bet builder platforms in 2025. Keep reading.

What Is A Bet Builder: Definition and Core Functionality

Also known as a same-game parlay, a bet builder lets you combine multiple markets from a game into one wager.

Bet builders differ markedly from traditional betting as you’re not limited to outright betting. Instead, you can wager on various markets of the same match.

For example, if you want to bet on Ousmane Dembele to score, Marcus Thuram to score, and Achraf Hakimi to assist in the upcoming PSG Vs Inter Milan UCL Final clash, the bet builder allows you to do just that.

Bet Builder Mechanics: How It Works

With bet builders, you select multiple events or markets from the same match on the same slip. Combining selections from different markets boosts your odds and potential payout when you win.

There are several types of events, bets, and markets to explore in bet builders, such as:

To place a successful bet builder, you must include at least two events from the same match on your bet slip. It’s important to note that one-match insurance policies or partial payouts are rare in bet builders. Therefore, all entries on your slip must come to pass to win. If even one event fails, you’ll lose the entire bet.

Understanding Bet Builder Odds

Bet builder uses combined and automated odds formats. Thus, the odds are calculated automatically, and you don’t need a betting odds calculator to estimate your final odds and total payout.

This is how it plays out in practice: when you select two events, the odds you see after the second selection are the combined odds of the first and second events. Similarly, the odds after the third pick are the combined odds of all three events. It goes on until your last selection.

The automated nature of bet builder odds makes it tricky to estimate the exact odds of a match independently. Likewise, it creates a disparity in odds across different bookmakers. Therefore, shopping for the best value odds for your money is worth it. Alternatively, you can set yourself up for premium odds when you play on our recommended best sports betting sites.

But one thing we do know for sure is that bet builder odds are dependent on the correlation between your selections. As a result, closely correlated events tend to have slightly lower odds than widely dissimilar ones. For instance, picking Acerbi (a defender) to score two goals and Yann Sommer to keep a clean sheet (against a free-scoring PSG team) will have higher odds than a selection involving Lautaro Martinez to score and Thuram to assist for Inter.

Real-World Bet Builder Examples

The bet builder wave started on football betting sites as soccer fans sought more ways to capitalize on their club’s matches. Instead of just outright or future bets, punters desire the chance to bet on who will score, both teams to score, and the number of cards, corners, and saves that will happen in a match. Thankfully, this is now all possible with bet builders.

⚽ Football Bet Builder Example

Here is an example of a bet builder ticket from the upcoming football clash between PSG and Inter Milan:

Credit: 888Sport

As you can see, the punter got 23.00 odds from the bet builder, which is much better than the 3.30 odds on 888sports for Inter to win at the time of this writing.

🏀 Basketball Bet Builder Example

The football bet builder’s success has led to this feature’s proliferation in other sports, such as basketball, baseball, Ice Hockey, and Tennis. Below is also an example of what a Basketball bet builder bet slip looks like:

Credit: 888Sport

In the above basketball bet builder, only two selections gave 6.50 odds, which is far better than the odds of betting on any of the teams to win.

Advantages of Using Bet Builders

Bet builders offer loads of exciting opportunities and perks to avid sports bettors, such as:

Enhanced Odds and Return

The sheer ability to combine multiple selections from the same match on your tickets boosts your odds and potential payout when you win.

Personalized Betting Opportunity

Bet builders enable you to customize your bet slip to your preference. This way, you only get to wager on events you are confident in, increasing your luck rate.

Heightened Engagement Rate

Placing bet builders on a match increases the fun and satisfaction you get from the game especially if it’s not your team that’s playing.

Increased Focus on A Single Event

Unlike acca bets, where you bet on multiple matches, bet builders allow you to focus your attention on a single game. Therefore, you enjoy higher odds while limiting your risk exposure.

Leverage Specific Knowledge

Every seasoned bettor has areas of specialization. While some are good at predicting correct scores, others excel in calling match outcomes. Bet builders allow you to combine markets in your zone of expertise, therefore increasing your chances of selecting winning bets.

Common Restrictions and Limitations of Using Bet Builders

While bet builders present enormous opportunities for bettors to customize their bets, it has some downsides such as:

• Game Restriction: Operators often limit the sports, fixtures, and markets they allow bet builders on. Therefore, this feature is not guaranteed to be available.
• Market Restriction: Another limitation of bet builders is the number of markets you can bet on. Wazamba Casino limits bets to 6 events, while other bookmakers, like 888sport, allow up to a dozen selections.
• Rigid Rules: If a player you bet on doesn’t participate in a match, your ticket goes void even if other events land. Finally, the casino reserves the right to allow early cashout, insurance, and a free bet builder promo.

Expert Opinion

Christian Howells

Assistant Editor / Bingo & Casino Expert

If you’re betting with a reputable site, most of the bet builder limitations are easy to work around. You just need to know what you’re working with before committing your money. I always advise bettors to pay attention to the fine print before using a bet builder to ensure they pick a good one. I never place a bet without knowing exactly what the sportsbook allows—what sports are covered, how many selections I can make, and whether features like cashout or bonuses are available.

Bet Builder vs. Accumulator: Key Differences

Bet builders and accumulators are similar except for a few differences. The simplest difference is that you bet on multiple markets from the same match in a bet builder, while you combine different matches on the same ticket in an accumulator bet.

Here are the other differences between builders and accumulator bets:

Step-by-Step Guide to Using Bet Builders

The bet builder feature is relatively easy to use when you use an intuitive platform like 888sport. Using the Inter Milan vs. PSG football match as a case study, here are the exact steps to place your first bet builder bet.

Credit: 888Sport

1. Register: Visit the 888Sport official website and click the yellow “Join Now” button to create an account.
2. Deposit: Top up your account for a chance to stake in upcoming matches
3. Choose Match: Locate and tap on football in the sub-menu at the top left-hand corner. Next, under the “Competition” header, click UEFA Champions League, and you’ll see the PSG vs Inter Milan fixture.
   

   Credit: 888Sport

4. Locate Bet Builder: Once you click the match, you will see a new page with the Bet Builder tab. Press the tab to start building your bets. There is also an example of a bet builder slip.
   

   Credit: 888Sport

5. Make Your Selection: You’ll see a list of markets to choose from, such as Full-Time Results, Total Goals, Team Corners, Anytime Goalscorers, etc. Click the drop-down next to each market to customize your bet. Once you select an event, its odds automatically add to previous events to give you the final odds. After adding a new event, a yellow “Add selection” tab pops up below the page. Click on it to add the event to your selections.
6. Place Bet: After selecting, click the “Add Selection to Betslip” option and choose the amount you want to stake. Next, tap “Book a Bet” to complete your bet.
7. Cashout: If your bet wins, go to the “My Bet” action of your profile, select your ticket, and follow the on-page instructions to withdraw your winnings

There you go – you just placed your first football bet builder. Note that you can’t edit the selection after booking your bet. So, make the proper selections before booking the bet or ticket.

5 Popular Platforms Offering Bet Builders

Several bookmakers offer bet builders across various sports, but not all are ideal. Our team of experts tested hundreds of sports betting sites to find the best bet builder platforms. Here are our top recommended platforms for bet builders in 2025 and their exciting perks:

How We Chose Our Best Bet Builder Platforms

If you prefer to select your bet builder platform yourself or are just curious how we arrived at our best sports betting sites, here are the criteria we considered:

✅ Available Sports and Odds

The odds and sports offered are our number one criteria for selecting a builder platform. We prioritized bookmakers that allow bet builders across all the common sports like football, basketball, baseball, ice hockey, Tennis, etc. We also ensure the sites have great and competitive odds so you can get a bang for your buck.

✅ User Experience

A slow site is the last thing you want when placing a bet builder. This can frustrate your experience and make you abandon the whole process. This is why we ensured that every site has a friendly user interface. You can easily filter the match you want to bet on, quickly locate the bet builder tab or icon, and make six or more selections per ticket on 888sports, Wazamaba, and our best basketball betting sites with bet builder.

✅ Mobile Friendliness

The ability to bet on the go is essential now. Therefore, we ensure all our best platforms for bet builder load smoothly on PC, mobile phones, and tablets. You’ll also discover that some platforms have mobile apps that allow instant login.

✅ Exciting Promos

From bet builder promos to welcome bonuses on NBA and Tennis, NetBet and our other top picks have great promos. Each promo is quite generous and easy to redeem for cash prizes.

✅ 24/7 Customer Service

Our best platforms for bet builders offer prompt customer service via chatbot, social media, and human support. Before choosing any bet builder platform, ensure it has a polite and responsive customer support agent to guarantee timely intervention when you need help.

Bet Builder Strategy and Tips

Now that you’ve seen the benefits of bet builders, you’re likely eager to build your first bets. But not too soon. Here are some strategies for making informed decisions when betting on the bet builder.

💡 Thorough Research and Preparation Techniques

You need a concrete understanding of the players and team forms to make successful selections. So, start by understanding the teams’ historical records, table standings, injury updates, weather updates, etc. This enables you to know the strengths and weaknesses of each team and player and make informed bets. This information is easily obtainable as most betting sites have robust pre-match analytics sessions and offer in-app match forecasts.

Below is the 22Bet in-app team update on the upcoming PSG vs Inter Milan match.

Credit: 22Bet

💡 Bankroll Management

You need money to place a bet in the first place. This is why bankroll management is one of the best skills you need to succeed in betting. Set aside some portion of your money that you want to use for staking. Divide your budget into a sizable amount per match and don’t exceed your limit, no matter how tempting the odds may look. Ensure you keep part of your gain to have something to take home when you win.

💡 Value Odds Identification

Because bet builder odds are based on event correlation, they vary widely across bookmakers. Check odds across top betting sites to discover the best one for you. Also, check expert handicappers’ predictions online to spot value odds that give more bang for your buck.

💡 Avoid Contradictory Bets

It’s impossible to combine some markets in a bet builder. For example, you can’t bet on the goalie to keep a clean sheet and both teams to score in a match. Most bet builders automatically rule out one of these bets, but it’s also crucial to know bets that don’t work together.

💡 Learn Sport-specific Strategies

Each sport and tournament has a specific winning formula. Learn about the sports you want to wager on to identify hidden nuances you can explore to make profits.

Here are the top winning strategies peculiar to football bet builders:

• Research Team and Player Form: Football betting is all about the form of the participating teams and players. Use the stats section of the sportsbook to gain concrete knowledge of the team and player forms. This section contains historical records, predictions, team news, injury updates, home/away team, and possible lineups that guide your forecast. Livescore is also a good resource for gaining insight into team and player profiles. Finally, compare your bets to expert handicapper picks and read match forecasts to uncover any blind spots in your analysis before booking your bet.
• Stake on Optimal Markets For Football Bet Builder: Regarding football, each market offers different odds and winning potential. Both team to score and no goal are some of the easiest markets to predict by studying the teams ‘ head-to-head record. The number of corners and card markets also offers low-hanging opportunities to boost your odds.
• Consider Timing: Whether it’s the period of play (live or pre-match) or the time of the season, timing is a critical factor in football betting. Pre-match betting offers higher odds than live or in-play betting, but the latter gives you firsthand insight, improving your decision-making. The timing of the season is also essential. Big teams tend to drop more points towards the end of the season as they have more high-stakes intercontinental competition around this time, so they tend to reserve players in low-stakes league games. On the contrary, bottom-table teams tend to be more competitive towards the end of the season as they are always fighting hard to scrape some points and avoid relegation. Fouls, corners, under goals, and clean sheets are common markets worth exploring towards the end of the season.
• Use Football Betting Promos: Many top sportsbooks offer football-specific bet builder promos and cash backs that enhance your bankroll and help recoup some of your losses. Always use this promo when you are available to score free bets.

Risk Management for Bet Builders

Stacking multiple games on the same ticket in bet builders presents significant risks that hinder your chances if left unchecked. Here are some of the top risk management techniques for bet builders:

1️⃣ Limit Your Number of Selections

Combining many bets exposes you to more risks. That’s why the number one tip for managing your risk in a bet builder is to keep your selections to the bare minimum. There is no rule of thumb for the optimal number of selections to back per ticket. But we suggest an average of 5 to 7 markets at most.

2️⃣ Manage Your Expectation

The story of people who make millions from pennies is inspiring, but those are the exception, not the rule. It’s okay to shoot for big wins with a few quids sometimes, but that should not form the core of your betting strategy.

3️⃣ Use Risk Mitigation Strategies

Two of the most potent betting strategies for mitigating risks when using bet builders are cashing out and hedging. Cashing out means taking profit prematurely when the game has not ended. This could be a good practice to salvage some profits when unsure how the game may turn out. Sportsbooks like NetBet allow early cashout on bet builders when you’re two goals ahead. Hedging, however, means placing an opposite bet to your initial bet. The logic is that if your original bet fails, you save some money from the hedged bets.

4️⃣ Use Responsible Gambling Practice

Responsible betting is essential in bet builder betting, where the enormous market options can make you lose focus. Some of the best practices to prevent gambling risks are setting spending limits, taking regular breaks and avoiding emotional betting.

Conclusion

Bet builders offer a great chance to boost your payout by doubling down on matches and events you’re experienced in. However, they come with limitations and restrictions, which you can overcome by using reputable bet builder platforms like 888sports Casino, Wazamba, NetBet, 22Bet, William Hill, etc.

Once you find a suitable bet builder platform, the next task is to select winning bets. Analyze the two teams properly, consult experts’ predictions, and leverage free bets to boost your chances and bankroll.

Finally, while bet builders are lucrative, they are not without inherent risks. To beat the risk, limit your selections to your area of expertise, employ risk and money management strategies, and observe responsible gambling practices. Good luck!

FAQ

What Are the Best Bet Builder Apps?

The best bet builder platforms in 2025 are Wazamba Casino, 888Sport, 22Bet, William Hill, and NetBet. These apps cover several sports, offer competitive odds, and are easy to use.

How Does a Bet Builder Work on Wazamba?

You must pick at least two selections in the bet builder slip. The maximum number of selections in the bet builder is capped at six on Wazamba. All your selections must win to win your bet.

What Happens if I Lose a Bet in a Bet Builder? 

Every leg or bet in the bet builder must win for your bet to be successful. So, you lose your entire bet if at least one bet fails, regardless of the outcome of the others.

What Are the Best Tips for Football Bet Builders?

Some of the best tips for winning football bet builders are researching the team and player forms, choosing events with optimal odds, using bet builder promo, and cashing out early to minimize risk.