Usually, with the largest and most established bookmakers, the minimum stake is really quite small and falls somewhere between 1p and £1.
If you want a more exact answer, however, the following table details the minimum stake for a collection of our most highly recommended sites:
Online Bookmakers Minimum Bet Amounts:
The following table shows the minimum bet amounts at different online bookmakers:
| Bookmaker | Min Bet | Review Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Betfred | 1p | |
| William Hill | 3p | |
| Betvictor | 1p | |
| Paddy Power | 10p | |
| Ladbrokes | 10p | |
| Coral | 10p | |
| Unibet | 10p | |
| 888Sport | 50p | |
| Betfair | £2 |
Best Bookmakers For Minimum Bets:
The following is a list of the best bookmakers for minimum bets according to our reviews:
- Betfred – 1p
- William Hill – 3p
- Betvictor – 5p
- Paddy Power – 10p
- Ladbrokes – 10p
- Coral – 10p
- Unibet – 10p
- 888Sport – 50p
- Betfair – £2
What is the minimum stake for online bookmakers?
The minimum stake for any online bookmakers is 1p per bet (although only one betting site currently offers that tiny limit). From there it ranges from 3p right up to £1 so small stakes punters are well catered for at online bookmakers.
Big Winnings With Small Bets: Our Top 5
1. £1 Returns £181,500
On the 30th January 2016, William Hill (@WillHillBet) tweeted a picture of one of their customer’s football betting slips. The punter had placed a £1 16-match accumulator on that weekend’s games across fully six different countries. Each and every one of those selections landed and returned the anonymous punter a princely £181,570.50.
2. £2.50 Returns £272,000
The largest amount ever paid out by Ladbrokes came in the early part of 2011 when one of their customers successfully landed a nine-match football accumulator. Perhaps most notably, that 108,800/1 acca included the selection of Barcelona to draw with Athletic Bilbao, which eventually came about thanks to an unlikely 85th minute Bilbao equaliser.
3. 85p Returns £585,100
One anonymous punter had a very happy festive period in 2011 when they placed one of the biggest ever successful accumulators. A 19-match football accumulator, the 683,738/1 bet returned £585,143.24 for an 85p stake and had amongst the most ever selections for a successful acca.
4. 30p Returns £500,000
On May 23rd 2001, an anonymous Manchester United supporter walked into his local betting shop to collect on a 15-event 1,666,666-1 accumulator. Placed the previous August, the accumulator covered a variety of football, rugby and cricket competitions and cost the bookmaker an astounding £500,000 for a 30p stake.
5. 50p Returns £1 Million
That’s right, £1 million. In 2008, Yorkshire resident Fred Craggs placed a cross-card eight-race accumulator on horse races at Sandown Park, Wolverhampton and in Dubai. At odds of 2000000-1, Mr Craggs understandably only risked 50p on the wager but collected a cool £1 million when all eight horses duly delivered.
How To Win Big With Small Bets
There’s only one way to win REALLY BIG with minimum bets and that’s by placing an accumulator…
If you have an accumulator of four selections, for instance, the odds for the accumulator are calculated as follows:
(odds of 1st selection) x (odds of 2nd) x (odds of 3rd) x (odds of 4th)
If each selection is at odds of evens or 2.0 in decimal, for example, that would mean total odds for the accumulator of 16.0, as 2 x 2 = 4, 4 x 2 = 8 and 8 x 2 = 16.
Why Bet Small?
- If you can’t afford to risk big losses but still want the thrill of having a bet.
- If you’re backing a long shot and a small bet returns big winnings.
- If you’re trying out a new bookmaker.
- If you’re placing a ‘Yankee’, ‘Heinz’ or other type of full cover bet.
- If you’re looking to use up bonus funds without depositing more.
