How a bet builder (same-game multi) settles when one leg loses

A bet builder combines several selections from one match into a single bet, and in the usual rule every selection must win. One losing leg loses the whole bet. A void leg is normally removed, but the operator's terms and conditions govern.

By Nairobi Football Editorial (prepared with AI tools under our editorial policy) · Last updated 2026-10-16

What a bet builder is

A bet builder, also called a same-game multi, lets you combine several selections from a single match into one bet. A typical slip might hold a match result, a goals total and both teams to score. Each selection is a leg, and the bet is judged on all of them together.

Every leg is an ordinary market with its own settlement rule, such as those in the guide to how 1X2 and double chance bets settle. The bet builder only decides how those results are joined.

The basic rule: every leg must win

In the usual rule, the bet wins only if every leg wins. If one leg loses, the whole bet loses, and the other legs make no difference to the outcome. This is the same all-or-nothing structure as an accumulator, except that all legs come from one match.

That is why a bet builder slip can look close to winning and still return nothing. Four legs that won do not offset one that lost.

How the odds are formed

In a multibet across different matches, the combined odds are the product of the leg odds, because the matches are separate events. Selections inside one match are not separate. A team winning and a high goals total tend to occur together, so the operator prices the combination as a whole instead of multiplying the single prices.

The result is that the price on a bet builder slip is the figure the operator displays, not one you can rebuild from the individual legs. The operator's terms and conditions explain how that price is set. What you can check is the return, which is the stake multiplied by the displayed odds.

Worked example in KES

Illustrative example. A stake of KES 100 is placed on a three-leg bet builder from one match, shown on the slip at combined decimal odds of 5.00. The return if every leg wins is 100 x 5.00 = KES 500.00, which is a profit of KES 400.00. The figures are chosen for arithmetic only and do not describe any real market.

Only the first row pays. The second row shows the point of the guide: a bet that was one leg short is settled the same as a bet that lost every leg.

When a leg is void instead of lost

A void leg is not a lost leg. A leg may become void if, for example, a player named in a selection takes no part in the match, or the market is cancelled under the operator's rules. What follows is a matter of house rules, and they differ.

• Some operators remove the void leg and settle the remaining legs at a recalculated price.
• Others void the whole bet and return the stake.
• Some apply their own rule to specific markets, such as player markets.

Because the combined price is set for the whole group of legs, removing one leg cannot be done by simple division of the odds. The recalculated price is whatever the operator's rules provide. The guide on a multibet with a void leg shows the simpler case, where legs from different matches are multiplied.

Legs that depend on match timing and player data

Two legs of the same slip can be settled from different parts of the match record. A goals total is settled on the goals scored in the period the market defines, as explained in the guide to over/under and both teams to score. A player market follows the player rules in the guide to first goalscorer bet settlement.

The slip should therefore be read leg by leg against the written definition of each market. Whether the leg covers 90 minutes, or includes extra time, is something the market rules state and not something to assume.

What the Kenyan rules require of the operator

The regulations do not set a formula for bet builders, but they govern the framework around the bet.

• Regulation 22 requires the terms and conditions for bookmaking to be in simple language, to state all significant conditions, and to be readily accessible while you take part.
• Regulation 23(1) requires a licensee to clearly display the betting odds, rules and terms applicable to each bet.
• Regulation 23(2) says no licensee shall alter the terms of a bet after it has been accepted, except as permitted by law or approved rules.
• Regulation 24(1) requires winning bets to be settled promptly and in accordance with the published rules.

In practice, the terms displayed when the bet is accepted are the terms that should be applied at settlement.

If a settlement looks wrong

1. Save the slip, the bet reference and the settled result.
2. Find the operator's written rule for the leg in question, and for void legs, and quote it.
3. Raise it with the licensee's customer care. Regulation 24(2) says disputes about bet settlement are handled under dispute resolution procedures approved by the Authority.
4. Section 80 of the Act lets a party to a dispute arising out of an online gambling activity appeal to the Tribunal within fourteen days from the date of the dispute.

Confirm first that the company is licensed, using the register described in the guide to checking a bookmaker licence.

Keep the stake in proportion

More legs mean a longer price and a bet that wins less often. Knowing how settlement works does not improve the chance of winning. Decide a stake you can afford to lose before the match. Gambling is addictive; the responsible gambling page lists the regulator's helpline and the self-exclusion process.