The Lucky 15 is one of the most popular bets in British and Irish racing, and for good reason. It gives you a return from just one winner, rewards a good day handsomely, and comes with bonuses that the bookmakers throw in on top. Here is how it actually works.
What a Lucky 15 covers
You pick four selections. The bet then automatically covers every possible combination of them, 15 bets in total:
| Bet type | How many |
|---|---|
| Singles | 4 |
| Doubles | 6 |
| Trebles | 4 |
| Four-fold accumulator | 1 |
| Total | 15 |
Because it includes the four singles, one winner is enough to get a return. The more of your four that win, the more the doubles, trebles and the four-fold start to fire, and returns climb quickly.
What it costs
A Lucky 15 is 15 bets, so the cost is 15 × your unit stake:
- A 50p Lucky 15 costs £7.50
- A £1 Lucky 15 costs £15
You can also place it each-way, which doubles everything to 30 bets (a win Lucky 15 and a place Lucky 15). A 50p each-way Lucky 15 therefore costs £15.
The bonuses that make it "lucky"
The bonuses are the appeal, though exact terms vary between bookmakers, so always check:
- One-winner consolation. If only one of your four selections wins, many bookmakers double (sometimes treble) the odds on that single winner, softening the blow.
- All-winners bonus. If all four selections win, a bonus (commonly 10%) is added to your total returns.
Some firms apply the bonus to the whole return, others to specific parts, and a few use a single advertised price. Read the bookmaker's rules before you bet.
A worked example
You place a £1 Lucky 15 (cost £15) on four horses, and two of them win at 3.0 (2/1) and 5.0 (4/1).
Which of your 15 bets pay out?
- Two winning singles: the two winners return at their own odds.
- One winning double: the double combining the two winners pays out.
- The trebles and the four-fold need three and four winners, so they lose.
So three of your 15 bets land. The two winning singles plus the winning double comfortably clear the £15 outlay, and a third or fourth winner would multiply the return dramatically. If only one had won, the consolation bonus would still hand you more than a standard single.
Lucky 31 and Lucky 63
Same idea, more selections:
- Lucky 31: five selections, 31 bets (5 singles, 10 doubles, 10 trebles, 5 four-folds, 1 five-fold).
- Lucky 63: six selections, 63 bets (6 singles, 15 doubles, 20 trebles, 15 four-folds, 6 five-folds, 1 six-fold).
Both carry the same style of one-winner and all-winners bonuses. They cost more (31 or 63 times your stake) but offer huge upside on a big day.
Is a Lucky 15 worth it?
It is fun and forgiving, one winner saves the bet, and the bonuses add genuine value. The trade-off is the 15-times stake: you are paying to cover every combination. If you only fancy your selections to win individually, straight singles may return more. If you want a flutter with a big top end and a safety net, the Lucky 15 is hard to beat.
Work out the returns before you bet with our free Lucky 15 calculator, which settles all 15 bets and can include the bonus terms, or use the general bet calculator for straight singles and accumulators. Read up on accumulators and each-way betting to understand the parts.
Betting should be fun, never a way to make money. 18+. Please gamble responsibly, BeGambleAware.org.