{"id":14027,"date":"2024-10-21T15:40:13","date_gmt":"2024-10-21T15:40:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sportscasting.com\/uk\/?page_id=14027"},"modified":"2024-10-21T15:40:13","modified_gmt":"2024-10-21T15:40:13","slug":"what-is-a-cover-bet","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.sportscasting.com\/uk\/betting-guides\/what-is-a-cover-bet\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is a Cover Bet?"},"content":{"rendered":"

For anyone who has ever wondered, \u201cWhat is a cover bet?\u201d the answer is fairly straightforward. A cover bet is one that will return your stake if your chosen selection fails to win but manages to secure a place that is covered by the terms of the bet. In this article, we\u2019ll explore how the cover bet works, why it can be useful and some alternatives that are also worth considering.<\/p>\n

The Cover Bet Meaning Explained<\/h2>\n

It should be noted at the outset that a cover bet is not the same thing as a \u201cfull cover bet\u201d. The use of the word cover in both cases can often confuse things, so allow us to set things straight by defining each of these bets in turn. This will show that the two bets are, in fact, quite different.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Full Cover Bet Definition<\/h3>\n

The full cover bet is one that covers several selections for all possible combinations for multiple bets. For example, a Yankee covers four selections for all possible doubles and trebles and for one fourfold accumulator<\/a>. There artoplist ide six possible doubles, four possible trebles, and one fourfold, so the Yankee full cover wager costs eleven bets in all.<\/p>\n

<\/div><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

Cover Bet Definition<\/h3>\n

A cover bet, as discussed in this article and commonly available at horse racing betting sites<\/a>, is quite different. Here, you make just one selection and hope that it wins. If it wins, the bet is settled as a winner. However, if the selection doesn\u2019t win but manages to get a place that\u2019s covered by the wager, you will get your stake money back.<\/p>\n

A cover bet can, therefore, be viewed as one that has a built-in element of insurance. In fact, some bookmakers actually refer to this type of wager as an Insurance Bet, an Insure Bet or something similar.<\/p>\n

<\/div><\/div>\n

What Sports Does It Apply To?<\/h2>\n

A cover bet is most often available in sporting events where there are a decent number of competitors taking part. That means it\u2019s most common in sports like horse racing, greyhound racing and golf. However, it can also be offered in larger markets for other sports, such as first goalscorer markets in football.<\/p>\n

The core principle of the cover bet meaning, described earlier, will apply to all sports, but the implementation of that principle will vary. For example, a horse racing cover bet will pay if the horse wins and refund your stake if it finishes in second or third place, depending on the rules of the wager you place. But in a first goalscorer bet in football, the bet might refund your stake if the selected player fails to score the first goal, but manages to score the last.<\/p>\n

Because the exact implementation of the insurance betting principle can vary from sport to sport and also from market to market, it\u2019s important to check the rules of the wager you\u2019re considering making before you put any money on the line.<\/p>\n

\"Andrew<\/p>\n

Cover Bet in Horse Racing Examples<\/h2>\n

Let\u2019s illustrate how the cover bet works in practice by looking at a couple of examples of the cover bet in horse racing. In this sport, you\u2019ll often be able to choose from several different markets where the bet covers different numbers of places. Consider the following:<\/p>\n

Cover Bet 2 Places<\/h3>\n

In the Cover Bet 2 Places market, you select a horse to win the race in question. If the horse wins, your bet will be settled at the odds taken (see Betting Odds Explained<\/a>). If it only finishes in second place, your stake will be refunded. If it finishes outside the first two places (that is, in third place or worse), the bet will lose.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The above image shows the Cover Bet markets for a horse race. The first horse named is Clinton Land and its odds for a Cover Bet 2 Places wager are 18\/1. Bet \u00a310 at that price and you\u2019d get \u00a3190 back if it wins, or your \u00a310 back if it finishes in second place.<\/p>\n

Cover Bet 3 Places<\/h3>\n

Here, the same principle applies, but the bet will cover you for the first three places. Bet on a horse, and if it wins, the bet will be settled at the odds taken. If the horse finishes in second or third place, your stake will be refunded. Because this wager covers an extra place, the odds you get for the selection will be lower.<\/p>\n

For example, in the horse race mentioned a few moments ago, the odds for Clinton Lane in the Cover Bet 3 Places market shown above are 16\/1, and not 18\/1, as they were in the Cover Bet 2 Places market.<\/p>\n

The Benefits of Making a Cover Bet<\/h2>\n

The question of \u201cWhat does cover bet mean?\u201d has been answered, but why make one in the first place? There are several benefits of making a cover bet instead of a straightforward win bet, so let\u2019s take a quick look at three of the biggest:<\/p>\n

\n \n \n
\n
    \n

  1. Greater Chance of a Return<\/h3>
    The main benefit of a cover bet is that it gives you a bigger chance of getting a return. While a win-only bet would lose if your selection loses, the cover bet guarantees your money back if it achieves a qualifying place. For example, in a horse race with 12 runners of equal ability, a win bet would only give you a 1 in 12 chance of getting a return, but a Cover Bet 3 Places bet would give you a 3 in 12 chance.<\/div><\/li>

  2. More Betting Opportunities<\/h3>
    Because insurance betting refunds your stake when your selection comes close to winning, it allows you to consider selections that are a little more risky. And that means the cover bettors get more betting opportunities to look at. For example, you might fancy a particular golfer to win a big tournament like The Open 2025<\/a>, but you aren\u2019t quite confident enough to bet on the outright win. In that case, you could consider making a cover bet on the player and know that you\u2019ll get your cash back if he finishes with a place covered by the wager. Cover betting has, therefore, turned what would probably be a no-bet scenario into a viable possibility.<\/div><\/li>

  3. Simplicity<\/h3>
    Old-school bettors sometimes used to make their own version of an insurance bet by placing a smaller side bet in the same market as their main win bet. That\u2019s still a workable strategy, but you need to be quick with your mental arithmetic to work out your stakes before the odds change. A modern cover bet is a lot more user-friendly. Simply bet on one selection in the cover bet market and wait. There\u2019s no need to make separate bets to give you the desired insurance.<\/div><\/li>\n <\/ol>\n \n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n

    Potential Drawbacks<\/h2>\n

    As good as it is, the cover bet isn\u2019t perfect, and there are a couple of drawbacks that you need to be aware of. We wouldn\u2019t let them put you off, but you should at least recognise them before deciding whether or not the cover bet is right for you.<\/p>\n

    \n \n \n
    \n
      \n

    1. Shorter Odds<\/h3>
      The odds you\u2019ll get for a cover bet will always be lower than the odds for a simple win-only bet. That\u2019s because of the insurance element that the bet provides, and the greater the amount of insurance, the lower the odds will be. A Cover Bet Place 3 wager will, therefore, offer lower odds than a Cover Bet Place 2 wager, and a Cover Bet Place 4 wager will offer even less. We have no problem with this, but it\u2019s important to understand that the insurance element isn\u2019t being provided for free by generous online betting sites<\/a>. You are actually paying for it by taking lower odds than you would get in the win market.<\/div><\/li>

    2. Not Universally Available<\/h3>
      The cover bet is a relatively new wager, so it isn\u2019t universally available. The good news is that it\u2019s available at many of the biggest betting sites, so you can make a bet365 cover bet or explore Betfred insurance betting markets quite easily. The bet is also catching on fast, and as more people discover the cover bet meaning, more bookies are creating markets to make this incredibly popular wager available to them.<\/div><\/li>\n <\/ol>\n \n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n

      Alternatives to the Cover Bet<\/h2>\n

      As we said a moment ago, the cover bet isn\u2019t currently available at every online betting site. Fortunately, there are a few alternatives to the bet that you can consider if your favourite bookie hasn\u2019t yet caught the cover betting trend.<\/p>\n

      <\/p>\n

      Each Way Betting<\/h3>\n

      The most obvious alternative to a cover bet is the each-way bet. This will cost you twice as much as a win-only bet, but if your selection wins, both parts of the bet succeed. The win part will be settled at the full odds, and the place part will be settled at a fraction of those odds (often 1\/4 or 1\/5). That means you\u2019ll get a return even if your selection only manages a place. The big difference is that the place return might not cover your entire outlay as a cover bet would.<\/p>\n

      <\/div><\/div>\n

      <\/p>\n

      Place Betting<\/h3>\n

      Another alternative is place betting, where you bet on a selection to get a place. In this case, your bet will win just by your selection placing in the event, and that bet will be settled at the full place-only odds. This is a very handy bet if you\u2019re confident that your selection will go close but you aren\u2019t entirely confident that it will win.<\/p>\n

      <\/div><\/div>\n

      <\/p>\n

      Dutching<\/h3>\n

      A third alternative to a cover bet is an approach called dutching. This involves placing separate bets on two or more outcomes in the same market and adjusting your stake on each so that a certain return is achieved if any one of them succeeds.<\/p>\n

      For example, you could bet on one horse to win and then place bets on the two biggest dangers so that you get a known return if any of the three horses wins the race. You need to adjust your stake on each bet according to the odds available to get the same return, but it can be very useful If you don\u2019t mind doing a little arithmetic.<\/p>\n

      <\/div><\/div>\n

      Conclusion<\/h2>\n

      The cover bet is a relatively new wager that returns your stake if your selection fails to win but still manages to get a place. It\u2019s a very simple bet to make and gives you a better chance of getting a return. However, the insurance element of the bet means you\u2019ll also get lower odds than you would in the standard win market.<\/p>\n

      FAQs<\/h2>\n

      \n
      \n

      What is a cover bet in horse racing?<\/h3>\n <\/div>\n
      \n

      A cover bet in horse racing is a bet on a horse to win a race that also gives you a bet of extra \u201cinsurance cover\u201d if it loses but manages to get a qualifying place. It\u2019s also known as an insurance bet, Insure Bet (for those looking for the insure bet meaning) and other similar names that bookmakers have come up with.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n

      \n
      \n

      How does a cover bet work?<\/h3>\n <\/div>\n
      \n

      You place a cover bet as you would any other type of bet. If your selection wins, the bet will be settled at the odds you took when you made the bet. If your selection loses but gets a place covered by the market, your stake is refunded in full. <\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n

      \n
      \n

      What does insure bet mean?<\/h3>\n <\/div>\n
      \n

      An insure bet is simply another name for an insurance bet or cover bet. It works in exactly the same way as described in the article above. In short, the name comes from the fact that the bet has an insurance element built in.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n

      \n
      \n

      What does cover bet 3 places mean in horse racing?<\/h3>\n <\/div>\n
      \n

      The Cover Bet 3 Places meaning is that the wager covers the first three places of the race. Your bet would win if the horse gets first place, and you\u2019d get your money back if it finishes in second or third place. Similarly, the Cover Bet 2 Places meaning is that the wager would cover the first two places in the race.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n

      \n
      \n

      Can you bet on a horse not to win?<\/h3>\n <\/div>\n
      \n

      You can bet on a horse not to win at some online betting sites, but not all. At bet365, for example, if you click on a race and then on More Markets, you\u2019ll see a Not To Win market sandwiched between the Cover Bet and To Be Placed \/ Not To Be Place markets.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      For anyone who has ever wondered, \u201cWhat is a cover bet?\u201d the answer is fairly straightforward. A cover bet is one that will return your stake if your chosen selection fails to win but manages to secure a place that is covered by the terms of the bet. In this article, we\u2019ll explore how the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":352,"featured_media":0,"parent":1623,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-14027","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe Cover Bet Explained - Bet to Win with Insurance Built In<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"What is a cover bet? This article provides a full explanation of the useful win bet that will return your stake if your selection goes close.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, nofollow\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Cover Bet Explained - Bet to Win with Insurance Built In\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"What is a cover bet? This article provides a full explanation of the useful win bet that will return your stake if your selection goes close.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.sportscasting.com\/uk\/betting-guides\/what-is-a-cover-bet\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Sportscasting UK\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.sportscasting.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/08\/Horse-racing-3.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1514\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"839\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"10 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sportscasting.com\\\/uk\\\/betting-guides\\\/what-is-a-cover-bet\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sportscasting.com\\\/uk\\\/betting-guides\\\/what-is-a-cover-bet\\\/\",\"name\":\"The Cover Bet Explained - Bet to Win with Insurance Built In\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sportscasting.com\\\/uk\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sportscasting.com\\\/uk\\\/betting-guides\\\/what-is-a-cover-bet\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sportscasting.com\\\/uk\\\/betting-guides\\\/what-is-a-cover-bet\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sportscasting.com\\\/uk\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/3\\\/2024\\\/08\\\/Horse-racing-3-350x194.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-10-21T15:40:13+00:00\",\"description\":\"What is a cover bet? This article provides a full explanation of the useful win bet that will return your stake if your selection goes close.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sportscasting.com\\\/uk\\\/betting-guides\\\/what-is-a-cover-bet\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sportscasting.com\\\/uk\\\/betting-guides\\\/what-is-a-cover-bet\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sportscasting.com\\\/uk\\\/betting-guides\\\/what-is-a-cover-bet\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sportscasting.com\\\/uk\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/3\\\/2024\\\/08\\\/Horse-racing-3.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sportscasting.com\\\/uk\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/3\\\/2024\\\/08\\\/Horse-racing-3.jpg\",\"width\":1514,\"height\":839,\"caption\":\"Andrew Mount\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sportscasting.com\\\/uk\\\/betting-guides\\\/what-is-a-cover-bet\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sportscasting.com\\\/uk\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Betting Guides\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sportscasting.com\\\/uk\\\/betting-guides\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"What Is a Cover Bet?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sportscasting.com\\\/uk\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sportscasting.com\\\/uk\\\/\",\"name\":\"Sportscasting UK\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.sportscasting.com\\\/uk\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The Cover Bet Explained - Bet to Win with Insurance Built In","description":"What is a cover bet? This article provides a full explanation of the useful win bet that will return your stake if your selection goes close.","robots":{"index":"noindex","follow":"nofollow"},"og_locale":"en_GB","og_type":"article","og_title":"The Cover Bet Explained - Bet to Win with Insurance Built In","og_description":"What is a cover bet? This article provides a full explanation of the useful win bet that will return your stake if your selection goes close.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.sportscasting.com\/uk\/betting-guides\/what-is-a-cover-bet\/","og_site_name":"Sportscasting UK","og_image":[{"width":1514,"height":839,"url":"https:\/\/www.sportscasting.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/08\/Horse-racing-3.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"10 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.sportscasting.com\/uk\/betting-guides\/what-is-a-cover-bet\/","url":"https:\/\/www.sportscasting.com\/uk\/betting-guides\/what-is-a-cover-bet\/","name":"The Cover Bet Explained - Bet to Win with Insurance Built In","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.sportscasting.com\/uk\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.sportscasting.com\/uk\/betting-guides\/what-is-a-cover-bet\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.sportscasting.com\/uk\/betting-guides\/what-is-a-cover-bet\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.sportscasting.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/08\/Horse-racing-3-350x194.jpg","datePublished":"2024-10-21T15:40:13+00:00","description":"What is a cover bet? This article provides a full explanation of the useful win bet that will return your stake if your selection goes close.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.sportscasting.com\/uk\/betting-guides\/what-is-a-cover-bet\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.sportscasting.com\/uk\/betting-guides\/what-is-a-cover-bet\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/www.sportscasting.com\/uk\/betting-guides\/what-is-a-cover-bet\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.sportscasting.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/08\/Horse-racing-3.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.sportscasting.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/08\/Horse-racing-3.jpg","width":1514,"height":839,"caption":"Andrew Mount"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.sportscasting.com\/uk\/betting-guides\/what-is-a-cover-bet\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.sportscasting.com\/uk\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Betting Guides","item":"https:\/\/www.sportscasting.com\/uk\/betting-guides\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"What Is a Cover Bet?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.sportscasting.com\/uk\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.sportscasting.com\/uk\/","name":"Sportscasting UK","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.sportscasting.com\/uk\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-GB"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sportscasting.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/14027","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sportscasting.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sportscasting.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sportscasting.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/352"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sportscasting.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14027"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.sportscasting.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/14027\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29831,"href":"https:\/\/www.sportscasting.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/14027\/revisions\/29831"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sportscasting.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1623"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sportscasting.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14027"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}