A parlay links several picks into one bet. Every leg has to win, so the payout climbs while the real chance falls.
No. 1 Our pick
Prime Sports Funded One step avoids multiplying phases
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1 Game time
What a parlay is
A parlay, called an accumulator in the UK, links several picks into one bet. The ticket wins only if every leg wins. If one leg loses, the full stake is lost.
For unrelated legs, the parlay's decimal odds are the product of the legs. Three legs at -200 (1.50), -125 (1.80) and +100 (2.00) make 1.50 × 1.80 × 2.00 = 5.40.
A same game parlay links legs from one game, so its odds are generally not the plain product of the legs' odds.
2 The stat sheet
Odds, return and implied probability
With a $20 stake, odds of 5.40 return $108, including $88 profit. That number also implies a probability: 1 ÷ 5.40 = 18.5%.
- 1 First two legs: 1.50 × 1.80 = 2.70.
- 2 Third leg: 2.70 × 2.00 = 5.40.
- 3 Return: 20 × 5.40 = $108.
- 4 Implied probability: 1 ÷ 5.40 = 18.5%.
Four parlay returns
- 1.50 × 1.80
- Parlay odds
- 2.70
- Gross return
- $54
- 1.50 × 1.80 × 2.00
- Parlay odds
- 5.40
- Gross return
- $108
- 1.91 × 1.91 × 1.91
- Parlay odds
- 6.97
- Gross return
- $139.40
- 1.20 × 1.20 × 1.20 × 1.20 × 1.20
- Parlay odds
- 2.49
- Gross return
- $49.80
3 The scoreboard
Every leg cuts your chance
To win a parlay, you need every leg to win. If the legs are unrelated, the ticket's chance is the product of their probabilities.
Unrelated picks. Same win probability on every leg.
Five legs at 60% each lose 92.2% of the time. The payout looks bigger, but the full chain is rare.
A parlay does not remove risk. It concentrates it on one ticket.
Price your own ticket with the parlay calculator.
4 The replay
Why the margin compounds
Each price carries a sportsbook margin. If the displayed probability is marked up by 5% on every leg, the effect compounds with the number of legs.
Compounded margin 1.05n − 1
- 1 Two legs: 1.052 − 1 = 10.25%.
- 2 Three legs: 1.053 − 1 = 15.76%.
- 3 Five legs: 1.055 − 1 = 27.63%.
On $100 staked with no edge, the sportsbook keeps $13.62 on average over three legs, and $21.65 over five.
A parlay's expected return
Unrelated legs Expected return = product of (1 + each leg's expected return) − 1
With a +5% expected return per leg, three legs give 1.053 − 1 = 0.157625, or +15.8%. That is an expected return, not a guaranteed profit. Adding legs lowers the chance of winning the ticket.
Halftime
Three phases multiply too
A parlay needs every leg to hit. A three-step challenge follows the same logic: passing phase one is not enough; you still have to pass the next ones.
Our steady profile: 55% of bets won, flat stake, average odds of -110 (1.91). Fan Funded's 3 Step chains three phases at +33%. Prime Sports Funded targets +35% in one step.
Flat-stake calculation; assumptions under the standings.
Prime Sports Funded +35% in one step, no time limit
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6 Overtime
In a challenge, look at real cost
Challenge rules add their own constraints: target, loss limit, time limit and number of phases. The calculation below does not judge your skill; it compares real cost.
Real cost means challenge price divided by the chance of getting funded, on the steady profile. Amounts stay in each operator's own currency: no hidden conversion.
Steady profile: 55% of bets won at -110 (1.91), 3 bets a day
- 1
Prime Sports Funded Challenge
€114 real cost
72% chance of getting funded. €81.75 with code PROMO25 (€109 without).
See the No. 1 
MySportsFunding Instant Funding
€499 real cost
€499.
Priced in pounds
GetBet Funded Standard plan
£225 real cost
34% chance: 54%, then 63%. 90 bets at most in 30 days. £76 price shown with the operator's 20% discount, no published end date.
Priced in US dollars
Bankroll U Combine
$292 real cost
$245. Based on: Combine only.
Fan Funded 3 Step
$435 real cost
14% chance: 52% per phase, 3 times in a row. 90 bets at most in 30 days. $59.99.
Not ranked: Playvo (bankroll size not published), OddsON (stake limits not published; accounts of 5,000 and up not yet on sale).
Real cost: challenge price ÷ chance of getting funded. Flat stakes, average odds of -110 (1.91).
How we calculate
- Three profiles: 54% of bets won and 2 bets a day; 55% and 3; 57% and 4.
- Each operator is modeled at the stake that gives it the best chance, within its allowed range.
- Time-limited challenge: the number of bets is capped by the profile's pace.
- Several phases: the chances multiply.
- Not simulated: daily loss limits, minimum number of bets, activity targets, consistency rules.
- Bankroll U is taken at its Combine, the lowest real cost among the offers considered for this matchup, on the steady profile. Five levels: not ranked (higher real cost on the steady profile).
- Bankroll U: Combine only, which opens the Rookie level at 10% of profits.
- Fan Funded is taken at its 3 Step, the lowest real cost among the offers considered for this matchup, on the steady profile. 2 Step: not ranked (higher real cost on the steady profile). Blitz: not ranked (too close to call: the gap depends on the exchange rate).
- GetBet Funded: price shown with the operator's 20% discount, no published end date.
- Prime Sports Funded price with code PROMO25.
- Amounts are shown in each operator's own currency, with no conversion. Operators are not ranked across currencies.
- The math holds for these profiles, not for every bettor.
Frequently asked questions
What is a parlay bet?
A parlay links several picks into one bet. It wins only if every leg wins. One losing leg loses the whole stake.
How do you calculate parlay odds?
For unrelated legs, multiply the decimal odds. Three legs at -200 (1.50), -125 (1.80) and +100 (2.00) give 1.50 × 1.80 × 2.00 = 5.40. A $20 stake returns $108, or $88 profit.
Why is a parlay riskier?
Because the probabilities multiply when the legs are unrelated. Three legs at 70% each win together 34.3% of the time. Five legs at 60% each win together 7.8% of the time.
Does the sportsbook margin compound in a parlay?
Yes. A 5% margin on each leg compounds to 10.25% over two legs, 15.76% over three and 27.63% over five.
What does this change in a prop firm challenge?
A multi-step challenge behaves like a parlay of phases: passing the first phase is not enough; you still need to pass the next one. The standings compare that real cost.
Final score
Fewer legs, more time
A parlay adds conditions. A one-step challenge removes one: no second or third phase to multiply. The 5,000 challenge costs €81.75 with code PROMO25, down from €109.
Prime Sports Funded No. 1 in our standings
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