Patent bets are rather popular with the horse and greyhound racing fraternity, but what is a patent bet? And more importantly, how does it work?
Well, placing a patent bet is simple. All you need to do is make three selections in three different races and add them to your betslip. Choose ‘Patent’ from your bookie’s selection of multiples and it’s done. A patent is known as a ‘full cover’ bet, which means it takes account of every possible outcome for your selections.
So, I’m going to jump right in here and show you what a patent bet is, and how it breaks down into seven bets of equal value.
Type of bet
How many
Potential outcomes
Appropriate sports markets
Singles
3
1, 2, 3
Horse racing, greyhounds, football.
Doubles
3
1+2, 2+3, 1+3
Horse racing, greyhounds, football.
Trebles
1
1+2+3
Horse racing, greyhounds, football.
So, to recap, you’ll make three selections, choose ‘Patent’ from the list of multiple bets your bookmaker has available and then effectively you’ll be placing seven different bets – unless you’re going each way, in which case you’ll be placing a total of 14 bets. An each way bet calculator can help you with that one, but for now, I’m going to continue talking about
regular
patent bets.
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What is a patent bet in horse racing?
As I mentioned right at the start a patent bet works nicely with horse and greyhound race betting – but how does this work, exactly? Well, the easiest way for me to explain it, is to show you an example.
Let’s say you fancy a flutter at the Cheltenham Festival, which is an event that packs in 28 races over four days. With a patent bet, you can pick three runners across three separate Cheltenham races, and back them all at the same time, meanwhile ensuring that every outcome is accounted for:
Three singles
Three doubles
One treble
Just remember that the stake you add to your betslip will be
multiplied by seven
when you select a patent bet. So, if you put £5 as your stake, the bet would cost you £35 in total. That said, most bookies will allow you to bet from as little as £0.10, so a patent doesn’t need to cost a fortune.
You can also make your patent bet each way, which usually just requires you to tick the appropriate box on your betslip. Your bet now covers 14 different outcomes, with your three selections backed to win, or to place in their races.
By the way, going each way is a wise choice when you’re betting on Cheltenham races, the competition is fierce. And that, my friends, is all you really need to know about what a patent bet is. Let’s move on.
What is a patent bet in football?
Well, basically… It’s
exactly the same.
The only difference being that you’ll be selecting three football teams to bet on instead of horses and naturally, you won’t be able to bet each way. If, you’re a beginner we invite you to explore
what a 3 way money bet is. This way, you can simply bet on three potential outcomes of a single match: Win, lose, or draw. It’s far simpler to grasp these terms when dealing with team sports. Of, course the payout is far better, if you manage to get the patent bet to work for you.
Where can I get a free patent bet?
Frankly, most free bet bonuses out there are
a little
more basic, serving-up a simple free bet token usable on a selected sport. However, there’s a
slim
chance you might spy a bonus offer granting you a free patent bet, or more to the point, an offer that allows you to use your bonus bet credits for
any
type of bet.
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Which sports betting sites are ripe patent betting territory?
Now you’re all clued-up on what a patent bet is, allow me to turn your attention to a handful of betting sites that are ideal for patent betting.
Each of the betting sites featured in the banners of this page have been handpicked because they have a proven track record for offering some excellent patent bets. This means that you’ll be able to sign up to any one of these sites and know that you’ll get lots of patent betting options for anything from Royal Ascot to the Kentucky Derby and beyond.
What’s best is that these banners work to showcase those bookmakers that are actually available in your location. As such, you can register your accounts at these sites knowing that they are licensed betting sites and that they will give you nothing but a fair and secure patent betting experience.
Plus these betting sites have all been checked to ensure that they offer you a vast range of betting options for all of the sports most commonly associated with patent bets. So that whether you’re into horse racing, greyhound racing, or even just football, you’ll find lots of options for your singles, doubles and treble bets.
Now all that you have to do is figure out how to win your patent bet.
Advantages of patent betting
Knowing what a patent bet is should mean that you can quickly see the advantages of this unique kind of bet. The obvious thing is that if you manage to win a patent bet, you should get a large return from your winning result. After all, the multiples included in the bet should mean that the odds add up to produce some potentially spectacular returns.
Plus a patent bet is a great way to add some extra interest to a major sporting event as you aren’t just betting on a single race or a match, but instead will have something at stake in multiple events. It’s also worth emphasizing the fact that patent bets are relatively confined to few sports with horse racing and greyhound racing being the most obvious types, although you might see the occasional patent bet for football.
Disadvantages of patent betting
There’s not much point in having a guide that explains what a patent bet is in horse racing without mentioning some of the potential drawbacks of this bet type. Obviously, the biggest limitation here is that it can be a risky kind of betting option, and lots of people will also feel limited by the fact that you have to have the same basic stake for all of the seven bets contained within a patent bet. But there are plenty of risky bets in bookmaking.
Because of this, a patent bet will effectively limit what kinds of betting strategies you use for the sporting event. As a result, you won’t be able to do things like putting down higher stakes on the singles bets rather than the doubles or the treble bet. This is clearly a risky way of doing things because single bets are far more likely to win than a treble bet, and it’s just one reason why many people avoid making patent bets. But, bookmaking is full of high risk opportunities. Fade bets are also considered more daring. We cover
what does fade mean in betting
in other guides on our site, but in short, it speaks of backing the underdog – which is never really a safe option either.
The wrap-up – so, now you know what a patent bet is, why not give one a go?
Placing a patent bet is easy –
once you know what you’re doing. In a nutshell, you simply need to make three selections across three separate events, select ‘Patent’ from your bookies multiples list, enter your stake and everything else happens automatically to create an all-in-one bet that consists of three singles, three doubles and one treble. Simples.
Obviously, you need to choose your bet selections very carefully, and take equal care when picking-out a good bookmaker to bet with. Here, I’ve picked out Stake.com, Unibet, Bet365, BetVictor and BetFair for a good reason – they offer some of the best odds you’ll find on patent bet-friendly markets.
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What is a patent bet? FAQ
👀 How do patent bets work?
It’s easier than you might think. Simply make three selections across three events, and select ‘Patent’ as your multiple option. Discover more easy-to-follow betting strategies with my latest guides.
🔎 How do I master patent betting?
Like all good betting strategies, practice makes perfect. Check out the hottest tips, betting approaches and more right here at Gambling Guy.
❓ Which bookmakers accept patent bets?
From BetMGM to Bet365, you can use this strategy at a lot of different sites. Some of the best ones are reviewed in my guide to patent betting.
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