What Is a Lucky 31 Bet? 31 Bets Explained With Examples, Bonuses, and Comparisons
Last updated: April 2026
A Lucky 31 bet is 31 bets across 5 selections: 5 singles, 10 doubles, 10 trebles, 5 four-folds, and 1 five-fold accumulator. It's the 5-selection member of the Lucky bet family — bigger than a Lucky 15 (4 selections, 15 bets) and smaller than a Lucky 63 (6 selections, 63 bets). Because it includes singles, even 1 winner gives you a return — and most bookmakers offer a consolation bonus if only 1 of your 5 wins. A £1 Lucky 31 costs £31. This is the Lucky 31 bet explained in full.
Try the Lucky 31 Calculator → Work out your returns instantly with our free lucky 31 calculator.
Lucky 31 bet explained — all 31 bets
| Bet Type | Count |
|---|---|
| Singles | 5 |
| Doubles | 10 |
| Trebles | 10 |
| Four-folds | 5 |
| Five-fold | 1 |
| Total | 31 bets |
Every possible combination of your 5 selections is covered, including singles. The five-fold needs all 5 to win. The four-folds need 4. The trebles need 3. The doubles need 2. And the singles only need 1.
Worked example
Five horse racing selections at a Saturday meeting:
| Selection | Horse | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| A | Northern Light | 5/1 (6.00) |
| B | Silver Express | 3/1 (4.00) |
| C | Storm Warning | 4/1 (5.00) |
| D | Dark Thunder | 7/2 (4.50) |
| E | Golden Arrow | 4/1 (5.00) |
£1 Lucky 31 = £31 total stake
All 5 win
| Bet Type | Count | Returns |
|---|---|---|
| 5 singles | 5 | £6+£4+£5+£4.50+£5 = £24.50 |
| 10 doubles | 10 | Ranges from £18 to £30 per double ≈ £234.50 |
| 10 trebles | 10 | Ranges from £90 to £150 per treble ≈ £1,188.00 |
| 5 four-folds | 5 | Ranges from £540 to £675 ≈ £3,078.00 |
| 1 five-fold | 1 | 6×4×5×4.5×5 = £2,700.00 |
| Total | 31 | ≈ £7,225.00 |
Profit: ≈ £7,194. The five-fold and four-folds account for nearly 80% of total returns.
3 of 5 win (A, B, C)
3 winning singles: £6 + £4 + £5 = £15.00
3 winning doubles: AB (£24), AC (£30), BC (£20) = £74.00
1 winning treble: ABC (£120) = £120.00
Total: £209.00 | Profit: £178.00
Three winners at these odds is a strong result — the treble contributes more than half the returns.
1 of 5 wins (A at 5/1)
Single A: £6.00. Plus consolation bonus (10% = £6.60 total, or double odds = £12.00 total). Loss: £19-£25 depending on the bookmaker's bonus.
At 12/1 (13.00), a single winner returns £13, plus double-odds bonus = £26 total — nearly covering the entire £31 outlay. That's the Lucky 31's key advantage over a Canadian.
Our Lucky 31 calculator models every scenario including the consolation bonus.
Lucky 31 consolation bonus
| Scenario | Typical Bonus |
|---|---|
| 1 winner only | 10% extra on the single's returns, OR double/treble odds on the single |
| All 5 winners | 10% bonus on total returns |
The exact bonus varies by bookmaker — always check the terms. The 1-winner bonus is what makes the Lucky family attractive at longer odds.
Lucky 31 vs Canadian — with or without singles?
| Lucky 31 | Canadian | |
|---|---|---|
| Total bets | 31 | 26 |
| Singles? | Yes (5) | No |
| Cost (£1) | £31 | £26 |
| 1-winner return | Single's odds + bonus | £0 |
At short odds (under 3/1), the Canadian saves £5 without losing much. At longer odds (4/1+), the Lucky 31's singles and consolation bonus have real value — a single winner at 8/1 with double-odds bonus returns £18, covering more than half the outlay.
Lucky 31 vs Lucky 15 vs Lucky 63
| Lucky 15 | Lucky 31 | Lucky 63 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Selections | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| Total bets | 15 | 31 | 63 |
| Cost (£1) | £15 | £31 | £63 |
| Cost (20p) | £3 | £6.20 | £12.60 |
Each step up doubles the cost and more than doubles potential returns. The five-fold in a Lucky 31 multiplies 5 sets of odds together — at average 4/1, that's 5⁵ = 3,125. Even at 20p stake, the five-fold alone returns £625.
The question is always: do you have enough strong picks to justify the next step up? If your 5th selection is marginal, a Lucky 15 on your best 4 at half the cost is smarter. Our horse racing guide covers how bet type choice should relate to race type and odds range.
The numbers in perspective
The maths behind multi-bets can feel abstract. Here's a concrete way to think about it: with 5 selections at 4/1, the probability of all 5 winning is roughly 0.03% — about 1 in 3,125. The probability of at least 2 winning (enough to trigger a double) is much higher — roughly 26%. That means your Lucky 31 produces a winning double about 1 in 4 times. Whether that double covers the £31 stake depends on the odds.
For more ways to put betting probabilities in perspective, see our blog post 5 numbers every gambler should check.
The maths — break-even analysis
| Winners | At 3/1 (4.00) | At 5/1 (6.00) | At 8/1 (9.00) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | −£31 | −£31 | −£31 |
| 1 | −£27 (no bonus) | −£25 | −£22 |
| 1 + bonus | −£23 | −£19 | −£13 |
| 2 | −£1 | +£41 | +£113 |
| 3 | +£178 | +£829 | +£3,305 |
| 4 | +£1,369 | +£9,559 | +£56,561 |
| 5 | +£8,161 | +£87,449 | +£717,497 |
Returns for £1 Lucky 31 (£31 stake). Assumes all selections at same odds.
At 3/1, you need 2 winners to break even. At 5/1, 2 winners produces strong profit. At 8/1, the returns from 3+ winners are extraordinary.
Frequently asked questions
Written by
David Burke
David is a gambling industry analyst and poker player based between London, Spain, and Malta. He has spent over a decade observing the European betting and casino landscape, with particular expertise in odds, probability, game strategy, and how the bookmaking industry works. At WiseStaker, David writes guides on bet types, game rules, and the mathematics behind gambling.
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