Which Sport is a Lucky 15 Used For?

Sports where Lucky 15 bets are most popular

The simple answer is that Lucky 15 bets are primarily used in horse racing, although they are also offered in greyhound racing and, more rarely, in sports like football, tennis, and even virtual racing.

Research conducted by Lucky 15 Calculator, as of October 2025, shows that over 90% of Lucky 15s are placed on horse racing, compared to about 10% on greyhound racing. Google Trends data confirms this pattern, with consistent search demand for “Lucky 15 horse racing” but minimal activity for greyhounds.

Sports where Lucky 15 bets are used (breakdown)

Here’s a breakdown of the sports where Lucky 15s can be used, and how common they are:

Sport	Usage	Notes
Horse racing	Very common (90%+ of all Lucky 15s)	Traditional home of the Lucky 15. Most bookmakers promote bonuses for horse racing Lucky bets.
Greyhound racing	Occasional (~10%)	Supported by some bookmakers such as Betfred, often with the same “Lucky bonus” promotions as horse racing.
Football	Rare	Technically possible if you pick four different match outcomes, but less common in practice.
Tennis	Rare	Available with some online sportsbooks, but not widely promoted.
Virtual racing	Offered by some bookmakers	Lucky 15s are sometimes available in virtual horse or greyhound markets; often included in bonus promotions.

Why horse racing dominates Lucky 15 bets

Horse racing is the natural home for Lucky 15s because it produces many ‘discrete’ betting events across a day. Meaning there are multiple opportunities to combine bets from different events every day. You can easily combine four selections from four different races, which is perfect for a full-cover bet.

Bookmakers actively promote Lucky 15s in racing by offering bonuses such as:

• One-winner consolation – usually double the odds for a single winner.
• All-winners bonus – often a 10% uplift if all four selections win.

These promotions, combined with the tradition of multiple betting in horse racing, explain why the vast majority of Lucky 15s are placed on the sport.

Greyhound racing and other sports

Greyhound racing also supports Lucky 15s, but at a much lower level of popularity. Bookmakers like Betfred extend their “Lucky bonus” offers to both horse and greyhound racing, which helps encourage use. However, greyhound racing has a smaller betting audience overall, which explains why only around 10% of Lucky 15s are placed there.

Other sports — football, tennis, and similar — can technically be used for Lucky 15s. For example, you might pick four football matches and back win/draw outcomes. But because these sports are usually approached with accumulators or singles, Lucky 15s are not as popular in them. Sites like Oddspedia note that bookmakers allow Lucky 15s across multiple sports, but punters rarely choose them outside of racing.

A brief history of Lucky 15s as full-cover bets

To understand where Lucky 15s come from, we need to look at full-cover bets.

A full-cover bet is one that includes every possible multiple from a set of selections. For example:

• A Trixie (three selections) covers three doubles and a treble.
• A Yankee (four selections) covers six doubles, four trebles, and a fourfold.

What makes a Lucky 15 different is that it’s a full-cover bet with singles included. Instead of just covering the multiples, it adds four singles to the mix, giving 15 bets in total.

The “Lucky” family also includes:

• Lucky 31 – five selections (31 bets).
• Lucky 63 – six selections (63 bets).

The “Lucky” label came about because bookmakers began offering bonuses and consolations to make these bets more appealing. For example, “double the odds” for one winner and percentage uplifts for all winners. According to Cheltenham Betting Offers, this was designed to compensate punters for the “overround” (bookmaker margin) that compounds across multiples.

While there isn’t a clear record of the first Lucky 15 ever placed (would love to see the outcome!), it’s widely agreed that these bets grew out of the UK high street bookmaker scene in the late 20th century, as firms like Betfred popularised them through promotions.

Modern use and trends

Today, Lucky 15s remain one of the most popular multiple bets in UK horse racing (see Ahrefs below for more data). They are especially popular among recreational bettors who want a combination of risk and security. Combining singles for a safety net, and bonuses providing upside.

Greyhound racing accounts for a smaller share, while non-racing sports remain niche for Lucky 15s. However, the format’s flexibility means that online bookmakers continue to offer it widely across sports.

Final thoughts

So, which sport is a Lucky 15 used for? Horse racing is the overwhelming answer, with over 90% of Lucky 15s placed there. Greyhound racing takes a small share, while other sports are technically available but rarely used in practice.

Lucky 15s evolved from the family of full-cover bets, with singles and bookmaker bonuses making them more attractive. That history explains why they have become a staple of UK racing betting slips, and why they continue to dominate the multiple betting landscape today.