A general rule of thumb to use if a fixture that you have bet on is postponed, cancelled or suspended for a lengthy period of time, is that this will void most of your bets made on that fixture which means that your stake will be returned to you.
However, there are certain bet types, or isolated instances when a bet may not be voided and a different outcome may be triggered, such as your original bet being allowed to continue, or the original bet modified (usually for multiple-selection bets such as accumulators).
The important thing to point out here is that betting sites have safeguards in place to ensure that if a fixture is cancelled, postponed or suspended for a longer period, punters will not lose out. They’ll either get their stake back, or their bet will continue or it will continue in a modified way.
We will explore all these eventualities below.
However, for beginner punters new to betting, it is important that we understand some of the key terms used when we talk about cancelled, suspended or postponed fixtures, as well what a void bet means.
Betting Terminology To Understand for Suspended/Cancelled/Postponed Fixtures
- Abandoned Fixture – When a game is suspended and cannot be restarted. Abandoned matches usually are replayed at a later date.
- Accumulator – A type of multiple selection bet comprising of one line in which all selections must win.
- Cancelled Fixture – If a game is cancelled, this means that not only is the fixture postponed it is also not rescheduled. It should be noted that true cancellations are generally rare occurrences in sports betting compared to a suspension of a game or a postponement.
- Fixture – A sporting contest on which you may place a bet.
- Multiple Selection Bet – A bet comprising of multiple selections, such as an accumulator.
- Non-Runner – A Non-Runner is a horse (or greyhound) in a race that is declared for the race initially but who is pulled out of competing by the trainer or owner. This is usually because of the horse being slightly injured, or unwell on the day, or if the going and conditions for the race are not to that horses liking.
- Postponed Fixture – A fixture that is postponed is not played on the date and time originally scheduled, but is rearranged to be replayed at a later date.
- Single or Single Bet – A bet of one selection which is usually either a win bet or an each way bet.
- Suspended Fixture – A suspended fixture is one that has usually begun to be played, but which sees the completion of the fixture delayed, often due to unexpected circumstances. This can lead to either the fixture being abandoned and replayed at a later date, or the suspended game may be restarted and continue on the same day.
- Void Bet – A void bet is one that the bookmakers are no longer offering. As such all bets placed on this bet will be returned.
Examples of Cancelled Game Procedures, Void Bets etc.
It is easiest to show how a cancelled, suspended or postponed fixture affects a bet you make by using examples. We have chosen five popular sports events
- Football
Although rare, a recent international match between Sweden and Spain was cancelled after a terrorist incident in Stockholm. UEFA decided that as the fixture had no impact on the final standing in their Euro 2024 Qualification Group, that it would be cancelled rather than replayed.
As such all bets on the fixture were voided and the stakes returned to bettors.
- Horse Racing
You backed the horse “Keepmoat Stark” in the 3.50 at Kempton with an early bird price. However at lunchtime of the day of the race, the rainy weather means that the official going on-course changes from good to soft.
As a result the horses owner and trainer pulls Keepmoat Stark out of the race due to the heavier going.
Your bet on the runner is therefore void as the horse is a non-runner in the race. As such you will get your stake back on the
- Baseball (MLB)
You place a bet on a Baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Boston Red Sox, but during the match, a heavy thunderstorm breaks out, forcing the officials to suspend the game.
However, the storm passes after 20 minutes, and the game resumes play a short time later and is played to a conclusion.
In this example, most bookmakers would rule that your initial bet will stand and be evaluated on the outcome of the game, despite the suspension.
- Basketball (NBA)
Due to storm damage to their home arena, the NBA fixture between the Los Angeles Lakers and Oklahoma City Thunder is postponed and rescheduled to be played in a month’s time.
All single bets made on the original postponed fixture are now voided.
Other multiple selection bets, like an accumulator, may continue but with this NBA fixture omitted from their original selection.
- American Football (NFL)
In an NFL match between the Tennessee Titans and Las Vegas Raiders, the game is suspended due to a very dangerous electrical storm in the area. Unfortunately, the storm lasts for a lengthy period of time and the surrounding area starts to flood, causing the suspension to become a game being abandoned. The fixture is rescheduled for the following week.
In this example, all unresolved bets on the game are voided and stakes returned to bettors.
What Are The Affects Of Cancelled Fixtures on Popular Specific Bet Types?
As we explored a little above, the effect of suspended or postponed or cancelled games on your bet can be determined by the type of bet made. Let’s explore these in a little more detail below.
- Win and Each Way Single Bets
For standard single bets, such as Win bets or Each Way bets, then if your bet is postponed, cancelled or suspended and then abandoned, then your stake will be returned to your account.
- Accumulator Bets
For accumulator bets, if one of your selections on your bet is suspended and abandoned, cancelled or postponed, then this selection will be removed from your original bet, the odds adjusted accordingly and the remainder of your bet allowed to continue.
So, if you placed a five-fold accumulator and one fixture was postponed, your bet would continue as a four-fold accumulator with the odds adjusted to account for the postponed game.
- In-Play Betting
Suspension of betting markets is common in in-play betting as the odds update based on events that are happening live in the fixture. When a market is suspended in play, it is temporarily unavailable until new odds have been calculated for that market (if possible) or the market has been updated,
For example, a popular In Play betting market on soccer is a bet on which team will score the first goal. If a team does score the first goal, then this betting market will be suspended and then replaced by a bet on which team will score the second goal.
What Else Do I Need to Know About Bets Affected By Cancelled, Postponed or Suspended Games?
The Antepost Bet Difference – If you bet on the standard ante-post market in horse racing, placing a bet many weeks or months in advance of a race, then if your selection does not run in the race, you lose the bet rather than having your bet returned.
However, there are now Non-Runner, No Bet options available in place of Antepost bets, which offer you a return of your stake on selected races if a selection you back does not run. However, the odds on these selections will be shorter than on standard Antepost markets.
The key thing to remember though for the vast majority of sports bets, if your vet is voided for any reason, then you will almost certainly get your stake back, and you’ll receive it very quickly too.
You can check your chosen bookmaker’s returns policy for voided bets to understand how long it will generally take for stake refunds to accounts to be processed.
Hopefully, you will now have a much clearer understanding of the processes applied to different bet types and on different sports when the fixture you bet on has been cancelled, postponed or suspended.
