Bettors are wary of seeing a game they have an action for getting postponed. What can this mean for anyone's sports wagers? Let's closely examine sports betting sites' rules on postponed and canceled games.
How a Postponed Game Affects Your Sports Bets
Imagine an NFL match between the and the about to take place within 12 hours. Suddenly, a storm came out of nowhere and flooded the streets around the stadium. Your worst fears are confirmed when the news is announced that the Dolphins match is postponed.
At this point, you can still relax. You have to wait and hope for the weather to clear. According to DraftKings, FanDuel, and most US sports betting sites, all bets for that Dolphin match are still valid within 12 hours past the scheduled game.
Unfortunately, it is still raining, and the weather has no intention of letting up past the 12 hours mark. By this point, FanDuel and other specific online sportsbooks will cancel all wagers for the game due to bad weather. You will receive a stake refund if you place a bet among these gambling sites. Should your Dolphin money line be with DraftKings and other UK or US online sportsbooks, it is valid as long as the match begins within 24 hours of its scheduled start.
If you need to know whether the US or UK sportsbook that has your wagers will honor all bets for a postponed game within 12 or 24 hours, check their terms & conditions page. You can also contact their customer support chat or hotline to get a clear answer.
Can A Change In Venue Cancel All Bets?
Let's now imagine an NBA match between and . The weather was fine that week, and there were no indications of rain to ruin the game. Unfortunately, there is a problem with the arena where the game will take place. No electricity was coming into the venue, and the technicians could not find the problem.
Rather than the game happening on the Warrior's home court, it will now be at the Cavalier's venue. Note that the match will still occur on schedule and not get delayed, which makes every NBA wager valid during that time. If Cleveland experiences lousy weather and the game needs to be delayed, the same rules still apply where your bet is still valid if the match continues within 12 to 24 hours.
Every team plays better in their home or their opponent's court. The term "home court advantage" comes from the performance of a team playing well in their territory. For sports bettors, this scenario can be a positive or negative experience for their wagers.
Those who backed the Cavaliers and know the team will be playing in San Francisco have struck gold if the venue will change to Cleveland. Bookies will shift the money line odds to slightly favor the Warriors since they are playing in the Cavs' home court. If you have a money line on the Cavalier, you will get a large payout, and your wager has a good chance of winning.
Will a Postponed Game Affect Parlay Bets?
Because all wagers are still valid when a game is postponed, your parlay will not be affected if the match continues within 12 to 24 hours. What would happen to your parlay if the game has yet to resume within 24 hours? Your parlay is still active, but the voided bet will affect you.
Voided bets due to cancelation are removed from all parlay wagers, which decreases their total payout. Let us say you made a parlay slip consisting of MLB money lines for this season with a $75 stake.
| Team | Money Line Odds |
|---|---|
| LA Dodgers | -170 |
| Atlanta Braves | +240 |
| New York Yankees | -160 |
| Toronto Blue Jays | -140 |
| Chicago White Sox | +350 |
| Seattle Mariners | +220 |
| Total Payout | $16,171.29 |
The original payout of your parlay should be $16K+. Let us say Seattle got hit with an intense cyclone and the Mariners need to reschedule about a week ahead of the original date. This scenario will void the money line bet for the Mariners.
| Team | Money Line Odds |
|---|---|
| LA Dodgers | -170 |
| Atlanta Braves | +240 |
| New York Yankees | -160 |
| Toronto Blue Jays | -140 |
| Chicago White Sox | +350 |
| $5,001.96 |
This is now your parlay slip without the Mariners and a reduced payout. If nothing else occurs that season where all five matches went through without a hitch, you can still win your parlay if all of your money lines win. Should any of the remaining five games experience a cancellation, the parlay will have another reduction in its payout.
This scenario is similar to a tie occurring with one of your moneyline parlay legs. Only the affected leg is removed while your entire parlay is restructured with the remaining legs.
What about two-team parlays that only have two legs? If one of your two-team parlay legs gets voided, the entire wager turns into a straight bet. Technically, this results in a voided parlay. The payout is calculated from the odds of the remaining leg. You can see for yourself what your bet would look like if you remove one of its legs through a parlay calculator.
What would happen to your parlay if every single leg was voided where nearly half of the entire season was canceled due to a medical emergency? Like any other sports wager, your parlay is withdrawn, and you get your stake back as a refund. The same occurs with same-game parlays if all of your legs come from one canceled match.
As frustrating as it might sound, voided parlays are missed opportunities for everyone involved, including the sportsbook operators who lost any potential revenue. On the bright side, your parlay did not fail, so you still have your stake back. You can build another parlay slip for the next season or get started on a different sport.
What Happens to Free Bets When a Game is Cancelled?
Free bets and other similar bonuses are complicated for various US or UK sports betting platforms. If a game is canceled, bettors will get their free bet back so they can use it on another market.
Specific sports betting platforms will not automatically return your free bet or provide compensation for its loss. A support agent may replenish your free bet if the platform allows it. If this happens, you can still get help through the site's customer care support line.
Your wagers are still valid for various reasons when a game is postponed. If the game were canceled or rescheduled at a later date than the 24-hour delay period of a sportsbook site, you would get the stake of your bet back.
This article was published on September 15, 2022, and last updated on October 25, 2022.