Postponed Game Bet Rules

Whether bets on a postponed game stand or are voided depends on the specific terms of the sportsbook doing the grading.

The chief determinant is whether the "market", or bet, reached a settlement point before the game was interrupted. A "settlement point" marks when a market is considered decided—usually when the game goes far enough to rule out a replay, or a parlay is resolved.

The second determinant is the book's rules on rescheduling.

How Books Define Postponed Games

Books often distinguish between games that are "suspended" after starting and those that are "postponed" before starting. For a suspended game, betting treatment varies by book, but that depends on how far it progresses before the stoppage:

• Caesars Arizona's house rules define a suspended game as one that starts but is called off before its completion. In that case, all bets stand on the suspended result from the time of suspension, even if play resumes later.

Par-A-Dice's house rules say that a "postponed game" is one that did not begin on its scheduled start date.

The Time-Window Rule

Most books give a postponed event a set window to be played before bets are voided. The window varies by book and by state.

Some books, like Fanatics, use a shorter time window. Fanatics' house rules say that any bets on a postponed event are canceled if the event winds up rescheduled to be played more than 48 local hours from its original timetable.

Fanatics' Ohio house rules say that if a match that starts is later postponed, all bets are void unless it is resumed and completed on the same day. This ruling is true for "any market" on the match, not just in-play bets.

Baseball Special Case

MLB’s "official game" rule provides a special case for baseball: MLB counts a game as official if it either goes five innings or 4.5 innings if the home team is ahead.

Golden Nugget takes this approach, incorporating MLB's official-game threshold.

When Bets Become Canceled

The rules above cover most situations. Bettors should expect their money back for wagers on:

• Unplayed games moved to a later date by a sportsbook
• Those that do not start on the chosen date.
• Games that do not reach the sporting threshold or scoring threshold (e.g. 5 innings for baseball)

If you’re unsure on an event and your stakes, ask early. Do not place a bet until you check the fine print on "postponed."