Wagering on sports and winning is tough and the journey to that point can be full of some very hard lessons. Betting on an event only to later find out your bet has been void by your sportsbook is one of those excruciating lessons that is not only painful and costly but it can take unsuspecting sports bettors by total surprise.
After all a bet is a bet right? Well not always.
Speak to any bettor experiencing a void bet for the first time and they will ask one question, “Can they actually do that!?”.
Can Your Sports Bet Be Void? Yes, your sports bet can be void by your sportsbook at their discretion. This disclaimer is included in their terms and conditions which are agreed at the time of sign up. When a bet is voided it is not a loss as your stake will be refunded in full. There are a number of reasons that a bet may be voided.
Is Declaring a Bet Void Allowed? What Are My Rights?
The bottom line is your mobile or online sportsbook is entitled to void your bet based on the conditions outlined in their terms of service. Before a bet can be placed all bettors must agree in full to these terms and therefore as a bettor you have limited recourse should your bet be voided.
For example, in the US, Pointsbet Sportsbook’s terms and conditions clearly state that under Section 1.9.9 that:
PointsBet reserves the right to close or suspend the Accounts of, and void any or all bets made by any person where, in PointsBet’s reasonable opinion, the Account has not been operated with integrity and/or the bet has not been placed on a good faith basis.
While this may seem to be quite open ended in reality they are quite clear on their rules.
Good faith basis refers to the fact that you as the bettor have placed a bet representing yourself and not another person for the purposes of wagering in your name. You are playing in their house you need to play by their rules.
Over at the Fanduel Sportsbook a different explanation is given:
FanDuel Sportsbook reserves the right to void any market if the uncertainty regarding settlement cannot be resolved to FanDuel Sportsbook’s reasonable satisfaction.
And finally at Draftkings:
We reserve the right to cancel Games at any time. In the event of a cancellation, all entry fees will be refunded to the Account except as specifically provided in these Terms of Use.
The Bottom Line: Your bet can be voided legally. It’s important to note that on most occasions your bet is not voided because you did anything wrong or breached any terms and conditions. There are many and varied reasons as to why you bet can be voided.
Under What Circumstances Would a Bet Be Declared Void?
A voided bet may seem like a rare thing but in reality there are many times when a bet may be cancelled by the sportsbook. Here are some of the more common examples:
Error on The Sportsbooks Part
This is potentially the most controversial condition under which a bet is void. Since the dawn of time when a bet is placed between two parties most people would agree that it stands regardless. If one party later decides they don’t like the bet then they can’t simply pull out.
In the case of a sportsbook error like an incorrectly priced market or handicap number many bettors believe that is fair game. If the market is up then they are entitled to take advantage of it. This may well be true but sportsbooks reserve the right to void bets where they deem an error has been made. Fair or not that is the state of play.
I have certainly been on the bad end of this condition before and it can be infuriating. It is what it is though. As stated before, if you play in their house you play by their rules.
Abandonment, Cancelations
This happens. Not even elite level sport played in state of the art stadiums can withstand the forces of mother nature. In the case of an event being cancelled due to weather or abandoned mid game all bets will be void.
Voiding a bet on an event cancelled pre-game is a no brainer. The event never occurred so the bet clearly can’t be settled. The equation is simple: refund all bets.
Voiding bets on abandoned games conjures a whole different response from bettors, particularly if the game has progressed a significant amount. Imagine placing a bet a college football moneyline bet and having your team sitting pretty with a seemingly unassailable lead. Suddenly a fierce thunderstorm packed with lightning, hail and heavy rain puts a stop to the game. So much so that officials decide to abandon the game.
At this point sportsbooks will void all bets and refund bettors. Seemingly this is unfair for bettors who had action on the dominant team. It’s a bitter pill to swallow no doubt. It is fair though.
Sportsbooks need an indisputable way to result bets and in the case of the moneyline that will usually be based on the official result according to the governing body. In the case of the above example that would be the NCAA. If they deem the match abandoned then regardless of the scoreline at the time of the game being called off all bets will be void.
Postponement
An event being moved to a different day is an automatic void bet. Many of the variables used to create the market will change and therefore in order to minimise risk sportsbooks will refund bets. This is best for bettors as well considering the new event will result well after the original expected finish date tying up useful bankroll.
Change of Venue
Similar to the postponement, a major change in market variables results in voiding all bets. Venue is a critical component in deciding favoritism in many sports. It certainly loads the dice a little more in favor of one team or the other. It makes sense that a change in venue means all bets are off.
Change of Time Period
Again a change in the length of game time can cause bets to be void. These rules vary from sport to sport so it’s important to check with your sportsbook about their sports specific rules in relation to this condition.
Force Majeure (Unforeseen Circumstances)
This circumstance is best described by PointsBet in their terms and conditions:
“any act, event or occurrence (including, without limitation, any strike, riot or civil commotion, hurricane, war, fire, riot, earthquake, terrorism, act of public enemies, actions of governmental authorities outside of the control of PointsBet (excepting compliance with applicable regulations) interruption of power supply, electronic, communication equipment or supplier failure) that prevents us from offering or continuing to offer one or more of our Markets at all or in a manner that we reasonably consider to be a fair betting market;”
Despite the above sounding like another Sunday in the Dawg Pound at a Browns game, they are all pretty drastic. Certainly not everyday occurrences but worth knowing about should you have action on a game and any of the above unfold.
Void Bet Rules are Sports Dependent
The specifics behind a bet being voiding is very much dependent on the sport in question. Each sport has its own quirky rules which then have a flow on effect to resulting of the bet. For an added layer of complexity certain bet types may be able to be settled even when an event is abandoned due to weather or for other reasons.
Here are some sports specific examples (based on Fanduel Sportsbooks T and Cs), please note, this list is in no way exhaustive, not even close:
ATP and WTA Tennis
Tennis is subject to early retirement due to injury. Often a player is injured during a match will withdraw during the match. Most sports books will payout the moneyline bet on the player who advances to the next round AFTER the first set is decided. If the injury withdrawal is during the first set then all bets are void.
Prop and live bets on an injury shortened event may be paid out if the injury did not impact the ability to result the bet. For example first set winner if the player withdrew after the first set had concluded.
Major League Baseball
Baseball is affected by weather. If a match was to start on the scheduled day but not conclude until the following day due to weather all bets will stand. If the game does not begin and is rescheduled to another day all bets will be void.
A more common baseball betting rule occurs when the listed starting pitcher does not start. In this case, all bets will be void as the markets were established based on the potential influence of the starting pitcher.
National Football League
In the case of a postponed game due to weather all bets will stand if the game is still played within the same week as the scheduled start time. If the game is abandandonded then 10 minutes of play must have elapsed in the fourth quarter for bets to stand.
In the event of a venue change all bets are void.
NBA
All bets will be void unless the game enters the final five minutes of play. A game must be completed within 24 hours of the scheduled start time for all bets to stand.
Please be sure to check your specific sportsbooks term and conditions to establish the exact rules governing bets before you wager.
How Should I React to a Void Bet?
Sports betting is a long game. If you are using a staking strategy then it is unlikely that one bet will make or break your account (if it does then possibly your bet size is the issue). For that reason no matter how frustrating it is to have a bet voided it is essential that you remain calm.
Negative or heightened emotions lead to poor decisions. The real pain that comes from a voided bet occurs when the anger of an unfortunate bad break is compounded by a series of poor decisions due to a lack of emotional control. Stay calm. Grab some perspective. This one bet does not define your record. Live to fight another day and keep looking to improve your betting.
You can only control what you can control. The rest is truly up to circumstance. You need to be able to weather the uncontrollables and focus on what you can do: keep making good decisions.
If you are a victim of a truly bad circumstance that sees a winning bet become void take confidence out of the fact your analysis was accurate, your process was effective and that will have you in good shape going forward.
Dispute Resolution
Thankfully in the world of regulated sports betting there are avenues for the bettor to dispute a ruling made by the sportsbook. If you believe you have been unfairly treated or a bet has been deemed void when it really should stand then there is a process you can follow.
The first point of contact is your sportsbooks customer service center. Many of the good sportsbooks have live chat facility, in app email contact forms and of course the traditional phone call option.
Make use of these options. Ask questions. You may have a case. They will listen. I have used customer service in the past and they are usually very good, extremely helpful and able to resolve the issue one way or another quickly. I would recommend against using social media to vent. This only serves to harbor negative feelings and it will affect your betting.
If you are still unhappy with the response (and you may be) you can take the matter further to the government body that oversees gaming in that state. In the case of New Jersey the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (NDJGE) has a disputes process you can follow. The best play to go for that is their website.
The Game Starts Now!
If you bet on sports for any length of time you will run into a situation where a wager you have placed in good faith is made void. It happens and its legal. The key is how you bounce back from this disappointment. Don’t let one bad experience influence your betting decisions moving forward.
Good luck and as always gamble responsibly!