Start with the rule for your accepted bet
Postponed before kick-off, abandoned during play and void after a rules decision are different situations. Do not treat a blank score on a fixture page as a settlement instruction. Find the bookmaker, product, market and bet reference shown on your accepted slip, then check the rules covering that combination.
The conditions are operator-specific. Betfair's football rules consider both the rescheduled local event date and when confirmation of the new start time is received; they also distinguish a kick-off altered before its original start from a postponed match (Betfair postponed and abandoned events). Read the complete applicable conditions rather than substituting a simple number of hours or days. Check any product-specific and market-specific provisions too, and never import one bookmaker's rule into another bookmaker's bet.
Worked example: one void leg in a normal multiple
Betfair explains that a void selection in a multiple is removed, with the remaining selections continuing: its example is a treble becoming a double (Betfair void bets). The following calculation illustrates that treatment for an ordinary cash accumulator, not a same-game builder or promotional offer.
Suppose you stake £10 on three selections at decimal odds of 2.00, 1.80 and 1.50. Before any void, the combined odds are 5.40 and the potential return is £54. If the 1.80 selection is void and both other selections win, the remaining product is 2.00 × 1.50 = 3.00, producing a £30 return including the £10 stake.
| Hypothetical outcome | Return under this example |
|---|---|
| All three original legs win | £54 |
| 1.80 leg void; other two win | £30 |
| 1.80 leg void; another leg loses | £0 |
Removing a void leg is equivalent to giving it a multiplier of 1.00. It is not the same as paying its original odds, and it does not rescue a losing remaining leg. The £30 figure is a reduced return on the continuing bet, not £30 plus a separate £10 stake refund.
An abandoned game can leave some markets settled
Betfair says its football abandonment treatment depends on whether play resumes and whether the market outcome was already determined; markets already determined can stand even when others are void (Betfair abandonment rules). Its void-bet guidance gives an already-scored first goalscorer as an example of a market that can remain settled (Betfair football void example).
Imagine a match stops after the opening goal. The first-goalscorer market and the final-result market answer different questions. Seeing one settled while the other is pending or void is a reason to inspect their individual rules, not evidence by itself that the bookmaker has made an error.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Importing another bookmaker's deadline: Keep the rule alongside the operator name. A familiar rescheduling window is not a substitute for your own terms.
- Repricing a builder yourself: Do not multiply standalone prices to reconstruct a same-game quote. Check the builder's specific void and abandonment treatment.
- Assuming promotion eligibility survives: If an offer required a minimum number of qualifying legs, read what happens when one is void. Our bonus terms checklist covers those conditions.
- Counting pending as a loss: Keep unsettled slips separate in your record until the operator confirms their status.
Your settlement checklist
- Save the accepted slip, original kick-off time and exact market wording.
- Identify whether the issue is postponement, abandonment, a player not taking part or another event.
- Read the event rule and any more specific market, builder or promotion rule.
- Check the rescheduled local date, the confirmation time and every applicable timing condition.
- Ask support for a written settlement explanation if the result still does not match the rule, quoting your bet reference.
Waiting for settlement is not a reason to replace the pending bet with another stake. Keep the existing commitment in your spending record, and use responsible gambling support if the uncertainty is pushing you to gamble more.