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Void Bets: What Happens If a Game Is Postponed or Cancelled?

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Written by Jonathan Askew
Last Updated
Last Updated: 23rd April 2025 23 Apr 2025

You’ve spent all day scouring through the form tables, researching KickForm’s betting stats, and have found the perfect value bet. But disaster strikes, and your game is cancelled. The bookies say the bet is void. But what is a void bet meaning? Don’t worry. We will explain exactly how this works and what insurance you have when games are cancelled or postponed.

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icon Void Bet Meaning icon Void Bets in Accumulators icon Void Markets in Free Bets

A void bet is where a market closes before completion, usually due to circumstances beyond anyone's control. When this happens, bets are generally refunded, so don’t panic.

Some online bookies will call it a cancelled bet, but it means the same thing essentially. Let’s run through a quick example of how this might work.

It’s Saturday morning, and you’ve just researched the day's footie games. You think Arsenal will beat Manchester United and decide to place a £10 bet on the Gunners to win at odds of 5/4.

An hour before kick-off, disaster strikes, and the game is cancelled because of heavy snow. As long as the game is not replayed within 24 hours (this timeframe can differ depending on the bookmaker), you get your £10 refunded bet.

Why Was My Bet Voided?

There are more reasons than you may think why certain bets or markets are voided. We’ve outlined some of these below.

Match Postponed or Abandoned

This is the most common. If games get called off before a ball has been kicked, then all bets are off. Any markets that have not already been settled will be void for games that start but are later abandoned before the game is completed.

Player Did Not Play

For player markets, they must take the field for a bet to be triggered as live. For example, if you back Mo Salah as first goalscorer, but it turns out he doesn’t make the matchday squad through a late injury… bet void. Also, if your selection starts on the bench, your bet won’t be live until they come on, assuming the market hasn’t already settled.

Venue Change

Markets are priced with the venue taken into consideration. Teams play differently at home and away, so this can impact the odds. It’s rare that venue changes happen, but if they do, the void bet meaning comes into play.

A recent example of this was an FA Cup tie between Newcastle United and AFC Wimbledon. A few days before kick-off, a sinkhole appeared on AFC Wimbledon’s ground, which saw the game switched to St James’ Park. Bets made on the game before the venue switch were void, and a new book was created considering the ground change.

Betting Errors (Palpable Error)

The bookies are not perfect, and every so often they make mistakes. This can be costly, so to cover their backs, most implement terms and conditions that state, should an error be made on the odds, be it a technical glitch or human error, they have the right to apply the voided bet meaning.

This won’t affect to small discrepancies where they’ve priced something at 6/5 instead of 5/6. But they will exercise their power to void the market for larger, more obvious errors, such as 10/1 when it’s supposed to be 1/10.

Breach of Terms

Speaking of T&Cs, if you breach them, the bookies will react, and any bets you have that are live may be cancelled. You’ve got to go rogue for this to happen, but things like bonus abuse, multi-accounting and suspicious betting patterns will land you in hot water. They might even void bets that have already been settled, which they will take from your account balance. So, yeah. Play nice, folks.

Non-Runner, No Bet (NRNB)

For horse racing, Non-Runner No Bet (NRNB) covers you for ante-post bets. Initially, this was a promotion used on selected races by the bookies, but now it’s common practice amongst most bigger brands. Basically, if the horse you backed on the ante-post doesn’t start, you get your money back as if the bet was void. We’ve got a complete guide to NRNB written by our horse racing boffin, Ben.

Is My Wager Refunded If an Event Is Abandoned?

The short answer is yes, but there’s a little more to it than that. First, let’s distinguish what an abandoned event is.

Whenever a game starts but fails to finish, it is considered abandoned. For example, a footie match kicks off and there’s a torrential downpour after 30 minutes that totally floods the pitch and makes it impossible to play. The referee stops the game before deciding that no more play is possible for the day. This is an abandoned game.

In terms of voided bet meanings, only markets that have not already been settled will be refunded. For example, if you’ve bet on under 2.5 goals and the game is 3-0, meaning the market has settled before the game gets abandoned, your bet will remain lost.

However, if you’ve bet on a team to win and the market is still open, your bet will be void, and you will get your stake back. You'll always have a refunded bet if the market is still live.

If you’ve placed an acca and one of your picks has become a void bet, your acca will still stand, but that leg will be removed. As a result, the odds will adjust accordingly. Let’s run through a quick example of how that works.

Let’s say that we have the following acca (we’ve included decimal odds as it’s easier to run the numbers):

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    Arsenal to win @ 2.00

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    Manchester United to win @ 2.20

  • List Icon

    Liverpool to win @ 1.70

  • List Icon

    Manchester City to win @ 1.60

The total odds for this acca are 11.96 (almost 11/1). Let’s pretend the Manchester United game gets called off for severe weather, but the other three go ahead. All that happens is that Man United are removed from the accumulator bet, and our odds adjust accordingly.

  • List Icon

    Arsenal to win @ 2.00

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    Liverpool to win @ 1.70

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    Manchester City to win @ 1.60

Total odds for this acca are now 5.44 (roughly 9/2). So, now you know what happens if a bet is void in a multi bet.

The Effect of Void Bets in Your Accas

The more games that are void in your acca, the bigger the knock-on effect will be regarding how many remain. The table below shows what will happen if a bet is void in an accumulator, based on how big the original acca is and how many games are void.

Original BetOne Void BetTwo Void BetsThree Void BetsFour Void BetsFive Void Bets
DoubleSingleVoidN/AN/AN/A
TrebleDoubleSingleVoidN/AN/A
4-foldTrebleDoubleSingleVoidN/A
5-fold4-foldTrebleDoubleSingleVoid

Can I Benefit from Acca Insurance?

Acca insurance doesn’t play much of a role in void bets, as they work differently. The “insurance” part of the feature is that it’ll refund your stake if one of your bets loses. But the void bet meaning is that the games are not being played, so it’s just removed from your acca, and the rest continues as usual.

That being said, always use betting sites that have acca insurance. It’ll still apply to bets with void legs included, as long as it meets the terms for the insurance to pay out. We say that because some bookies only have acca insurance for bets with five or more selections, so it won’t apply to a smaller acca.

It probably won't come as much of a surprise to learn that not all void bet meanings are the same for all bookies. We’ve given you the general outline of what you can expect from the majority, but we want to dive in a little deeper and look at specific bookmakers to see how they differ.

Most differences relate to the timeframe between when they deem the market void and when they keep bets live. For example, bet365 can keep markets open for up to a week if it gets postponed, but Ladbrokes will set them void immediately.

Let’s jump in and see how it all works.

1. bet365 Void Bet Policy

At bet365, any game that has not been played or has been postponed will see those markets classed as void. That is, unless played within five days of the original scheduled time. For games that start but don’t run the full course (abandoned), only markets that have been settled will stand, and the rest will be void. The only exception to this rule is South American matches, where scores stand when the game is abandoned.

2. Ladbrokes Void Bet Policy

Ladbrokes’ void bet policy is one of the easiest to follow. Any games that aren’t finished will void unsettled markets and payout on those already settled. You get your money back if the game is postponed or cancelled before a ball is kicked. There’s no timeline from kick-off; bets are void if the game does not start at the pre-agreed time and venue.

3. BetVictor Void Bet Policy

At BetVictor, bets placed on abandoned games will be void, unless the game is to be completed the following day. The same goes if the venue changes at any point prior to the game. Games must be completed on the same day; otherwise, they will be classed as postponed and stakes returned.

4. Betfred Void Bet Policy

Betfred is right down the middle with their void bet meaning. Games that are not completed and postponed games will be refunded, unless the market has settled.

5. LeoVegas Void Bet Policy

A slightly more interesting take on the voided bet meaning comes from LeoVegas. They will settle markets when the match is abandoned if the governing body for the game has declared a result. If no result is announced within 12 hours, all open bets will be void.

6. Unibet Void Bet Policy

You’ll be pleased to hear that Unibet has no red flags. If a game isn’t finished or completed within 24 hours, bets are void. Cancelled or postponed games will instantly be voided, and refunded bets will be processed.

This is where the T&Cs around void bets start to become a little less generous. If you bet online using a free bet and it voids, unfortunately, you will lose that free bet. There’s no cover here; once it’s gone, it’s gone.

We’d estimate that this is true for about 95% of the promotions we’ve tested, so this is very much an industry-wide practice and just something you need to consider before placing your bet.

Exclusive Free Bet Offers

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Free bets are one of the coolest parts of sports betting. Who doesn’t love something for free, right? But not all are made equal, and it’s not always a case of bigger is better.

Before you choose from our extensive range of offers above, consider the types of bets you want to place and the amount you wish to deposit. Only got a fiver to have a play with? Then, pick an offer with a low minimum deposit. Want to combine sports and a casino? Choose something like Betway’s free acca and 100 free spins welcome offer.

The reality is that you'll lose the free bet when it comes to void bets. You can, of course, spend a little more time choosing games that are unlikely to be postponed or cancelled. For example, if the forecast is snow in the UK, bet on La Liga, where the climate is much warmer. The only time you lose out with a voided bet is with a free bet.

If your bet is void or it looks like it’s heading that way, don’t panic. Often, these things come to an amicable resolution. That said, we’ve included some tips on the best way to deal with void bets that you can use to verify if your bet has been cancelled and how to best avoid it in future.

Check T&Cs Thoroughly
Bookmaker T&Cs will explain every scenario of a void bet. Most will break this down by sport, as each differs.
Confirm with Official Sources
Check with the Premier League or governing bodies for the official match result. Most bookies will use this to determine whether a game is void.
Check Your Bet Slip for Accas
If your bet slip is still live, there’s a good chance your bet is as well. If a game is void, it will automatically be removed and odds adjusted accordingly.
Watch for Weather Updates
The weather is the most common reason games and bets are voided. If adverse weather is forecast, the chances of the game being called off increase.

When bets are void, most assume that they lose, while the bookies win. But that’s not the case. In almost all situations, a void bet meaning is where the market closes, and your bet is refunded. The bookies are very transparent about this occurrence, so use the terms and conditions to see how it works, as each can have slight nuances that affect when or if bets are refunded. Finally, we want to end by saying that void bets are rare, and even when they do crop up, you’re covered.

Yes, bets are refunded when a market has become void. The bookies will automatically process this, putting the original stake back into your account.

If a game starts and is abandoned before the end, one of two things will happen: if the market has not settled prior to the game ending, then your bet will be void and you will be refunded. If the market has settled, your bet will stand, regardless of whether it’s won or lost.

Void bets in an accumulator will be removed, and the remaining bets will remain. For example, if you’ve placed a 5-fold acca and one game becomes void, that bet will be removed and the odds adjusted based on a new, 4-fold, acca with the remaining selections.

If a game has been postponed, your bet will be classed as void, and that selection will be removed from your accumulator. The odds for your bet will adjust based on the picks that remain.

If a bet is void, the bookmaker will refund your stake. This is a common practice in the online betting sector and is applied by most major bookies.

Void bets in a multi are removed from the overall bet. For example, if you have a 4-fold multi and one leg is void before it starts, the bet will adjust the odds based on the remaining three picks.

Postponement in football is when the original date for the game is no longer when they are going to play; instead, it’ll be rescheduled. It’s different from being cancelled, which is when a game won't be played later.
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WRITTEN BY Jonathan Askew View all posts by Jonathan Askew

Jonathan has been writing in the iGaming sector for 15+ years. He’s a sports fanatic and is fortunate enough to combine his passion with his work. When he’s not at his desk, you can usually find him on the golf course or researching picks for his weekend acca.

jonathan@thepunterspage.com

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