Each sport at the top sportsbooks<\/a> will have a specific set of rules that we will expand on later in this guide, but any not covered fall into a \u201cgeneral\u201d rules category. This section will cover the majority of general sports betting rules, explaining how they work and what they mean.<\/p>\n Dead heat rules will apply to events where two or more participants finish in the same position. These rules state that for every participant in that position, the stake will be divided by that number.<\/p>\n For example, if a horse race has been deemed a dead heat with two horses crossing the line simultaneously, then bettors’ stakes will be divided by two to determine the payout. So, if you\u2019d bet $100 on a horse at 10\/1, dead heat rules would reduce your stake to $50 and payout accordingly.<\/p>\n Please note that you will not receive a refund on the part of your forfeited bet.<\/p>\n In the rare events when there\u2019s a change of venue, all bets will continue to stand. The only time bets will be made void is if the home team becomes the away team.<\/p>\n It\u2019s worth noting that this will still be the case even if the change is to a neutral venue.<\/p>\n Related contingency is where the bet contains more than one selection that directly influences the other bet. For example, if you were to bet on the draw for a soccer game and bet on the correct score being 1-1.<\/p>\n Most offshore and legal sportsbooks won’t allow you to place these bets, but where they have been accepted, this will be deemed an error on the sportsbook’s part, and the bet will be void. This will also apply to multiples that include the same team\u2014for example, a treble for a soccer team to win three different linked competitions.<\/p>\n However, this will not apply to bets taken as part of a same-game parlay<\/a> within a designated section within the sportsbook. This is because these sections take related contingency into account, and the odds are adjusted accordingly.<\/p>\n Ante-post bets differ from your standard betting market in that any bets you place on ante-post will be settled regardless of whether the selection takes place.<\/p>\n For example, you place a bet on a horse to win the Kentucky Derby,<\/a> and the bet is placed in January. By the time the race comes up, the horse has been scratched for whatever reason; then this bet will count as a loser.<\/p>\n There are exceptions, but the sportsbook must state that the market is a \u201cNon-runner, Non-loser.\u201d When this happens, any bets that don\u2019t participate will be deemed void, and your stake will be refunded.<\/p>\n Most offshore online sportsbooks<\/a> have a cash-out function where you can close a bet before the market closes. Several rules apply to these bets, which we\u2019ve outlined below.<\/p>\n As a general rule, non-runners will be classed under the \u201call bets stand\u201d banner; therefore, if any team or horse were deemed a non-runner, that bet would be lost. There are exceptions to this rule, which covers if a tournament\/event is canceled, the venue is changed, or a tournament\/event has been postponed and will run more than 72 hours after the initial start time.<\/p>\n If these bets form part of a multiple, such as a parlay bet<\/a>, these legs are removed from the wager, and the remaining selections will continue to run. For example, if you bet on three horses each to win their race, and one is a non-runner, this bet will be removed, and the remaining two horses will form a double.<\/p>\n Errors are more common than you would think with online betting, and sportsbooks go to great lengths to ensure they will not be out of pocket if an error arises. Common errors include:<\/p>\n In most circumstances, the sportsbook will contact the customer to inform them that the bet will be deemed void. However, some sportsbooks will rectify the error and settle the bet on the correct terms. For example, if the wrong odds were displayed, they might settle on the correct odds instead of voiding the whole bet.<\/p>\n When suspicious betting patterns emerge, sportsbooks have a range of actions they can take. Suspicious betting actions include, but aren\u2019t limited to:<\/p>\n If any of these suspicions has been raised, then the following actions may be taken:<\/p>\n All sportsbooks will have a maximum amount that can be won from a bet. These limits will vary based on the sportsbook and the sport\/market the bettor has wagered on.<\/p>\n Generally, major professional sports leagues, such as the NFL, NBA, NHL, soccer, and tennis, have higher maximum payouts than less popular sports. It’s the customer’s duty to know what the limits are and stay within those limits.<\/p>\n Sportsbooks will accept bets with a higher payout than the maximum but will only pay the maximum amount. For example, if the sportsbook had a limit of $100,000 payout on the NBA, and a bettor wagered $50,000 at odds of +500 and won, the bet would be accepted, but if it\u2019s won, it would only pay $100,000.<\/p>\n Sportsbooks have the right to correct account balances when errors are made in terms of payments. For example, you win a bet worth $10,000, but the sportsbook pays you $20,000 by mistake. The sportsbook will correct this amount with your account and remove the additional $10,000.<\/p>\n Examples of errors come from incorrect pricing and where results have been incorrectly entered. These will lead to an account correction.<\/p>\n When bets become void, the sportsbook will refund the initial stake. This will be applied regardless of the sport or market you’re betting on and in accordance with gambling rules.<\/p>\n If the void bet makes up part of a multiple, such as a parlay, then the bet will be removed, and the stake will roll over into the remaining selections to continue the bet. For example, if you\u2019ve got a five-team parlay and one game is void, this bet will be removed, and your parlay will run with four teams and have the odds adjusted based on this accordingly.<\/p>\n Having more than one account with a sportsbook is strictly prohibited. Bookmakers do not look kindly upon this, and you’ll risk losing your account. Of course, this doesn’t apply to creating an account with new betting sites<\/a>, but rather having more than one account with the same bookie.<\/p>\n Generally, the sportsbook will suspend the second account that\u2019s been created and run an investigation. If the second account has been created in good faith and as a mistake (such as forgetting your password), this account will be suspended and eventually removed.<\/p>\n However, suppose they deem the accounts were both active and the player was trying to gain an advantage in some way by using multiple accounts. In such circumstances the sportsbook would revoke any winnings, withhold funds, remove both accounts, and ban the user.<\/p>\n Sports betting rules will differ depending on the sport you\u2019re betting on. They have to adapt to fit around how markets work and the likelihood that something may go wrong.<\/p>\n In this section, we\u2019ve broken down the most common sports betting rules linked to a series of major sports across the United States. Any rules not mentioned in this section will be subject to general sports betting rules.<\/p>\nBet Settlements<\/h3>\n
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Dead Heat Rules<\/h3>\n
Change of Venue<\/h3>\n
Related Contingency<\/h3>\n
Ante-Post<\/h3>\n
Cash Out Betting<\/h3>\n
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Non-Runners<\/h3>\n
Errors<\/h3>\n
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Suspicious Betting<\/h3>\n
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Maximum Payouts<\/h3>\n
Account Corrections<\/h3>\n
Void Bets<\/h3>\n
Multiple Accounts<\/h3>\n
Sports Betting Rules by Sport<\/span><\/h2>\n
American Football<\/h3>\n
![\"BetOnline](\"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Screenshot-2023-10-03-115431-11.jpg\")
<\/p>\nGeneral Rules<\/h4>\n
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Run or Pass Attempt<\/h4>\n
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Team Score Drive<\/h4>\n
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Next Rush<\/h4>\n
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First Down Rules (First Touchdown Scorer)<\/h4>\n
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Field Goal<\/h4>\n
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Next Scoring Play<\/h4>\n
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Baseball<\/h3>\n
![\"BetNOw](\"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Screenshot_2023-10-16_105200_740x365.png\")
<\/p>\nGeneral Rules<\/h4>\n
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Basketball<\/h3>\n
General Rules<\/h4>\n
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Boxing<\/h3>\n
General Rules<\/h4>\n
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Soccer<\/h3>\n
![\"Soccer](\"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Screenshot_2023-10-16_100834_740x365-1.png\")
<\/p>\nMatch Rules<\/h4>\n
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Outright Rules<\/h4>\n
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Other General Rules<\/h4>\n
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Horse Racing<\/h3>\n
General Rules<\/h4>\n
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Rule 4<\/h4>\n
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![\"Bovada](\"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Screenshot-2023-10-03-120657-5.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Live](\"https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Screenshot-2023-10-13-155353-1.jpg\")
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