Stake not returned (SNR) means a winning bet pays only its winnings, and the stake is not added to the return. It is how a bonus bet normally settles in Australia. With illustrative numbers, a $35 bonus bet at $3.60 that wins pays 35 x (3.60 - 1) = $91, while $35 of your own cash at the same price would return 35 x 3.60 = $126.
In practice, an SNR bonus bet is worth less than the amount printed on it, by a margin that depends on its price, and a losing one pays nothing. SNR settles the bonus bets that many offers in betting promotions in Australia pay out.
Stake not returned vs stake returned
A stake returned bonus bet pays the bonus amount back with the winnings, as a cash bet would; the terms say which kind you hold. With illustrative numbers, and in the last row an illustrative lay at $3.70 with 5% commission, matched in full:
| Stake not returned (SNR) | Stake returned | |
|---|---|---|
| A winner pays | bonus x (odds - 1) | bonus x odds |
| $35 winning at $3.60 | $91.00 | $126.00 |
| Kept, laid at $3.70 with 5% commission | about $23.68, or 67.7% | about $32.79, or 93.7% |
The SNR lay stake is bonus x (odds - 1) / (lay odds - commission) = 35 x 2.60 / 3.65 = $24.93. It keeps 91 - 24.93 x 2.70 = $23.69 if the selection wins and 24.93 x 0.95 = $23.68 if it loses. The stake returned lay uses bonus x odds instead: 35 x 3.60 / 3.65 = $34.52, which keeps $32.80 or $32.79. The bonus bet converter runs the SNR sum for any price.
Risk: Betting involves risk. The kept amounts assume the lay is matched in full at $3.70, and the price can move before it is. See responsible gambling for limits and support.
Why an SNR bonus bet is worth less than its face value
At a fair price a cash bet is worth its stake on average, because it wins 1 / odds of the time and returns stake x odds. An SNR bet never gets the stake back, so on average it is worth bonus x (1 - 1 / odds). At illustrative fair prices:
| Fair price | Value of the $35 SNR bonus bet | Share of face value |
|---|---|---|
| $1.60 | 35 x (1 - 1 / 1.60) = $13.13 | 37.5% |
| $3.60 | 35 x (1 - 1 / 3.60) = $25.28 | 72.2% |
| $7.00 | 35 x (1 - 1 / 7.00) = $30.00 | 85.7% |
The missing $35 is a bigger slice of a short price's return than a long one's, so the share kept rises with the price. Counting the bonus at face value overstates it: at a fair $3.60 it is worth about $25.28, so calling it $35 adds $9.72 that is not there. A bookmaker price below the fair price trims the value again, and longer prices lose more often, a trade-off the best way to use bonus bets works through.
Risk: Betting involves risk. A bonus bet that loses pays nothing, and a value at a fair price is only a long-run average. See responsible gambling for limits and support.
SNR cases to check in the terms
- Scratchings and voids: whether a bonus bet on a scratched runner or a void game comes back to the account, and with what expiry.
- Dead heats: bookmakers settle these under their own terms. Where the return is divided by the number of runners tied, a two-way dead heat for first halves the $91 to $45.50.
- Winnings: the National Consumer Protection Framework requires that bonus bet winnings can be withdrawn with no turnover requirement attached. The bonus bet itself is not cash, and the bookmaker's terms say how it may be used.
A bonus bet may sit on the account as a bet token, and bonus bets explained covers expiry, minimum odds and eligible markets.
Stake not returned bonus bets in Classic Racing
Bonus betting is part of B337's Classic Racing strategy, which Full Automation runs in your own accounts while the bot is running on your computer. It places a bonus bet only if two of your settings agree: the runner's price sits within your odds range, and the conversion, set against the Betfair price when the bet would go on, clears your threshold. Converting with a lay stays your job, because B337 places no exchange bets. Full Automation has no published price: the team confirms it before you pay, and bets use credits. Bookmaker and exchange names are trade marks of their owners. B337 is not affiliated with them.
For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au.
Risk: Betting involves risk. Many bookmakers restrict automated betting in their terms and can limit your stakes, void bets or close your account, and a session places nothing while your computer is off. See responsible gambling for limits and support.