A postponed game's bets are either refunded or kept for the rescheduled game, and what happens to yours turns on the rules that cover it. Under the NSW Bookmaker Declared Betting Events Betting Rules, bets are refunded unless the game is officially rescheduled to be played within three calendar days of when it was due to finish (clause 5.1.6). Western Australia's Rules of Wagering 2005 keep bets standing for the later date (rule 62(8)). An abandoned game, one that starts but cannot finish, is settled differently: bets already decided when play stopped commonly stand, and the rest are refunded.
Those two rule books bind bookmakers licensed under each state's law, and were read in October 2026. A bookmaker licensed elsewhere sets its own sports rules, and its window can be shorter or longer, measured in hours from the scheduled start, or different for each sport. The clause for the sport you bet on, in the terms on your account, is the one that settles your bet. The sports betting explained hub sets these rules beside draws, extra time and late outs.
Postponed games: refunded after a window, or the bet stands
Postponement rules come in two types:
| Rule type | What happens | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Void after a window | Bets stand if the game is rescheduled within a set time, and are refunded if not | NSW: three calendar days from the original scheduled finish (5.1.6) |
| Bets stand | Bets carry over to the new date, whenever it falls | WA: rule 62(8) |
Take a game due on a Saturday night and postponed on the day. Under the NSW rule, the WA rule and an illustrative 24-hour window measured from the scheduled start:
| Rescheduled to | NSW: three calendar days | WA: bets stand | 24-hour window (illustrative) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday afternoon | Stands | Stands | Stands |
| Monday night | Stands | Stands | Refunded |
| The following Saturday | Refunded | Stands | Refunded |
Under the NSW rules the clock runs from the date the game was due to finish, not from when you bet, and what counts is the date it is officially rescheduled for. Other clauses in the same rules can change the answer:
- A bet on a team or player already withdrawn from the event stands with no refund, even if the event is then postponed past three days (5.1.12).
- A boxing bout moved to the next calendar day or later counts as abandoned, and its bets are refunded (5.2.1.1); UFC cancelled fight rules covers combat sports.
- A golf tournament suspended with the rest due to be rescheduled holds its undecided bets until a result is declared, and refunds them if none comes within one month of the original scheduled start (5.2.3.5).
Abandoned games: decided bets stand, the rest are refunded
A bet is decided once nothing later in the game could change it: a first goalscorer once the first goal is in, a first-half result at half time, an over once the total has passed the line.
Both state rule books draw that line for at least some sports. WA's rule 62(7) refunds bets on an abandoned event except those on contingencies "decided totally or in part", and the NSW soccer clause keeps bets already determined when play stops, such as a first goal scorer bet (5.2.7.1). The NSW rules' general clause for other events refunds every bet on an abandoned event, decided or not (5.1.10), which is the refund-everything type shown after the example below.
Illustrative prices, not a real match. A soccer match is called off in the 60th minute at 2-1, with no official result declared. Here is how five bets on it settle under a decided-bets-stand rule:
| Bet | Decided when play stopped? | How it settles |
|---|---|---|
| $10 on Player X to score first at $7.50, and he did | Yes | Stands: $10 x 7.50 = $75.00 |
| $20 on over 2.5 goals at $1.95 | Yes, three goals were already in | Stands: $20 x 1.95 = $39.00 |
| $20 on under 2.5 goals at $1.85 | Yes, it had already lost | Stands and loses: $0.00 |
| $20 on Team A to win at $2.10 | No | Refunded: $20.00 |
| $10 on a 2-1 correct score at $9.00 | No | Refunded: $10.00 |
A rule that refunds every bet on an abandoned game would instead return all five stakes, $80 in total, including the under bet that had already lost.
When the league declares a result anyway
Some competitions settle a shortened game themselves. Under the AFL Regulations (11 February 2026 version), a home-and-away match that stops after half time and cannot restart within 60 minutes ends on the scores at the time. The side ahead is declared the winner (Regulation 33.2(c)), and a match stopped before half time is deemed a draw (33.2(b)).
Your bet follows whichever result its terms choose, and three rule types are possible: settle on the declared result, settle result bets on it while refunding bets that depend on the score, or refund the unfinished game. The NSW soccer clause is the middle type: a declared result settles match bets, while bets that depend on the number of goals, handicaps included, are refunded (5.2.7.2).
Example: Illustrative prices and scores. An AFL home-and-away match stops in the third quarter with Team A on 68 and Team B on 55 and cannot restart, so Team A is declared the winner by 13 points, with 123 points scored. Here are three $20 bets under each rule type.
| $20 bet | Settled on the declared result | Result bets settle, score bets refunded | Unfinished game refunded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Team A head to head at $1.70 | Wins: $20 x 1.70 = $34.00 | Wins: $34.00 | $20.00 back |
| Team A -15.5 at $1.90 | Loses, a 13-point win: $0.00 | $20.00 back | $20.00 back |
| Under 165.5 total points at $1.90 | Wins: $20 x 1.90 = $38.00 | $20.00 back | $20.00 back |
The same stoppage wins, loses or refunds one bet depending only on the terms. A match deemed drawn sends a two-way head to head bet to the market's draw rule, such as a dead heat or a void, which AFL draw rules works through.
Venue changes
A move can void a bet even when the game goes ahead on time. The NSW rules void bets on an event with named competitors if its venue changes, unless agreed otherwise, and in a multi only the affected leg (5.1.14). Tennis is the exception: a match moved without a change of playing surface is not affected (5.2.8.4). And moves do happen: the AFL Commission may change the date, time and venue of any match (AFL Regulation 2.5(a)(iii)).
Venue rules written by other bookmakers can differ in how big a move it takes to void a bet. The range runs from any move at all to only a change of home side, such as a game moved to the opponent's ground. It matters because a line or head to head price on a home game includes that team's advantage at its own ground.
Multis with a postponed or abandoned leg
In a standard multi, a void leg drops out and the multi carries on at the other legs' prices. Under the NSW rules, take a multi whose other legs have won while the remaining game is abandoned, or postponed and not rescheduled within three calendar days of its original date. It pays the stake times the prices of the winning legs, as taken when you bet (5.1.9(c)).
Example: Illustrative prices. $10 on a three-leg multi at $1.55, $2.20 and $1.80 has a price of 1.55 x 2.20 x 1.80 = 6.138, so it would return $61.38. The $2.20 game is postponed for a week and voided, the other two legs win, and the multi pays $10 x 1.55 x 1.80 = $27.90.
Under a bets-stand rule, the same multi waits for the rescheduled game, so your stake stays tied up until it is played. A same game multi is different again, because every leg is in the one game: a postponement or abandonment hits the whole ticket at once, and same game multi rules covers how those tickets settle. Each voided leg is treated as a void bet, settled as if it had never been placed.
Weather-shortened cricket
Cricket has its own minimums, because rain can shorten a match without ending it. Under the NSW rules, a match with no ball bowled is void (5.2.2.1(a)). A one-day match needs at least 20 overs completed and a Twenty20 match 5, or bets not decided when it ends are refunded (5.2.2.3(a)). Undecided bets in those formats carry forward if play moves to a reserve day (5.2.2.3(f)).
Cricket betting rain rules explains DLS targets, no results and which player markets survive a shortened game.
Mistakes to avoid when a game is moved or stopped
| Mistake | What it costs | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Assuming a postponement means a refund | Under a bets-stand rule your stake stays on the game until it is played, at the price you took | Check the window in your terms |
| Betting the rescheduled game again while the first bet stands | Two bets on one result: $40 riding where you meant $20 | Check your open bets before you bet again |
| Expecting every bet back after an abandonment | In the soccer example, decided bets return $75 and $39, and the under loses its $20 | Note which bets were decided when play stopped |
| Ignoring a venue change | A home-ground price can stand on a game moved away | Read the venue rule when a move is announced |
| Betting early on a game already in doubt | Under a bets-stand rule, a postponement can tie up the stake for a week or more | Wait until the game is confirmed |
Where the Terminal fits
When a postponed game gets a new date, its markets can reopen at new prices, because team news, conditions and even the venue may have changed. B337's Terminal lines up prices from 40+ bookmakers across racing and sports, so once bookmakers have the rescheduled game up you can compare its head to head, line and total prices side by side.
Not every bookmaker prices every game. The board refreshes each price on a cycle rather than with every change, so the number in your bookmaker account is the one to trust before you bet. A free account opens a limited view of the Terminal with live odds.
Risk: Betting involves risk. A rescheduled game can be moved or stopped again after you bet, and the rules that settle it are your bookmaker's, not B337's. See responsible gambling for limits and support.