Racing Rules

1. Settlement of bets

• Double Result Offer – Fairplay pays out on both the horse that crosses the line first and the official winner after a steward’s inquiry (applies to Win and Each Way bets in UK & Ireland).
• Abandoned, void or postponed races – If a race is abandoned or declared void, all single bets are void and stakes are returned. If a race is postponed and run at the same venue within 72 hours, bets stand; otherwise bets are void.
• Incorrect or late bets – Bets placed after the official start (“off”) time are void. If an incorrect price or place term is inadvertently offered, the bet will be settled at the correct terms available at the time it was placed.
• Official data – Off times and results used to settle bets are supplied by the official rights holders for each racetrack. Fairplay uses these feeds for start times, betting shows and final results. Any subsequent changes announced by the rights holder will govern settlement.

2. Non-runners and Rule 4 deductions

If a horse is withdrawn after final declarations but before the start of the race, the operator must apply a Rule 4 (Tattersalls) deduction to all winning bets based on the price of the withdrawn horse. Deductions are expressed in pence per pound and reflect the fair reduction in the field. Multiple withdrawals can lead to cumulative deductions, but the total deduction will not exceed 90p per £1 of winnings. If all but one runner are withdrawn, bets on the remaining horse are settled at Starting Price with no Rule 4 deduction.

Rule 4 deduction table

The following table illustrates the standard Tattersalls Rule 4 deductions applied to winnings when a horse is withdrawn after final declarations. Deductions are made per £1 of winnings and depend on the odds of the withdrawn horse. The exact table used may vary, but it generally follows the pattern below:

These deductions compensate for the reduction in the field and ensure the odds reflect the smaller number of runners. They are common practice across UK bookmakers.

For sports other than horse racing, the operator may apply an equivalent Rule 4(c) deduction if a selection is withdrawn from an event before it has started. The deduction will be based on the price of the withdrawn selection at the time of withdrawal and is intended to reflect the revised odds for the remaining selections.

3. Each-way betting and place terms

Each-way bets comprise two equal stakes: one for the horse to win and one for the horse to place. Place terms generally depend on the race type and number of runners at the time of final declarations, as shown below. From time to time the operator may offer non-standard or promotional place terms (for example, “extra place” races); where this occurs, the specific place terms will be clearly advertised at the time the market is offered.

Non-handicap races

Handicap races

Dead heats and joint winners

If two or more horses finish exactly together for any position, this constitutes a dead heat. Your stake on that part of the bet is divided equally between the number of tied horses, and full odds are paid on each divided portion. The remainder of the stake is lost. If two horses dead-heat for second (or third) place, those selections are deemed to have finished joint second and third (or joint third and fourth) for the purposes of place settlement.

4. Forecasts and tricasts

• Forecasts – N/A.
• Tricasts – N/A.

5. Special markets and exclusions

Fairplay offers a variety of additional horse-racing markets. These include the following:

• Betting without the favourite – Bets on “betting without” markets are settled on the official result, ignoring the named favourite(s). Dead-heat rules apply to the finishing positions after the favourite(s) have been removed from the result.
• Match bets – In two-horse match markets, bets are settled on which named horse finishes ahead according to the official result. If both horses fail to complete, the match is void. If one finishes and the other does not, the finisher is deemed the winner.
• Starting Price (SP) and Board Price – Unless a specific price is taken, bets are settled at the industry Starting Price declared at the off. Board prices offered in shop or online may differ; obvious pricing errors may be corrected to the true market price available at the time of bet placement.
• Multiples – Accumulators and other multiple bets are settled using the official result for each leg. If one selection is void, the bet continues on the remaining selections with the stake reduced accordingly.
• Same Race Multi – A multi-selection bet within a single race. Customers can combine several outcomes (for example, Horse A to win and Horse B to finish in the top three) into one bet at an enhanced price. All selections must be correct for the bet to win. The price is determined at the time the bet is placed, and settlement is based on the official result. Rule 4 deductions and dead-heat rules apply in the usual way.

6. International racing

For races held outside the UK and Ireland, bets are settled on the official result or local equivalent announced by the host track’s governing body. Place terms and Rule 4 deductions may differ according to local rules and will be applied accordingly. The maximum pay-out may also differ for overseas races (see Section 9).

7. General provisions

• Right to refuse – The operator reserves the right to refuse any bet or to suspend betting on any race or market at its absolute discretion.
• Errors – While every effort is made to ensure accuracy, the operator reserves the right to correct any obvious errors or omissions in prices, place terms or results. Where an error is corrected, bets will be settled at the correct terms.
• Responsible gambling – Customers are reminded to gamble responsibly. For advice and support, please refer to organisations such as GamCare (www.gamcare.org.uk) or call the National Gambling Helpline.

8. Specific horse racing betting rules

Certain bet types have their own specific rules and conditions (for example, Lucky 15s, Yankees and other combination bets).

9. Maximum pay-outs and limits

The following limits represent the maximum amount a customer can win from horse-racing bets in a single day. If a bet includes selections from other sports or events, the lowest applicable maximum pay-out will apply to the whole bet.

Important: These limits apply per customer per day. Where your horse-racing bet forms part of a multiple or accumulator containing selections from categories with different limits, the maximum pay-out will be the lowest of the applicable limits. For example, if you place a double consisting of one horse-racing selection and one novelty selection, the maximum amount payable on the bet will be the maximum novelty pay-out.

10. Minimum stakes and bet restrictions

• Minimum stake – The total stake for any horse-racing bet must be at least 5 pence (GBP).
• Multiples – For multiple bets (for example, a Lucky 15, Yankee, Canadian, etc.), each individual part of the multiple must be staked at no less than 5 pence (GBP). As an example, a Lucky 15 comprises 15 bets, so the minimum total stake is 75 pence to meet the 5 pence per bet requirement.
• Exceeding limits – Fairplay may not always be able to prevent customers from placing bets that exceed stake or pay-out limits; however, where such bets are placed, the relevant limits will apply at settlement. Customers should be aware of these limits and bet responsibly.

11. Placing bets and using the betslip

Customers must complete their betslip with the following information:

1. Event – The race or meeting you wish to bet on.
2. Outcome – The horse or market outcome you wish to bet on.
3. Stake – The amount you wish to stake.

For each bet added to the betslip, an estimated return is provided based on the current odds. This estimate is for information only; odds are subject to change and the return is only fixed once the bet has been accepted.

12. Price changes and automatic acceptance

Odds can change between the time you add a selection to the betslip and the time your bet is accepted. When a price change occurs:

• The betslip will update to show the new odds and estimated return and will ask you whether you wish to accept the change and place the bet.

13. Bet acceptance and confirmation

A bet is not accepted until a confirmation is provided. When a bet is accepted:

• The betslip will display a confirmation message indicating that the bet has been placed.
• The bet will appear in your My Bets tab, with separate Open and Settled sections for review.
• You will receive a unique bet reference number.

If you do not see a confirmation message and your Bet History is empty, the bet has not been accepted. Please contact the Fairplay customer service team if you need assistance.

14. Void selections and non-runners in multiple bets

If a selection in a multiple bet is declared void or becomes a non-runner, that selection will be removed from the bet. The stake for that selection will be placed on the remaining selections, and the bet will be settled as a multiple on the surviving selections. For example, a treble becomes a double, and a double becomes a single. The estimated return and your deposit balance will be adjusted accordingly.

15. Results and sources

Fairplay uses reliable sources, including official racing bodies and rights holders, to settle bets. In some cases, we may cross-check multiple sources. If the sources differ, there may be a brief delay while the result is confirmed.

16. Disqualifications and amendments

Once the official result is confirmed and declared weighed-in, any subsequent disqualification of a horse or amendments to the result (for example, after a stewards’ inquiry) will not affect the settlement of the bet.

17. Late bets

If a bet is accepted after the official off time provided by our rights-holder partners, it will stand only if the outcome is not known and no participant has gained a material advantage (for example, a horse leading by a significant margin after another competitor falls). If an advantage has been gained, or if the outcome is already determined, the bet will be void and the stake returned. There are no in-play racing markets offered through this product, so any bet placed after the official off time is treated as a late bet subject to these conditions.

18. Checking your bets and winnings

Any winnings or returns from your bets will be displayed in your Bet History. Fairplay endeavours to settle horse-racing bets as soon as possible, typically within a short time of the race finishing. At busy times, or when results need verification, there may be a delay.

If your bet has not been paid out when you expect it to be, check your Bet History and your account balance. If a bet is missing or the payment is incorrect, please contact the Fairplay customer service team for assistance.

19. Cash-Out

Fairplay may offer a Cash-Out facility on selected bets. Cash-Out allows you to settle your bet early for the value displayed, without waiting for the race to finish. Cash-Out availability and values are not guaranteed and may change or be withdrawn at any time. Cash-Out is not available on all bets.