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Non-Runner No Bet – Betting Guide 2024

When it comes to horse racing, a worry for many punters is non-runners. A horse could become a non-runner for many reasons, such as sustaining an injury or not entering the stalls. When this happens to a horse you have bet on, typically your bet will be settled as a loss. Unless, of course, you have the protection of the non-runner no bet concession.

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In this guide, we’ll take you through what a non-runner no bet is, how it works and why it is worth it.

 

What Is Non-Runner No Bet?

Non-runner no bet is a condition added to a regular single bet. Offered by most betting sites, the non-runner no bet protects your stake by refunding your stake to you in full if your selection is a non-runner. This means that you don’t have to worry about taking a loss. This condition can be applied to a wide range of betting markets.

How Non-Runner No Bet Works

As we’ve mentioned, in a standard single bet, your bet is settled as a loss if your selection is a non-runner, meaning that you lose everything. Non-runner no bet provides a safety net, ensuring your stake is refunded in the case of a non-runner.

But, the key thing is, non-runner no bet conditions are not always available. If you are looking to place your bet in advance of a meeting or event, you can benefit from better odds. However, when betting opens for a race meeting, non-runner no bet will not be available. This means that to secure those better odds, you’ll have to take the risk of your horse being a non-runner. And anything can happen in that time.

If you want to reduce the risk, you can wait for the non-runner no bet conditions to be offered by betting sites. This typically happens one week prior to a race meeting or event taking place, the exceptions being for some larger events such as the Cheltenham Festival and Aintree Grand National for which the non-runner no bet condition can become available a few months in advance.

How To Place A Bet With Non-Runner No Bet Conditions

If you are hoping to place a bet with the non-runner no bet condition, the first thing to be aware of is that not all betting sites offer this. If you already have a racing betting site you like to use, check that it offers non-runner no bet. If not, then it’s a good idea to look around for other betting sites to use on this occasion.

When selecting a new betting site, consider the following:

  • Ensure they offer non-runner no bet
  • Check out their welcome offers
  • Make sure they offer the betting market you want
  • Compare their quoted odds
  • Make sure you find the betting site easy to use

Once you know the betting site you will use, the next important thing to look at is when they will offer non-runner no bet. As we’ve mentioned, betting sites typically make this condition available around one week before the meeting, unless it is a big racing event.

When it comes to placing your bet, you don’t have to do anything different to access this condition. As long as you are within the timeframe of the non-runner no bet being offered, it will automatically be applied to your bet and you can take the regular steps:

  1. Log in or sign up to your selected betting site that is offering non-runner no bet.
  2. Select the event and market you would like to bet on.
  3. Enter your wager and submit your bet.
  4. Wait to see if your horse becomes a non-runner.
  5. If your selected horse is a non-runner, wait for your money to be refunded. Typically, this doesn’t take long, but each betting site will state its own projected timeframes for the money to return to your account.

Finding out if your selection is a non-runner is simple. Most top betting sites will provide this information on their websites. Alternatively, you can wait for the race to start and see for yourself. Or, if you are unable to watch the race, a quick search online will tell you if your horse is a runner or not.

What About Accumulator Bets?

We’ve mentioned non-runner no bet on single bets, but what happens if you’ve selected a non-runner on an accumulator bet? Non-runner no bet is not offered on accumulator bets, only on single bets. Therefore, in this instance, your accumulator bet would continue as if you had not placed a bet on that horse. So, a six-fold accumulator bet would become a five-fold one, removing the bet that includes the non-runner.

Why Non-Runner No Bet Is So Popular

A welcome safety net

Non-runner no bet is a great thing when betting on horse racing because it provides a safety net should your selection become a non-runner. It is particularly good if you are able to find a betting site that offers this condition far in advance of the start of the event. This way you benefit from better odds too.

Removes the risk of your selection being a non-runner

There are so many reasons why a horse may become a non-runner, meaning that there is plenty of risk involved in any horse racing bet that does not include non-runner no bet. Waiting to place your bet until the timeframe for non-runner no bet opening means that you can reduce this risk and save yourself from a total loss.

A fairer way to bet

Non-runner no bet can also mean a fairer loss. If you’ve bet on a horse to win but they lose the race, at least you have lost your bet in a fair way – your prediction was incorrect. However, if your horse fails to start the race, your prediction is neither correct nor incorrect, but you have lost the bet even though this was not part of your prediction. Without non-runner no bet, you’ve lost before the race has even begun. Whereas, with non-runner no bet, your stake is returned to you as if you had never placed the bet, which is a much fairer resolution.

Unlike other promotions

With many promotions, of which non-runner no bet can be considered to be one, you have to do something specific or extra to receive it, and often it can’t be used in conjunction with any other offers or promotions. However, with non-runner no bet, neither of these things are true. It is simple to receive the non-runner no bet condition on your bet. You simply just have to place your bet at the right time with no other additional steps needed. And, you can still use other offers and promotions you qualify for on the betting site. This means that you could place a bet with the non-runner no bet condition by using a free bet you have earned from signing up to a betting site, for example.

Helps to identify the quality of the bookmaker

Not all betting sites will offer non-runner no bet. But for the ones that do, it shows that they are committed to fairness, making them more likely to be a safe bookmaker to use. This can be a great indicator to look for when searching for a new betting site that you have never used before as it gives a good example of their ethics and values.