Rule 4 Deductions Explained
A rule 4 deduction is something that you will come across while gambling if you bet on horse racing. No other sport uses the rule 4 deduction, they don’t need to because if a team or competitor cannot play, the game would not take place. However, that isn’t the case with a horse race, with non-runners happening on a daily basis which could give you a rule 4 on the bet you place.
When does a Rule 4 Deduction occur?
A rule 4 deduction will be placed on your bet if a non-runner is declared in the race after you've bet. The other stipulation is that the horse which is a non-runner must be priced up at 14/1 or lower, if the horse is a bigger price than 14/1, no deduction is made.
The timing of your bet and the timing of the non-runner is key. If the non-runner happens just before the off, the rule 4 will apply to every bet placed. However, if it is declared in the morning, at 11am for example, only bets placed before 11am will have a rule 4 deduction. Those placed afterwards will be done so on the new betting market, which takes into account the non-runner and lowers the prices accordingly.
Why does a Rule 4 Deduction happen?
A rule 4 happens to balance the book for bookmakers. They create their betting odds based on a full field taking part, and each horse has a chance of winning which is relative to the others.
The favourite in a race has the most chance of winning, but if that horse doesn’t run, then every other runner in the field will have a better chance of winning, and therefore will need to be a lower price.
The shorter the price on the non-runner, the bigger chance others have of winning when it is withdrawn from the race, so the larger the deductions will be. If the non-runner is something priced up at low double figures, the deduction will be much smaller.
On most occasions you will find that the rule 4 deduction you have is roughly the same as the new price that has been created after the non-runner is known. However, there will be times when betting with a rule 4 works in your favour compared to the new odds, and also times when it doesn’t.
How much is deducted from my winnings with a Rule 4?
The amount deducted from your bet is all based upon the price of the non-runner at the time of withdrawal. It is important to note that if this happens in a morning, different bookmakers will have different odds so the rule 4 deductions may differ.
Here is a table showing the amount of money you lose in each £1 of profit depending on the price of the non-runner. Towards the end of the table, you will see a 5p deduction, it is worth checking with your bookmaker about these, as some bookmakers no longer take off the 5p deduction and they work from 10p onwards.
| Odds of Withdrawn Horse | Rule 4 Deduction |
| 1/9 or shorter | 90p in £1 |
| 2/11 to 2/17 | 85p in £1 |
| 1/4 to 1/5 | 80p in £1 |
| 3/10 to 2/7 | 75p in £1 |
| 2/5 to 1/3 | 70p in £1 |
| 8/15 to 4/9 | 65p in £1 |
| 8/13 to 4/7 | 60p in £1 |
| 4/5 to 4/6 | 55p in £1 |
| 20/21 to 5/6 | 50p in £1 |
| Evens to 6/5 | 45p in £1 |
| 5/4 to 6/4 | 40p in £1 |
| 8/5 to 7/4 | 35p in £1 |
| 9/5 to 9/4 | 30p in £1 |
| 12/5 to 3/1 | 25p in £1 |
| 16/5 to 4/1 | 20p in £1 |
| 9/2 to 11/2 | 15p in £1 |
| 6/1 to 9/1 | 10p in £1 |
| 10/1 to 14/1 | 5p in £1 |
| Over 14/1 | No deduction |
You might also be interested in:
What is "Best Odds Guaranteed" and why you should ALWAYS take it!
Top 20 Betting Offers
New Customers Only. Sign up with bonus code: EB20. Bet £20 and get £20 in Free Bets. Paid as £5 Free Bet on Soccer, £5 Free Bet on Horse Racing, £5 Free Bet on Multiples and a £5 Free Bet on any Market. Terms apply 18+ gambleaware.org. | |||||
New customers only. 7 days to place qualifying bet of £10 at 1/1 (2.0) to receive 4 x £10 Free Bets: 1 x £10 football, 1 x £10 horse racing & 2 x £10 Bet Builders. Free Bets cannot be used on e-sports and non UK/IE horse racing. 7 day expiry. Exclusions apply. Stake not returned. 18+. T&Cs apply. | |||||
New customers online only. Eligibility restrictions apply. One welcome offer per customer. Bet a minimum of £/€10 at odds of 1/1 (2.0) or greater across sports or racing (if EW then min £/€10 Win + £/€10 Place) within 7 days of registration to qualify. Receive £/€20 Tote Credit, £/€10 sports Free Bet and 20 Free Spins on Big Bass Bonanza within 48 hours of qualifying bet settlement. Qualifying bet is the first racing pool or sports bet added to the bet slip. 7-day expiry. 18+. Full T&Cs apply. Gambleaware.org. Full T&Cs apply. | |||||
T&Cs apply. 18+ New customers only. You must place a single win-only bet of £10 or more with odds of evens (2.00) or greater to qualify. Money back as £10 in free bets. Free bet is credited the day after the qualifying bet has settled. Must use code B10G10 when creating an account. | |||||
New customers only. Register, deposit with Debit Card, and place first bet £10+ at Evens (2.0)+ on Sports within 7 days to get 3 x £10 in Sports Free Bets & 2 x £10 in Acca Free Bets within 10 hours of settlement. 7-day expiry. Eligibility exclusions & T&Cs Apply. | |||||
New bettors; Code SPORT; Wager deposit & bonus 8x; Max qualifying bet stake=initial bonus; Valid 60 days; Min odds, payment method exclusions apply; New customers only. T&C apply; 18+ Please gamble responsibly. | |||||
18+ New customers only. Min deposit £20. Min Wager £20 at min odds 1/1 (2.0). Max free bet £20. T&Cs apply begambleaware. | |||||
18+ New UK+IRE Customers only. Certain deposit methods & bet types excl. Min first £5 bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 to get 4x £5 free bets. Free bets available to use on selected sportsbook markets only. Free bets valid for 7 days, stake not returned. Restrictions + T&Cs apply. | |||||
18+ New Customers Only. Place a single £10 bet within 3 calendar days of registration. Bet must settle on the same day of placement. Min odds Evens (2.00). 4 x £5 Free Bets valid for 7 days. Max win £250. T&Cs apply. Ends 28/02/25. GB residents only. Gamble responsibly | |||||
18+. New Customers Only. Max 1 x £10 Free Bet. Qualifying bets at Odds of 1/1 or greater. Paid as Bonus Token Min 4/5 Odds Req. Skrill, Neteller, Paypal not eligible. T&Cs Apply. Please gamble responsibly. | |||||
18+ New Customers only. Certain deposit methods & bet types excl. Min first £5 bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 to get 4 x £5 free bets. Free bet available to use on selected sportsbook markets only. Free bets valid for 7 days, stake not returned. Restrictions + T&Cs apply. | |||||
18+ New Customers Only. Opt in and bet £10 on any sports at odds of 1/1+ within 7 days of signing up. Get £15 & £10 in Free bets for set markets & £15 & £10 in Slots Bonus for set games, 40x wagering, to withdraw max £625. Rewards expire in 30 days. T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org. Please gamble responsibly | |||||
Place a £10 fixed odds bet at minimum odds of 1/2 and get 3 x £10 free fixed odds bets, 3 x £5 Total Goals football spread bets and 3 x £5 Winning Favourites spread bets and a £1 racing Race Index spread bet.18+ www.gambleaware.org. | |||||
New customers place a £10 fixed odds bet at minimum odds of 1/2. Get 2 x £10 free bets. 18+ begambleaware | |||||
18+ New Customers Only. Opt in and bet £10 on football (odds 2.00+) within 7 days. Get 4x£5 Free Bets for set markets and a £10 Slot Bonus for Big Bass Splash, 30x wagering, to withdraw max £250. Rewards expire in 20 days. Full T&Cs apply. gambleaware.org | Please gamble responsibly | |||||
New Players Only. Free bet - one-time stake of £40, min odds 1.5, stake not returned. 1X wager the winnings. Wager from real balance first. Wager calculated on bonus bets only. Max conversion: £200. Valid for 7 Days from receipt. Limited to 1 sport & 5 casino brand/s within the network. Withdrawal requests void all active/pending bonuses. Excluded Skrill and Neteller deposits. Progress Play network Full Terms Apply. | |||||
18+. BeGambleAware.org. New customers only. Min. £10 deposit, debit card only. Up to 50x wagering, game contributions vary, max. stake applies, 7 day expiry. See full terms. #AD | |||||
New UK Customers. Register using code BETGETSPORTS. Must bet £10 in total on 4+ legs, min odds 4.0. £20 awarded as 4 X £5 free bets once settled, AND 50 Free Spins to use on Big Bass Splash (valued at 10p per spin). Free bet T&Cs Apply. 18+. BeGambleAware.org | |||||
New Customers Only. £10 in real money. Bets placed on sports at odds of 2.00 or more. Bets must be placed within 24 hours of registration. £10 free bets must be wagered on sports. UK residents. Full terms apply. Gambling can be addictive, play responsibly. 18+ | |||||
18+. Play Safe. New customers only, using promo code T60. Valid from 13/04/2022. Online play. Get £60 Bonus split between Vegas & Sports in the following manner – (i) Deposit £10 to unlock £20 Vegas Free Bet on Selected Games (72hr expiry, wagering reqs apply); then (ii) bet £10+ (odds 1/2+) with cash (excl. £10 deposit) or Vegas winnings (after wager reqs met). Once settled, receive £40 Sports Free Bets excluding Virtual Markets (4x £10, 7 days expiry). Full T&Cs apply. #ad |
