There isn’t a way to plan for weather, injuries or other calamities revolving around sports betting. Sometimes, you can assemble a can’t lose parlay, only to see an event get waived off. When games get delayed or canceled, odds have to be adjusted on betting tickets.
These changes can put bettors in uncertain positions. While every sportsbook does things differently, reading house rules before placing a bet is vital to success; in many cases, the house will leave the bet stand and simply recalculate the odds.
Some bettors may be able to get out of the bet by cashing out before the event starts, but may be forced to take a small loss in order to do so.
Here’s a look at how parlays are impacted by cancellations.
What Is a Parlay?
Read our in-depth parlay betting guide.
A parlay is a combination of bets. Each individual piece of a parlay is known as a leg. Bettors can combine as many legs together as they like.
What parlays do is give gamblers a higher payout on their wagers. While parlays can be lucrative, they are also difficult to win.
If one of the legs of the parlay loses, the entire bet loses. Many sportsbooks have now created the same game parlays. These parlays are a combination of legs with wagers all pulled from the same game.
Why Are Games Canceled?
Depending on the nature of the sport, many events can be canceled due to weather. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many games were canceled due to a lack of available athletes. In fighting sports, like boxing and MMA, events can be called off due to health issues with a fighter or one of the combatants not making weight.
Depending on house rules, tennis is also a sport that can see cancellations mid-match. If a tennis player withdrawals, the entire event can be voided depending on when in the match they decide to stop playing.
What Happens to Parlay Odds if the Game Is Canceled?
Most sportsbooks won’t allow people to cancel their bets if an event is taken off the schedule. What will happen instead is a sportsbook will void the leg of the parlay and adjust the odds for the rest of the bet based on what is remaining.
For example, if you have a two-leg parlay with the New York Giants -118 on the moneyline and the Pittsburgh Pirates moneyline, which is -158, the odds of that two-leg parlay would come out to +201. However, if the Pirates game is called off due to rain, the bet would be voided.
When that cancellation would happen, most sportsbooks would adjust the odds and keep the bettors’ wager active. Instead of wagering on a two-leg parlay, your bet would be adjusted to a single bet with -118 odds on the Giants to win.
What Happens to Same Game Parlays if the Event Is Canceled?
For same game parlays, the casino will void the bet and return the stake to the bettor.
