Betfred bet rules
How Betfred settles horse racing bets: Rule 4, each-way terms, stakes and limits. Taken from Betfred's own published rules and checked on 30 October 2026. This site is not connected to Betfred.
Use the calculator with these rules
At a glance
- Rule 4: the standard scale below, with no more than 90p in the £ taken in total. No Rule 4 on ante-post bets: if the horse does not run you lose the stake.
- Each-way: 1/4 odds for the first four places in handicaps of 16 or more runners. Details below.
- Smallest stakes: 10p in total, and 5p for each bet inside a multiple. A Lucky 15 needs at least 75p.
- Biggest payout: £1,000,000 a day on UK and Irish horse racing, and £50,000 on overseas racing.
- Dead heats and non-runners: the same as the calculator works them out.
Rule 4 deductions
Betfred applies the Tattersalls Committee Rule 4(c) scale to horse racing. If a horse is withdrawn before the race, bets on it are returned and the winnings on other bets lose the pence shown, for every £1 won. The stake is never reduced.
| Price of the withdrawn horse | Deduction in the £ |
|---|---|
| 1/9 or shorter | 90p |
| 2/11 to 2/17 | 85p |
| 1/4 to 1/5 | 80p |
| 3/10 to 2/7 | 75p |
| 2/5 to 1/3 | 70p |
| 8/15 to 4/9 | 65p |
| 8/13 to 4/7 | 60p |
| 4/5 to 4/6 | 55p |
| 20/21 to 5/6 | 50p |
| Evens to 6/5 | 45p |
| 5/4 to 6/4 | 40p |
| 8/5 to 7/4 | 35p |
| 9/5 to 9/4 | 30p |
| 12/5 to 3/1 | 25p |
| 16/5 to 4/1 | 20p |
| 9/2 to 11/2 | 15p |
| 6/1 to 9/1 | 10p |
| 10/1 to 14/1 | 5p |
| Over 14/1 | None |
- If two or more horses are withdrawn, the deductions are added up, to a maximum of 90p in the £.
- On ante-post bets Betfred makes no Rule 4 deduction. The bet is “all in, run or not”.
- If a race is run again after a false start, bets on horses that miss the re-run are returned, and the others are reduced. The number of runners in the re-run decides the each-way terms.
For a full explanation of Rule 4, see rule4.co.uk.
Each-way terms
These are Betfred's terms for UK horse racing. The number of runners means the horses that come under starter's orders.
| Race | Runners | Fraction of the odds | Places |
|---|---|---|---|
| Any race | Fewer than 5 | No place part: the whole stake is on the win | |
| Any race | 5 to 7 | 1/4 | 1st and 2nd |
| Not a handicap | 8 or more | 1/5 | 1st, 2nd and 3rd |
| Handicap | 8 to 11 | Not stated on the rules page | |
| Handicap | 12 to 15 | 1/4 | 1st, 2nd and 3rd |
| Handicap | 16 or more | 1/4 | 1st to 4th |
- Each-way doubles, trebles and accumulators are settled win to win and place to place.
- Betfred does not take an each-way bet where the place stake is more than the win stake.
- Betfred often shows extra places in big races. Those are advertised on the slip, so always use the terms shown there.
Try the each-way finder with Betfred terms
Stakes and limits
- The smallest total stake is 10p.
- The smallest stake for each part of a multiple bet is 5p, so a Lucky 15 needs at least 75p in all.
- The biggest payout is a limit for a day, not for one bet. Where a bet is part of a multiple, the lowest limit among its parts applies.
| Bet | Biggest payout |
|---|---|
| UK and Irish racing on a full service | £1,000,000 |
| Overseas racing, or a selection not on a full service | £50,000 |
| Ante-post racing | £250,000 |
| Tricast doubles | £50,000 |
| Totepool bets into the Tote's pool | No limit |
Betfred's own pages disagree about forecast doubles, trebles, fourfolds and multiples (£50,000 on one page and £250,000 on another), so they are left out here. Check Betfred before relying on either.
Dead heats and non-runners
- Dead heat: if two of your horses finish level, half the stake loses and the other half is paid at the full odds. With more than two, the stake is shared out the same way.
- Non-runner or void selection in a multiple: it is taken out and your stake goes on the rest, so a treble becomes a double.
- Walkovers and void races count as races, but the horse is treated as a non-runner.
How results are settled
UK and Irish racing is settled on the first past the post, using the official result at the weigh-in. A disqualification or change after the result is confirmed does not change how bets are settled. There are exceptions, such as forecasts, tricasts, ante-post bets and special markets, which use the official result only.
What is not here
We looked through Betfred's horse racing rules and its general terms and found no Lucky bonus and no rule that pays a single winner at better odds. Bonuses and offers at Betfred are separate promotions with their own terms, so this calculator does not include them. If Betfred paid you something different, use the “Did your bookmaker pay something different?” box to look for the reason.
Where this comes from
- Betfred Rules & Limits, including Horse Racing Rules & Limits
- Betfred Maximum Payouts
- Betfred Terms and Conditions (version dated 31 July 2026)
Checked on 30 October 2026. Bookmakers change their rules, so this page can go out of date. It is a plain summary and not the bookmaker's own wording. Betfred's own rules decide what you are paid. 18+ only. BeGambleAware.org.