Rule 4 Explained - How to calculate a Rule 4 deduction



Horse racing punters will have seen that on some occasions when they are paid out by their bookmaker that their returns are smaller than they expected. On their bet slip receipt, they see ‘rule 4 deduction wrote, and that is the reason for the smaller returns. Has this happened to you before? Do you know what a rule 4 deduction is, and how they work? Even the most seasoned punters can struggle with the rule 4, so here is all you need to know about it before you place your next horse racing bet.

What is a Rule 4 Deduction?

When you place a horse racing bet and you take an early price, you are backing your horse based on the field at the time of your bet, and taking a price based on that. If there are 10 runners in the race, and you back your horse at 8/1, the reason that horse is 8/1 is because of the other nine runners in the field, and their chances of winning.

If the favourite is taken out of the race, and you go down to nine total runners without the favourite, then your horse would have a much better chance and be a much shorter price than the 8/1 that was on offer. To protect the bookmakers in this instance, they will apply a rule 4 deduction to your bet, taking off an amount of money per pound that you win to compensate them for the fact that the favourite did not run.

While rule 4 deductions can be very annoying for punters, what the bookmakers are doing is completely fair and above board. There are standard rules in place to help you work out rule 4 deductions, and these are followed by all bookmakers. After you have taken the price on your horse you are entered into a fixed agreement with the bookmaker, the much smaller SP doesn’t matter to your bet, which is why these deductions have to be used.

How Much is Taken in a Rule 4 Deduction?

It is important to understand the rule 4 process fully and the main part of that is knowing what the bookmaker will take off you. This is fixed and the same across all bookmakers, so whatever gets taken from you will get taken off every punter who is in the same situation.

The amount of money taken from you is based on every pound that you get back, and it is based upon the price of the horse that is withdrawn. The price taken is the last price that was available before the horse was withdrawn, and the amounts taken off you are all in the table below.

 

Price at Withdrawal

R4 Deduction

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

No deduction

What is Each Way Betting?

Advice on Picking Your Selections-How to pick winners in horse racing

Statistics in Horse Racing Betting & How to Use Them

Best 10 New Bookmakers

£15 SIGN UP HERE

New customers only. Min dep £10 with odds min 4/5 (1.80),Full terms apply. 18+ BeGambleAware.org

£10 SIGN UP HERE

New customers sign up with code "B25g10fB". Deposit £25 or more and place a £25 bet at min odds 2.0. Get a £10 free bet. Free bets expire after 7 days. Full terms apply. 18+ BeGambleAware.org

£5 SIGN UP HERE

If your first bet doesn’t win, you’ll get your stake back (up to £5) as a Free Bet within 72 hours!

£100 SIGN UP HERE

New players only | Maximum bonus is 100% up to £100 | Min. deposit is £20 | No max cash out | Wagering is 35x bonus | Maximum bet with an active bonus is £5 | Skrill & Neteller deposits excluded | Cashback applies to deposits where no bonus is included | T&C's apply

£5 SIGN UP HERE

New customers only. Min £5 deposit and bet on odds 1/2 or greater required. Free bet and free spins issued within 24 hours of qualifying bet being settled. Free bet valid for 6 months, stake not returned. Free spins valid for 7 days, selected games only. UK only excl Northern Ireland. 18+ T&Cs apply.

£50 SIGN UP HERE

New Customers only. Deposit and bet on any sportsbook Markets with min odds of 2.0. Get 50% Back of your first days' losses as a Free bet up to £50+£20 Casino Bonus.

£10 SIGN UP HERE

18+. New Customers Only. Max Win £10 Free Bet. Qualifying bets at Odds of 1/1 or greater. Paid as Bonus Toker Min 4/5 Odds Req. Skrill, Neteller, Paypal not eligible. T&Cs Apply

£10 SIGN UP HERE

New players only. Opt-in Required. 1x wager the winnings. Wager from real balance first. Wager calculated on bonus bets only. Minimum deposit £10. Excluded Skrill and Neteller deposits. Full Terms Apply.

£111 SIGN UP HERE

#AD 18+, New customers only, min deposit £10, wagering 60x for refund bonus, max bet £5 with bonus funds. Free Spins bonus has x40 wagering. 23 free spins on registration (max withdrawal is £100). 100% refund bonus up to £111 + 77 spins on 1st deposit. No max cash out on deposit offers. Eligibility is restricted for suspected abuse. Ecopayz, Skrill or Neteller excluded. Full T&Cs apply.

0 SIGN UP HERE