Betting delays explained

Bookmakers and betting operators often operate with time delays on in-play bets. These delays take place between when the place bet button is clicked and confirmation from the bookmaker that the bet in question has been accepted. The main reason is to ensure that the odds being offered are accurate at the time of the bet. Here we take a detailed look at how it works and how the punter is affected, providing everything you need to know.

“Why is my bet taking so long?” – Bet referrals

Bet traders work for bookmakers and their job is to decide whether or not a bet is accepted by the operators. Betting delays occur mostly during in-play betting and can occur when the size of stake, the bet is placed on an unusual market, the potential of large liabilities for the operator or the account in question has already been restricted. 

There are three usual outcomes as a result of a bet delay; the bet is accepted in full, accepted under certain conditions, such as a reduced stake, or rejected outright. Many factors will be considered but the delay can’t be too long, especially with horse racing.

The decision is based purely on commercial implications and liabilities and it’s not an unexpected error. If a customer’s account is regularly delayed, it implies that the bookmaker views the account holder as high risk from the perspective of their liabilities.

The in-play bet delay

When a punter places an in-play bet, the bookmaker delays before it is accepted or matched. Horse racing and Greyhound racing are examples of sports where the delay is much shorter, as races can be under a minute and long delays would invalidate most bets.

Why the delay exists

The delay protects both backers and layers, as well as the stability of the market. In-play betting requires a window with which to withdraw. It’s also important to bear in mind that there’s an information gap; most ‘live’ events are shown with time delays but there are ways in which it’s possible to watch ahead of others, so the delay narrows that advantage.

Picture latency: Why nothing you watch is live

There is a time delay from sports events happening in real time and the ‘live’ TV pictures which, as the pictures go through numerous stages before reaching the devices and every broadcaster’s lag or delay will be slightly different.

This means that punters will see the events at different times, with some knowing what happens in advance of others, providing certain advantages within in-play betting.

Fast pictures, courtsiding and the drone problem

The speed of live pictures can provide valuable information, especially in horse racing. Some will be aware of a faller with enough of a head start to lay the horse in question, before most even know the horse has approached the obstacle.

There’s lots of money involved in contracts to rights to show live sports, which complicates matters further. Courtsiding gets its name from its original use, where punters would place live bets from the venues at tennis matches and the concept applies to most sports.

Recent technological developments have led to drone footage being available and purchasable, which is theft and against the rights of the broadcasters. 

The undelayed footage provides a real time advantage to in-play punters. The legal ramifications are tricky to assess, due to the difficulty of legally preventing licensed drone pilots from flying over the area, which the broadcasters do not own.

What this means for you as a punter

In-play betting delays may seem like an inconvenience on the surface but they also protect the punters as much as the bookmakers. The cancellation window is good for the punters, as the price they took can already be inaccurate and it’s good to have the opt-out option.

If the picture latency is significant, in-play punters are at a significant disadvantage so the bet delays can help to bridge the gap, providing a more equal playing field. It’s worth noting that full parity is hard to achieve from ‘live’ TV pictures but delays are there to help.