Rule 4 Explained
What Rule 4 means, why bookmakers take a deduction from your winnings when a horse is withdrawn, the deductions table, and a worked example at 5/1 showing what you get back.
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About this video: Rule 4 Explained
Rule 4 Explained shows why a horse racing win can pay less than you expected, and how to work out the deduction yourself.
First, the video explains what Rule 4 is. When a horse is withdrawn after you’ve taken a fixed price, every other runner has a better chance of winning. So the bookmaker takes back part of that extra value. Withdrawals happen after the final declarations, for example because of a vet’s certificate, a change in the going, or a horse refusing to enter the stalls.
Next, it covers the deductions table. The shorter the withdrawn horse’s price, the bigger the cut: 30p in the pound for a 2/1 shot, 10p at 8/1, and nothing above 14/1. In the worked example, £10 at 5/1 normally returns £60. However, with a 2/1 runner withdrawn, Rule 4 takes £15 of the winnings, so you get £45 back.
Finally, it explains the key points to remember. Rule 4 only comes off your winnings, never your stake. It applies to both parts of an each-way bet, while starting price bets are usually unaffected. If several horses are withdrawn, the deductions add up, to a maximum of 90p in the pound.
However, rules and offers change. For that reason, we check every video against the Gambling Commission and other official sources. In fact, we last checked this one on 13 October 2026.
Read the transcript
Rule 4 can take a slice out of your winnings, even when your horse wins. Here's what it means, when it happens, and why.
Rule 4 is a deduction from your winnings. It applies when a horse is withdrawn from a race after you've placed your bet at a fixed price.
Why? Your price was set with that horse in the race. Once it's gone, every other runner has a better chance of winning. So the bookmaker takes back part of that extra value.
It happens after the final declarations. Perhaps a vet's certificate, a change in the going, or a horse that refuses to go into the stalls.
The deduction depends on the withdrawn horse's odds. The shorter its price, the bigger the cut. A 2/1 shot means 30p in the pound. Eight to one, 10p. Bigger than 14/1, nothing at all.
Say you back a horse for £10 at 5/1, and the 2/1 second favourite is withdrawn. Your horse wins. Normally that's £50 profit. Rule 4 takes 30p in the pound, which is £15.
So you get £35 profit, plus your £10 stake back. That's £45, instead of £60.
Rule 4 only ever comes off your winnings. Your stake is never touched. On an each-way bet, it comes off both parts. And starting price bets are usually unaffected, because a new market is formed.
If more than one horse is withdrawn, the deductions are added together, up to a maximum of 90p in the pound.
So always check the non-runners before you bet. 18+. Please gamble responsibly.
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