There are few things worse than making plans, being excited about going out with someone and then having them cancel at the last minute. It happens to all of us, but sports betting is a different story. This is how it works: you read the summary of the evening’s events and then you choose the game that stands out to you. The opportunity becomes a passion. You cannot contain your excitement as you place your bet. You are ready to follow the action, only to discover that it is raining. The game has been moved to tomorrow. You now have no idea what “no action” means. Talk about a huge disappointment.
What does “No Action” mean?
The term “no action” is used in sports betting to refer to a bet that has been deemed invalid. Sportsbooks may consider a bet invalid if it does not have any action for a number of reasons. However, the betting public is often unaware of these factors and left wondering why they did not get their money back.
What Does it Mean for Bettors if There is No Action?
Sportsbooks treat your bet as if it were never placed. Simply put, you get your money back with no penalty. Each sportsbook has its own rules about what would be considered “no action” in each particular sport.
The problem with the fearsome “no action” is that it is not something that can easily be predicted. These are usually a sudden event, so handicappers must accept them and move on. You cannot adjust your strategy or change the decision-making process before placing a wager. To be safe, I recommend that you check the weather reports before placing a bet.
Sportsbooks don’t charge any penalty for “no action,” bets. Instead of returning the money, they either keep a portion or roll it over to the reschedule. This would mean that bettors should be cautious about the possibility of an injury or rainout before placing their wagers.
There are reasons to not take action
It is easy to see how this could be explained by a common problem in baseball: the rain delay. Most sportsbooks will refund money to bettors if a baseball game is canceled due to rain delays or cancellations before the game actually begins. Bettors may be confused if the game is rescheduled immediately for the next day in a double-header. Bettors believe that their wagers will carry over to the next game because the game is scheduled for 24 hours. This is not true. All bets are canceled once a bet has been deemed inactive. You get your money immediately. If you enjoy it, there is nothing stopping you placing the same bet again the next day.
Tennis is another example. Most sportsbooks have a rule that states that if a player quits before the first set is over, all bets are void and money will not be refunded. This applies even if the player is up 5-0 or serving for the set.
Last Updated on October 2, 2021