James Maxwell
Founder & Editor · Last reviewed 2026-04-24
Rule 4 at Star Sports
Rule 4 — the basics
Rule 4 (formally Tattersalls Rule 4(c)) is the deduction applied to fixed-odds horse racing bets when a horse is withdrawn from a race after the market has formed. The deduction compensates the bookmaker for the fact that the remaining runners' chance of winning has improved relative to the original book.
Star Sports applies the standard industry Rule 4 sliding scale with no published concessions or waivers. This is the same scale used by Bet365, William Hill, Paddy Power, Betfred and the Entain brands.
The Star Sports Rule 4 deduction scale
Deductions are calculated based on the starting price of the withdrawn horse. The shorter the price of the withdrawn horse (i.e. the more fancied it was), the larger the deduction:
| Withdrawn horse's price | Deduction per £1 of returns |
|---|---|
| 1/9 or shorter | 90p |
| 2/11 to 2/17 | 85p |
| 1/4 to 1/5 | 80p |
| 1/3 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 5/8 | 55p |
| 20/21 to 5/6 | 50p |
| Evens to 6/5 | 45p |
| 5/4 to 6/4 | 40p |
| 13/8 to 7/4 | 35p |
| 15/8 to 9/4 | 30p |
| 5/2 to 3/1 | 25p |
| 10/3 to 4/1 | 20p |
| 9/2 to 11/2 | 15p |
| 6/1 to 9/1 | 10p |
| 10/1 to 14/1 | 5p |
| 15/1 or longer | No deduction |
How Rule 4 applies
A Rule 4 deduction applies only to bets placed before the horse was withdrawn. Bets placed after the withdrawal are priced against the remaining field and are not subject to retrospective deduction.
Rule 4 applies to winning returns only, not to the stake. If your £100 bet on a 5/1 horse wins (total return £600 including stake), and a Rule 4 of 20p applies because an 11/4 favourite was withdrawn, the deduction is 20% of the £500 winnings = £100. Your winning return is reduced to £500 (£100 stake + £400 adjusted winnings).
Interaction with Non-Runner No Bet
Where Star Sports NRNB applies (the four Cheltenham Festival Championship races), bets on the withdrawn horse itself are refunded as stake. Rule 4 then applies to bets on the remaining runners in the same race.
Where NRNB does not apply (most Star Sports markets), bets on the withdrawn horse are typically lost if the withdrawal is before final declarations (ante-post rules) or refunded if the withdrawal is after final declarations (day-of-race rules). Rule 4 still applies to bets on remaining runners in both cases.
Multiple withdrawals
If multiple horses are withdrawn, the deductions are applied cumulatively — up to a maximum of 90p in the pound. A 60p deduction plus a 40p deduction caps at 90p rather than 100p, so winnings are never zero unless the deduction would otherwise exceed 90p.
Star Sports Rule 4 vs rivals
No meaningful difference. Every UK mainstream bookmaker applies the standard Tattersalls scale. The differences between bookmakers on withdrawal treatment are in the NRNB coverage (what races have NRNB) rather than the Rule 4 mechanic itself.
Where to verify the specific deduction
The Star Sports Betting Rules page at starsportsbet.co.uk carries the operator's applied version. Rule 4 applied to a specific settled bet appears on the settlement record — if you believe a Rule 4 has been mis-applied, contact customer service on 0800 052 1321 or cs@starsportsbet.co.uk for review.
See our Star Sports NRNB coverage page for the interaction with non-runner policy, or our full Star Sports review for broader context.
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