Ladbrokes bet rules
How Ladbrokes settles horse racing bets: Rule 4, dead heats, non-runners and the most you can win. Taken from Ladbrokes's own published rules and checked on 30 October 2026. This site is not connected to Ladbrokes.
Use the calculator with these rules
At a glance
- Rule 4: the standard scale below. Ante-post: a non-runner is a loser, with no Rule 4.
- Non-runners in a multiple: the bet carries on with the remaining horses.
- Dead heats: the same as the calculator works them out.
- Biggest payout: up to £1,000,000 in a day, but only £100,000 on many races. It depends on the race (see below). The limit is on your winnings, not counting your stake.
- Double Result: Ladbrokes also pays on the first past the post if the stewards change the result.
- Each-way terms: not set out on their rules pages. Check your slip.
Rule 4 deductions
Rule 4 deductions come off your winnings, never your stake, when a horse is withdrawn after you placed your bet. The amount depends on the withdrawn horse's price when you placed the bet. Ladbrokes gives this example: win £10 with a 10p deduction and you are paid £9.
| Price of the withdrawn horse | Deduction in the £ |
|---|---|
| 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 | None |
- More than one horse can be withdrawn, and more than one deduction can apply. Ladbrokes' page does not state a total limit. The calculator uses the standard limit of 90p in the £.
- For their “decimal” win-only and place-only markets there is no Rule 4. A non-runner adjustment is made instead.
- On ante-post bets a non-runner is a loser, so there is no Rule 4.
For a full explanation of Rule 4, see rule4.co.uk.
Non-runners
- Bets for the day of the race: a bet on a non-runner is void and the stake comes back. The same applies to anything marked “Non-Runner Money Back”.
- Single bets: stake returned. Multiples: the bet carries on with the remaining selections.
- Ante-post bets: a non-runner is a loser.
- Forecasts and tricasts have their own rules for non-runners, on Ladbrokes' non-runners page.
Dead heats
- If two or more of your horses dead-heat for first, the stake on the winning selection is divided by the number of winners and the full odds are paid on that share. Ladbrokes' example: £10 on a 13/2 horse, stake halved, returns £37.50.
- The place part is treated the same way when a dead heat means more horses are placed than there are places. Their example: £10 each-way on a 16/1 horse at 1/4 the odds, dead heat for third, returns £25 (the win part loses).
Most you can win in a day
These limits are on your winnings, not counting your stake, and apply to one customer in a day, whatever you stake. Where a multiple has horses with different limits, the lowest applies. Ladbrokes also treats a group of customers acting together, or the same selections backed over several days or accounts, as one bet for these limits.
| Horse racing | Biggest win |
|---|---|
| Tote bets into the Tote on-course pool | No limit |
| Class 1, 2, 3 and 4 races in Great Britain (main win or each-way market) | £1,000,000 |
| Group, Graded, Listed races and Premier Handicaps in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland | £1,000,000 |
| Group and Graded races in any other country | £250,000 |
| All other horse racing (main win or each-way market) | £100,000 |
| Specials and derivative markets, such as winning distances, betting without and top-X finish | £100,000 |
| Tote bets not entered into the Tote pool | £25,000 |
As Ladbrokes words it, the £1,000,000 row covers Class 1 to 4 races in Great Britain, so Class 5 and 6 races and bumpers appear to fall under “all other horse racing”. Check with Ladbrokes if it matters to you. The calculator cannot know the race class, so it warns you and asks you to check.
Double Result
UK and Irish races are settled on the official result, after any stewards' enquiry. As an extra, Ladbrokes also pays on the horse that was first past the post, so a bet that wins on either result is paid. This covers single and multiple bets on the day, for win and each-way and win-only bets. It does not apply to the Grand National, ante-post bets, forecasts and tricasts, races abroad, or special markets such as match bets, winning distances and challenges. Where a horse carried the wrong weight, took the wrong course or its jockey failed to weigh in, only the official result counts.
Each-way terms
Ladbrokes does not set out its each-way places and fractions on its rules pages. They say only that the places differ from event to event, so use the terms shown on your slip. The calculator's each-way finder shows the usual terms and says so.
What is not here
We found no Lucky bonus and no single-winner rule on Ladbrokes' pages, and no published smallest stake. Offers are separate promotions, so this calculator does not include them.
Where this comes from
Checked on 30 October 2026. Bookmakers change their rules, so this page can go out of date. It is a plain summary and not the bookmaker's own wording. Ladbrokes's own rules decide what you are paid. 18+ only. BeGambleAware.org.