Best odds guaranteed, usually shortened to BOG, is a bookmaker concession on horse racing. If you take a price and the starting price (SP) turns out bigger, you are paid at the bigger one. This guide covers how it works, when it starts, what it excludes and how it fits with Rule 4. It sits with the rest of our horse racing betting guides.
What does best odds guaranteed mean?
It means a qualifying bet is settled at the better of two prices: the odds you took, or the SP when the race starts. Prices move through the day, and BOG protects you if your horse drifts after you have bet.
Here is a simple example with made-up prices. You take 5/1 on a horse at 10am. A £10 win bet at 5/1 would return £60: £50 profit plus your £10 stake. If the horse goes off at 7/1 and wins, a BOG bet pays £80 instead. If it is backed down to 4/1 and wins, you keep the 5/1 you took.
If SP is still new to you, our guide to what SP means and how it is worked out covers it. Our guide to reading fractional odds helps with the prices themselves.
How does best odds guaranteed work?
You place the bet as normal and take a fixed price. After the race, the bookmaker compares that price with the SP and settles at the bigger of the two. Most firms apply it automatically to a qualifying bet, with no code needed once you meet any conditions.
It only protects a price you actually took. If you don’t take a price, the bet is settled at SP anyway, as William Hill and Sky Bet both state in their terms. Nothing is added on top of that.
BOG is protection against a price drifting. It says nothing about whether a horse is good value, and it doesn’t make a losing bet a winner.
What time does best odds guaranteed start?
There is no industry-wide start time. Each bookmaker sets its own, and it only covers bets placed from that time on the day of the race until the off. These are the times in the bookmakers’ own terms at the time of writing:
- William Hill: from 8am on the day of the race until the off, on UK and Irish racing online.
- Paddy Power: from 8am on the day of the race on UK and Irish racing.
- Sky Bet: between 9am and the start of the race on the day.
- Virgin Bet: from 10am on the day of each meeting.
A bet placed before the start time is not covered. William Hill, for example, settles earlier bets at the price taken, or at SP if no price was taken. So an early price from the night before gets no BOG protection, even if the horse drifts by the morning.
Do you have to qualify for best odds guaranteed?
At some bookmakers, yes. The terms differ, so read them before relying on it:
- Paddy Power: you opt in on its promotions page, and eligibility starts the following day.
- Sky Bet: BOG is only for customers who qualify for Sky Bet Club, which means betting £30 in a week at minimum odds of evens. Its terms date this version of the offer from January 2024.
- Virgin Bet: you need to have staked more than £25 on the sportsbook in the previous seven days.
- William Hill: its page describes an opt-in too, so check your account before assuming you are covered.
Terms change, so check your bookmaker’s current rules. Firms also cap how much extra BOG can pay. Sky Bet, for instance, caps the increase at £50,000 per bet or per race.
Which bets are excluded from best odds guaranteed?
BOG is aimed at ordinary win and each-way bets on UK and Irish racing. Exclusions vary, but the common ones are:
- Ante-post bets: William Hill and Sky Bet both exclude them.
- Tote and pool bets: there is no fixed price to guarantee.
- International racing: Paddy Power and Sky Bet exclude it unless stated, so BOG would not normally cover a race such as the Melbourne Cup.
- In-running bets: Sky Bet says BOG does not apply once a race has started.
- Free bets and boosted prices: Paddy Power excludes free bets and Power Ups, and Sky Bet excludes price boosts, specials and extra-place races.
- Some special bet types: William Hill excludes Betting Without, Insurance Bets, Place Markets, Lengthen Your Odds and Each Way Extra.
William Hill says its concession is not available in shops or by phone. Each bookmaker’s page lists its own exclusions, and it is worth checking them before you bet.
Ante-post is the biggest of these. Bets struck days or weeks ahead don’t qualify, which is why non-runner rules matter more there than BOG.
Does best odds guaranteed apply to each-way bets and multiples?
Often it does. Paddy Power applies BOG to singles and multiples on win or each-way markets, and Sky Bet applies it to the win or each-way market. William Hill covers singles and multiples too, and in a multiple it applies to the qualifying BOG races only. The legs in other races stay at the price you took.
Place-only markets are a different matter. William Hill lists Place Markets among its exclusions. If you are betting each-way, our each-way betting guide explains how the stake is split and how place terms work.
How does Rule 4 affect best odds guaranteed?
A Rule 4 deduction applies when a horse is withdrawn after you have taken a price. It reduces your winnings by a number of pence in the pound. Our guide to non-runners and Rule 4 deductions covers how it is worked out.
Sky Bet explains how the two interact. If the price you took is hit by a Rule 4 deduction, the deduction applies unless the horse returns at a bigger SP. In that case the bet is paid at the SP without a deduction. Other bookmakers may word this differently, so check the terms.
Using best odds guaranteed sensibly
BOG removes one risk, which is the price drifting before the off. It doesn’t remove the risk of losing. Only stake what you can afford to lose.
Check the start time, any opt-in or qualifying stake, and whether your race and bet type are covered. Comparing the price you took with the SP afterwards is also a useful habit, and our racing results show the SP for every runner. If you are comparing sign-up offers and their full terms, our bookmaker offers page lists them. We don’t give selections in our guides, because this is about understanding how the concession works.
Best odds guaranteed FAQ
What does best odds guaranteed mean?
If you take a price and the starting price is bigger, you are paid at the bigger one. If the SP is shorter, you keep the price you took.
How does best odds guaranteed work?
The bookmaker compares the price you took with the SP when the bet is settled and pays the bigger of the two. It only works if you took a price on a qualifying bet.
What time does best odds guaranteed start?
It depends on the bookmaker. William Hill and Paddy Power state 8am on race day, Sky Bet 9am and Virgin Bet 10am. Bets placed before the start time are not covered.
Which bets are excluded from best odds guaranteed?
Common exclusions are ante-post bets, tote and pool bets, in-running bets, international racing, free bets and boosted prices. Each bookmaker lists its own, so check the terms.
Does best odds guaranteed apply to each-way bets?
Usually, on win or each-way markets, though place-only markets can be excluded, as at William Hill. Some bookmakers also have qualifying conditions, so read their terms.
Sources: William Hill’s best odds guaranteed terms, Paddy Power’s best odds guaranteed explainer, Sky Bet’s best odds guaranteed terms, Sky Bet’s Rule 4 guidance and Virgin Bet’s best odds guaranteed page.
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