Sportsbook Rules

The Sportsbook Rules and Regulations (‘Sportsbook Rules’) are part of our terms and conditions.

The Sportsbook Rules apply in relation to the markets offered and bets placed on the Sportsbook.

The Sportsbook Rules consist of the following:

• This Introduction section;
• The Sportsbook General Rules; and
• The Sportsbook Markets

Customers should make themselves aware of all of the Sportsbook Rules affecting any market on which they wish to place a bet.

Betting with fixed-odds consists in predicting the result of an event (both sports event or other events) with a pre-determined probability. The amount of potential winnings is calculated multiplying the bet amount by the odds offered at the moment the bet is placed.

The Official Programme (“Palinsesto ufficiale”) is the betting programme defined by the Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli (ADM), which we are able to include in our bet offering. The Complementary Programme (“Palinsesto Complementare”) includes the bets which are different from those in the official ADM program - it is defined autonomously by each operator and approved by ADM.

The results of the events object of Official Programme wagers are certified by ADM, while ones from the complementary schedule are certified by each operator. The results are certified based on official information published by the regulating bodies of the events or, in their absence, based on elements, news or information objectively identifiable. Results must be certified also based on independent sources of information of proven reliability - which in turn use the above mentioned sources and filmed recordings of the events.

Both the official and complementary programmes will include: (i) bets before the start of the event (pre-match), which are allowed to be placed until the beginning of the event object of the bet, (ii) bets during the development of the event (in-play or live) that are open and can be placed after the beginning of the event.

Wagers are considered valid if accepted and registered by ADM/Sogei system. The result of the event object of the bet is the one that is fulfilled on the field. Potential future changes do not affect, for the purposes of a settled bet, a result which has been already certified. Therefore, for instance, any subsequent decisions from regulatory bodies of an event cannot be taken in consideration in order to determine the outcome of the bet.

Bets are generally settled shortly after the end of the event in question. However, we reserve the right to amend the settlement of the bet if:

• the whole market is eventually voided.

We reserve the right to reverse the settlement of a bet if it was settled in error (for example, a human or technical error).

If we resettle a bet, this may lead to amendments being made to a customer’s balance to reflect changes in bet settlement.

Unless otherwise stated, sports bets are accepted on a ‘non-runner, no bet’ basis. This means that bets will be void, and stakes will be refunded on a team or competitor that is withdrawn prior to the start of an event.

As general rule, a bet can be void only in the following cases:

(i) if the event object of the bet is cancelled or, only in case of sport events, if it hasn't occurred within the following 3 days from the original date scheduled in the official programme;

(ii) if none of the registered competitors has qualified at the end of the competition;

(iii) in case of switching fields in team competitions, that is to say when the team scheduled to play at home plays away instead and vice versa; however the bet remains valid in case the location of the event changes but the hosting team preserves such designation; the bets remain valid in the singles or doubles competitions, like for instance in tennis, irrespective of a venue change or kind of surface or if the competition is indoor instead of outdoor, or vice versa.

Should an event be suspended or cancelled after it started, not all wagers will be void. The bets that will be void are the ones on the final result of the event and the ones on partial results that couldn’t take place on the field (it is referred to partial results that couldn’t possibly happen due to the fact that the event has been cancelled, such as a bet on the first half result, when the first half never ended due to the cancellation). The bets that have been made on partial results or happenings connected to the event, when the object of the bet has been achieved on the field, will be valid, even if, at a later stage, the event is suspended or cancelled (meaning that, a wager on something that actually happened, like the first goal scored from a specific player, your bet will be valid and will be paid, even if the game has been cancelled or suspended after that).

The player has the right to be refunded for the amount wagered, via an automatic credit to the gaming account:

(i) all the selections of the bet are void ;

(ii) in case of pre-match bets when the sporting event selection has not been closed on time and the bet has been accepted after the start of the match:

(iii) for in-play bets the same is principle is used for all the selections bet placed after that the effective outcome is already set.

Should a contestant withdraw before participating to an event, wagers on this participant will be voided. Bets are also void if none of the competitors finish the competition.

For any team sport: if the scheduled venue is changed after a bet is placed, all bets will be void only if the new venue is a home ground of the original away team (or in the case of international matches, only if the venue changes to a venue in a different country).

For all categories or markets other than team sports: if the scheduled venue is changed after a bet is placed, all bets will stand.

If there is a change in the type of scheduled surface (for example, a hockey match switching from grass to astro-turf) after a bet is placed, all bets will stand.

If the scheduled duration of an event is changed after a bet is placed, then all bets will be void.

All bets apply to the relevant full ‘regular time’ period, including stoppage time.

If a market is not scheduled to be turned In-Play, but we fail to suspend the market at the relevant time, then:

• if the event has a scheduled ‘off’ time, all bets placed after that scheduled ‘off’ time will be void; and
• if the event does not have a scheduled ‘off’ time, we will endeavor to ascertain the time of the actual ‘off’, and all bets after the time of the ‘off’ determined by us will be void.

We will endeavour to suspend In-Play markets at the start of and at the end of the event. However, we do not guarantee that such markets will be suspended at the relevant time.

We reserve the right to part-suspend or fully suspend outcomes/selections in a Sportsbook market that has been turned In-Play.

Customers are responsible for managing their In-Play bets at all times.

If we accept a bet on a market for which the outcome has already been determined, then that bet will be deemed void (and no winnings shall be payable in respect of it).

In relation to markets which are scheduled to be turned In-Play, we will endeavor to turn such markets In-Play at the time of the ‘off’ and to suspend such markets on the occurrence of a Material Event (a goal/point being scored, a penalty being awarded or a player being sent off). However, we do not guarantee that such markets will be suspended and turned In-Play at the time of the ‘off’.

Unless otherwise stated in any rules relating to specific sports, handicap markets are determined by adjusting the score of the selected team by the applicable handicap which is offered in respect of that team. For example, if Team A +10 is selected, 10 points will, for settlement purposes, be added to the score of Team A. Where the draw is selected in a handicap market, the relevant bet will be determined by adjusting the home team’s score by the applicable handicap (for example, if draw - 6 is offered, 6 points will, for settlement purposes, be deducted from the home team’s final score and if following such deduction, both teams’ scores are the same, the bet will be deemed to have been successful).

Where a blatant error is made in handicap setup i.e. handicap reads as - instead of + and vice versa, on any of our events, either for In-Play or pre-match betting, we reserve the right to settle bets at the correct handicap at the time at which the bet was placed.

To Qualify markets (for example, ‘To Reach The Final’) will be determined by the team or competitor that progresses, whether or not they take part in the next round or event for which they have qualified. Bets will be settled after the qualifying stage, and any subsequent disqualification or amendment to the result will not count.

Dead heat is a term that describes when two or more selections in an event tie. In case of an unexpected draw among the possible predictable results of the bet (for instance in case of 2 football players both gaining the title of top goal-scorer in a tournament/championship) the odds for the winning bet will be re-calculated in relation to the ratio between the original odds and the number of contestants tying for the win. The potential winning can’t be lower than the stake placed in any case.

The following bet types are allowed:

(i) single, where the object of the betting is the correct prediction of one single event;

(ii) multiple where the object of the bet is the correct prediction of more than one event; and are only successful if all the results are predicted correctly.

The system bets are also allowed, with which the player has the possibility to make at the same time, within one wager, several multiple bets on the different possible combinations of results from the same selection of events. The main difference between system and multiple bets is that system bets can be won even if not all of the selections are correct.

A multiple bet consists of a number of legs. A leg is defined as one or more chosen selection in any individual event market.

All multiple bets placed are subject to the Sportsbook Rules that apply to each individual sport that relates to any leg of any multiple bet.

In the case that one or more selections in a multiple bet are void the bet remains valid but for the purpose of calculating possible winnings, the single void selections will be allocated odds equal to 1,00.

The maximum payout winning amounts are as follows:

The minimum bet amounts are as follows:

In addition, all stakes must always be a multiple of € 0.05.

Please note that on Basketball, Baseball and American Football, all matches of US competitions are displayed with away team before the home team. I.e. NY Knicks – Boston Celtics at Madison Square Garden, will be shown as Boston Celtics @ N.Y. Knicks.

Any bet inadvertently accepted after the betting has closed where the outcome of the event has already been determined will be refunded.

In order for us to provide a comprehensive service, some events may display additional information, such as score, time passed in the event or other pertinent information.  Although we make every effort to ensure all information displayed is correct, such information is provided for information purposes only and customer should not rely on such information to place a bet. Please note that the odds displayed are a true indication of the current state of the event in question. We will not accept any responsibility for bets placed purely on this information alone and therefore will not be able to void part or the whole of any stake for any errors in the displayed additional information. 

PokerStars Sports is a member of the European Sports Security Association ("ESSA"), a non-profit making organisation that monitors irregular betting patterns and possible instances of event manipulation.  As part of that membership, PokerStars Sports is a full participant in its early warning system which is geared towards identifying any such betting behaviour.

In the event of a warning being received by PokerStars Sports, PokerStars Sports withholds the right, in its absolute discretion, to:

1. suspend the offering of any event or series of events in any of its markets; and
2. delay and/or withhold payment on any event or series of events in any of its markets, until the integrity of such event or series of events has been confirmed by the relevant sports federation via ESSA.

Further, in the case of active event manipulation  being confirmed as having taken place on any event or series of events by ESSA, acting in conjunction with the appropriate sports governing bodies, PokerStars Sports withholds the right, in its absolute discretion, to suspend any bets placed on such events, either by any individual identified by ESSA as having possessed insider betting knowledge or information or by any other individual who in the reasonable opinion of PokerStars Sports is connected to, acting in conjunction with or in any way involved with such individual.

Documentation and regulations for fixed odds sports betting.

Decree No. 145 of 1 August 2022

Regulation concerning fixed odds betting on sporting events, other than horse racing and non-sporting events.

In compliance with Art. 7 of the Legislative Decree No. 158 of 13 September 2012, converted into Law No. 189 of 8 November 2012, and in order to ensure coordination with the information notes published on the website of the Agency of Excise, Customs and Monopolies (ADM), below is a link to the ADM’s website, where you can consult the section on the probability of winning fixed odds bets: https://www.adm.gov.it/portale/monopoli/giochi/giochi_sport/scommesse_fissa/quota-fissa_note

Here are the figures for the percentage of the collection allocated to prize money:

Sports betting (Probability of winning - Percentage of the collection allocated to prize money)