What is VAR?

VAR Information

What is VAR?

Video Assistant Referee (“VAR”) is a technology used to adjudicate certain incidents that can occur during ‘in play’ football markets. There are four types of relevant incidents that can be reviewed using VAR: 1) Goals (including potential violations in the build-up to a goal); 2) Penalty Kicks and 3) Red Cards (each referred to as a “Relevant Incident”). For a decision made on the pitch to be overturned, it must be deemed to be a ‘clear error’. In other words, it must be a missed red card, missed penalty or a case of mistaken identity.

What if a goal, penalty or red card is given and then reversed?

When a Relevant Incident has occurred and the Relevant Incident will be reviewed by VAR, we will endeavour to suspend all markets as soon as possible until the VAR decision is given. If a goal, penalty or red card is reversed after a VAR review, we will void any bet placed at any point between the incident that caused the VAR to be called and the time the market was suspended. We will endeavour to void these bets as quickly as possible, but in exceptional circumstances, this may take place after the game has been completed.

Following the determination of a VAR decision, any markets that were determined before the VAR (e.g. 1^st goalscorer) will be unsettled and those affected markets will be reactivated.

What happens if a goal, penalty or red card is not given at first, but then awarded after review?

When we believe a Relevant Incident has occurred and a decision will be reviewed, we will endeavour to suspend all markets as soon as possible and these markets will remain suspended until either A) a VAR decision is called or B) we reasonably believe that a VAR decision will not be called.

If the referee subsequently decides to award the penalty, goal or red card, we will endeavour to void bets matched from when the incident took place to the suspension time for the VAR review as these bets should have been cancelled when the initial incident occurred. We will endeavour to void the bets as quickly as possible, but in exceptional circumstances, this may take place after the game has been completed. In cases where it is unclear whether the VAR has been used due to missing TV coverage and/or conflicting reports, BETDAQ will manage the market based on the information acquired from our feed providers.

Following the determination of the VAR decision, the event will be rolled back, any markets that were determined will be settled/unsettled and markets put back in-play as soon as possible.

Other VAR impacts on Markets.

• Should a player be mistakenly sent off and then the decision to send the player off is reversed following a VAR review, we will re-settle all relevant markets.
• Where a VAR is called and a Relevant Incident reviewed and reversed, any unmatched bets that are cancelled as a result of the review cannot be reinstated by our system. Customers will need to re-enter any bets should they wish to offer the same bet following an event cancelled by VAR.