# How does Best Odds Guaranteed work on horse racing? > Best Odds Guaranteed pays at the bigger of the price you took and the starting price, on an operator's terms. Mechanism, exclusions and a worked example. Source: https://eachwayatlas.uk/extra-places/best-odds-guaranteed-explained/ Updated: 2026-11-07 Best Odds Guaranteed (BOG) pays a winning horse racing bet at the larger of two prices: the price you took and the starting price at the off, on the operator's terms. The markets, timing and exclusions differ by operator, and on 7 November 2026 none of them is verified on this site. ## Facts to record BOG is a feature of the operator's rules, not a law. We record what each operator publishes and the date we read it. **Best Odds Guaranteed, UK racing: operators' racing offer pages · status on 7 November 2026** | Item | What we record | Value on 7 November 2026 | |---|---|---| | Markets covered | Races and bet types that qualify | Not verified | | Time window | From when the price is fixed until the off | Not verified | | Exclusions | Offers, boosted prices and any other limits | Not verified | | Date of the wording | Date shown on the page | Not verified | **The short version:** BOG is a rule an operator chooses to publish, so each operator needs its own row. ## How it works You can bet at an early price, taken before the race, or at the [starting price](https://eachwayatlas.uk/glossary/starting-price/), which is set at the off. The difference between the two is the reason for the rule. If the horse drifts and the starting price ends longer than your price, BOG pays you at the longer one. If the price shortens, you keep your price. So the rule can only help your return, never reduce it from what you took. **The short version:** the guarantee works in one direction, towards the longer price. ## When it does not apply Exclusions are written by each operator. Read the terms for markets outside racing, for bets taken on a boosted price, and for races the operator names. An operator may also limit the guarantee to a time of day. The table on [Best Odds Guaranteed policies](https://eachwayatlas.uk/data/best-odds-guaranteed-policies/) is where we will gather the wording. **The short version:** an exclusion in the terms overrides what the headline offer suggests. ## Example You place a £10 win bet at 7/2 (4.5). The horse wins, and the starting price is 5/1 (6.0). - At your price: £10 × 7/2 = £35 profit, so £45 returned. - At the starting price, under BOG: £10 × 5/1 = £50 profit, so £60 returned. If the starting price had been 3/1, you would be paid at 7/2, so £45. **The short version:** in this example the guarantee adds £15 to the return when the price lengthens. ## Comparing operators We list the operators that publish the guarantee on racing at [UK bookmakers publishing Best Odds Guaranteed](https://eachwayatlas.uk/bookmakers/best-odds-guaranteed-racing/), once their wording is read. For the arithmetic of full each-way returns, see [how to work out each-way returns](https://eachwayatlas.uk/each-way/how-to-work-out-each-way-returns/). ## Before you bet 18+ only. Gambling can be harmful. National Gambling Helpline 0808 8020 133 (free, 24/7). More on [responsible gambling](https://eachwayatlas.uk/responsible-gambling/). ## How we checked We have not yet read operators' BOG rules. The example is our own calculation, and the starting price definition will be checked against operator and racing rule pages before the Not verified marks go. ## What changed 7 November 2026: page created with mechanism and example; operator rules pending. ## FAQ **Does Best Odds Guaranteed lower my return if the starting price is shorter?** No. If the starting price is shorter than the price you took, you are paid at the price you took. **Does it apply to every race?** Not verified. Each operator states the markets, times and exclusions in its terms. **Is it the same as an early price?** No. An early price is a price offered before the race, and the starting price is the price at the off. The guarantee compares the two.