Punters have never had it so good in terms of the number of special offers and promotions available. From the array of welcome bets and deposit bonus sign-up deals, and on to price boosts, acca insurance, daily free-to-play games, and a whole lot more besides, the quantity and variety seem greater than ever.
Whilst our good friends the bookmakers are launching innovative new incentives on a seemingly daily basis, other types of offers have been with us for considerably longer. Included in that category of firmly established promotions are Best Odds Guaranteed and the Price Promise.
Purely from their titles, these offers appear broadly similar at first glance. Both, after all, refer to odds/prices in relation to some sort of guarantee or promise. This similarity can at times create confusion in the minds of some punters regarding the difference between the two. The two promotions are nevertheless distinctly different deals. Both are well worth having on your side, but they are quite different, nonetheless. The best way to understand the variations between the two is to first take a look at each in turn.
What Is Best Odds Guaranteed?
Visit any betting good-quality site and there is a fair chance you will see an advertisement stating the firm are “Best Odds Guaranteed” on all UK and Irish Horse racing. Commonly shortened to the slightly unglamorous sounding “BOG”, this offer is one of the most commonly available in the UK today. But how does it work?
When placing a bet, punters have historically faced the decision of whether to take the current price on offer or the Starting Price (SP). This can create quite the quandary – how would someone know whether a 5/1 shot will be backed in to shorter odds of something like 3/1 or drift like a barge to 10/1?
Best Odds Guaranteed effectively removes this decision from the betting process. The BOG concession assures that your bet will be paid out at whichever price is greater – either the price that has been taken at the time you placed the bet or the Starting Price.
For example, say you place a bet at odds of 5/1 and see the horse do the business at a Starting Price of 3/1 – under BOG conditions you will still be paid out at the 5/1 you took at the time of placing the bet. This is essentially no different to if you had placed the same bet with a bookmaker who was not offering the BOG concession.
However, the benefit of BOG comes when you take the odds available, and the horse goes on to win at a bigger price. Say, for example, that you again take a price of 5/1 when placing your bet, only this time the horse drifts to a starting price of 10/1 but still manages to win. Let’s compare the results of £10 bets placed with one bookmaker offering BOG, and another which doesn’t.
- Best Odds Guaranteed Bookmaker – Under BOG conditions you would be paid out at the bigger of the two prices – in this instance the Starting Price of 10/1. As such, the total returns for a £10 Bet would be £110.
- No Best Odds Guaranteed Bookmaker – With no BOG in place you would be stuck with the 5/1 taken at the time you placed your bet. In which case, the total returns to a £10 Bet would be significantly less at just £60.
That may be a slightly extreme example – although much bigger drifts can, and do, happen – but still serves to illustrate the financial benefits of the BOG deal. For regular horse racing punters, betting under Best Odds Guaranteed conditions can make a significant positive impact on your winnings over the course of a season.
Always Take the Price
Most firms who offer BOG will automatically make you take the price at the time you place your bet, but there are a few who still require you to choose between the current odds and the SP. The simple rule to remember here is that if a bookmaker is offering Best Odds Guaranteed you should ALWAYS take the price when placing your bet. By doing so, you can’t possibly end up any worse off than had you taken the SP, and you will gain each and every time your selection wins at a bigger price.
One important thing to note regarding this offer is that, whilst it is most often available on all UK and Irish racing, the time when the deal kicks into action varies from firm to firm. Some companies apply the BOG conditions from the moment they release their prices– usually the night before the race. Others however only apply BOG conditions from 10 am on the morning of the race in question. In general, whether or not BOG is in play on a particular race will always be displayed. Nevertheless, it pays to be aware of the timings of the individual bookmakers to avoid any potential disappointment.
What Is a Price Promise?
There can be many layers to placing a horse racing bet. First, you need to pick your horse, then decide how much you want to stake, and perhaps whether to place a win or each-way bet. Next comes the decision of where to place your bet.
Many punters religiously stick to the same betting firm, but others like to ensure they are receiving the very best odds available. And, why not? When backing a horse, you are effectively purchasing exactly the same thing no matter where you place your bet – i.e. betting on the horse’s chance of winning the race. It therefore makes sense to obtain the best deal for yourself.
Thanks to the top odds comparison sites, locating the best odds for your selection is a simple process, and it has never been easier for customers to switch from firm to firm. In order to reduce this incentive to shop around, many betting companies have introduced what is known as the “Price Promise” or “Price Guarantee”.
Any company offering this deal “promises” to beat or match the best odds currently available on the market. Placing a bet under “Price Promise” conditions, therefore, removes the need to scan the odds comparison sites, as the deal guarantees you the best price available on your selected horse.
Things to Bear in Mind
Betting sites offering this incentive are usually well worth your time, but there are a couple of stipulations to bear in mind.
Firstly, with so many bookmakers now available online, it is incredibly difficult for any company to ensure they are “guaranteeing” the best price across the whole market. In reality, the terms and conditions of this deal usually read along the lines of, “to match or better the best odds available at the best UK Bookmakers”, before then going on to list the specific bookmakers included in this “best UK Bookmakers” definition.
Secondly, unlike the BOG offer, which will usually be available on “ALL UK and Irish Racing”, the Price Promise will only apply to a named selection of races. No firm could ever guarantee they were offering the best price on every horse in every race across the whole season. To do so would certainly attract plenty of business but would be completely unsustainable from a business perspective.
Check When the Price Promise Is Valid
The good news for the punter is that when selecting their “Price Promise” races, the majority of firms pick out those events bettors are most interested in – examples include “All Live ITV Races” or “All Races on Day One of the Cheltenham Festival”.
As with the BOG deal, we would always recommend checking the times when the Price Promise promotion is operating. At most sites, this will be from 10 am on the morning of the race up to 15 minutes before the off time, but this may vary.
Two Offers Well Worth Having on Your Side
Hopefully, the above explanations serve to illustrate the key differences between these price-focused offers. In summary:
- Best Odds Guaranteed – Guarantees you will be paid out at whichever odds are higher – either the price taken when you placed the bet, or the Starting Price (SP).
- Price Promise – Guarantees that the price you are receiving is the best price currently available on the market – or at least across a selection of the biggest bookmakers.
Of the regular horse racing promotions currently available, BOG and Price Promise are possibly the best in terms of long-term value to the customer and are well worth seeking out. If you can find a company offering both promotions in unison – and there are a few out there – then so much the better!