When Will the Bills-Bengals Game Be Played and How Will My Prior Bets Be Graded?
The National Football League has advised that the Buffalo Bills vs. Cincinnati Bengals game will not be resuming this week.
The game was postponed after Bills player Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest while on the field.
BetOnline confirmed that all outstanding bets on this game would be graded as "no action" in accordance with their house rules.
First quarter and first half bets as well as other props became a bit more complicated in the grading process.
Horrible scene in Cincinnati this evening. First and foremost - prayers and positive thoughts to Damar Hamlin.
— Dave Mason (@DaveMasonBOL) January 3, 2023
For those inquiring - outstanding bets will be no-actioned in accordance to our house rules.
Clearly in our house rules:
— Dave Mason (@DaveMasonBOL) January 3, 2023
Bets on 1st, 2nd halves and all quarters will be considered action upon completion of the period in question.https://t.co/x7KUKtekE4
There is no decision on resuming the game at a later date, and the Week 18 schedule remains on as scheduled.
"The NFL continues to be in regular contact with the medical team caring for Damar Hamlin, and also the Bills and Bengals organizations and the NFL Players Association," the league said in a statement.
The Bills are next scheduled to host the New England Patriots on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, CBS). The Bengals are scheduled to host the Baltimore Ravens. Neither game had a posted line as of Tuesday afternoon.
Hamlin remains at the Cincinnati Medical Center in critical condition. CPR had to be administered to Hamlin over a period of minutes before he was transported off the field. His vitals are said to be back to normal but there is no way of knowing the lasting health ramifications at this time.
The injury took place after Hamlin tackled Tee Higgins following the Bengals wideout's reception over the middle near midfield. Higgins shoulder knocked into Hamlin's chest. Hamlin did get up but abruptly collapsed within seconds.
"We are grateful and thankful for the outpouring of support we have received thus far," the Bills said in the statement.
While BetOnline's Dave Mason was quick to alert bettors regarding most grading, other sites were less decisive.
A representative from BetMGM issued this statement:
"We ask for patience regarding all bets on the Bills @ Bengals game tonight. We’ll update all customers as soon as possible and additional guidance regarding the game is provided by the NFL. Right now, all thoughts and prayers from BetMGM are with Damar Hamlin and his family."
The BetMGM site house rules state that, if the game is not completed on the same scheduled day, then the bets made prior to the start of the game are cancelled.
Per house rules at the Station Casinos and South Point sportsbooks, all wagers on the game will be refunded. These books have a 55 minute rule. In other words, the game needs to be played at least that many minutes to be official.
Circa Sports rules stipulate that all football games must be played within eight days of the originally scheduled date for action. That does not appear to be happening at this time.
“Once we have more understanding from the league as to when this game will be completed, then we’ll be able to refund any affected markets if the game won’t fall within that eight-day window,” Circa sportsbook operations manager Jeff Benson said in a text message.
Circa Sports is among the most respected sportsbooks by professional gamblers.
- Dan Shapiro, Gambling911.com
