What happens to a Kalshi or Polymarket bet when a game is postponed?
ThinBlimp guide · rules read from each venue's own markets on October 17, 2026 · nothing here is advice
Each exchange writes a postponement rule into every game market. The rule answers two questions: how long the market waits for a makeup game, and what it pays if the game never comes. There is no refund in any of them. A market either stays open and settles on the makeup game, or settles early at a price the venue sets.
The rules side by side
| Kalshi | Polymarket | Polymarket US | |
|---|---|---|---|
| NFL | Stays open if the game starts within 48 hours | Stays open until the game is played | Stays open if rescheduled within two weeks |
| NBA, NHL | Stays open if the game starts within 48 hours | Stays open until the game is played | Stays open if rescheduled within two days |
| MLB | Stays open if the makeup finishes within two days | Stays open until the game is played | Stays open if rescheduled within two days |
| If the window is missed | Settles at a fair price Kalshi determines | — | Settles at the last fair market price |
| Canceled with no makeup | Settles at a fair price | Resolves 50-50 | Not named separately; the window rule applies |
A "fair price" settlement pays each contract a price between 0¢ and $1 that the venue sets under its rules (Polymarket US says the last fair market price). It can be above or below what you paid.
These are the rules in each venue's current game markets. Every market carries its own rules text, and the venue can word a market differently, so the market's own rules section is the final word.
A live example: ALCS Game 4
Game 4 of the 2026 ALCS between Tampa Bay and Cleveland was scheduled for October 16 and rained out. It was rescheduled for October 17, inside every venue's window, so the markets stayed open and settle on the makeup game. Kalshi kept its market for the game "originally scheduled for Oct 16" trading; Polymarket's market updated its description to the new start time.
Had the game been pushed back three days instead, the outcomes would have split: Polymarket would still wait for it, while Kalshi and Polymarket US would have settled their markets at a fair price.
Ties
NFL games can end in a tie. Kalshi and Polymarket US settle a tied NFL game at 50¢ per contract on each side. Polymarket resolves it 50-50, which pays the same.
What this means if you hold a position
- A short delay changes nothing. Rain delays and next-day makeups fall inside every window.
- A long delay can end your position early. On Kalshi and Polymarket US, a game moved past the window settles at a fair price, so you can't ride the position into the makeup game.
- The same game can settle differently on two venues. If you hold one side on one exchange and the other side on another, a long postponement can leave the two halves settling on different terms.
For more on how the two Polymarkets differ, see Polymarket US vs Polymarket.
Questions
What happens on Kalshi if a game is postponed?
Kalshi’s NFL, NBA and NHL game markets stay open if the game starts within 48 hours of its original time; its MLB markets stay open if the makeup finishes within two days. Otherwise the market settles at a fair price Kalshi determines.
What happens on Polymarket if a game is postponed?
Polymarket’s game markets stay open until the game is completed. If the game is canceled with no makeup, the market resolves 50-50.
What happens on Polymarket US if a game is postponed?
Polymarket US waits two days for MLB, NBA and NHL games and two weeks for NFL games. If the game is not rescheduled inside that window, the market settles at the last fair market price.
Do I get my money back if a game is postponed?
Not as a refund. A market either stays open for the makeup game or settles at a fair price, which can be above or below what you paid.