YOU back a striker to score. The ball hits the net, and he scores. The stadium goes up. Then the referee’s finger goes to his ear, and ninety seconds later VAR takes your bet off you again.
Unibet’s VAR Goal Guarantee offer is built for that situation. Back a goalscorer pre-match on a Premier League or Community Shield game, and if the referee awards the goal but VAR then rules it out, Unibet will still settle your goalscorer bet.
There is no Unibet bonus code and no opt-in needed. It applies to existing and new Unibet customers, which is rarer than it should be.
So the only question worth asking is, how often would it actually save you? That’s why we pulled every disallowed Premier League goal since the start of 2022/23 to find out.
It happens roughly once every seven matches
There have been 215 disallowed goals in the Premier League since 2022/23, and the nuber of goals per season is pretty consistent.
SeasonGoals disallowed2022/23572023/24502024/25532025/26492026/27 (to 6 Sep)6
That averages at 52 goals per season across 380 matches, or one in every 7.3 games. Therefore, you can expect that one or two goals to be disallowed due to VAR every single matchweek.
This season is running true to form. Six have gone already, five of them in the last two rounds of fixtures, including Florian Wirtz for Liverpool against Nottingham Forest and Riccardo Calafiori for Arsenal in the Chelsea game.
Two-thirds of them are offsides
ReasonShareOffside67%Foul in the build-up28%Ball out of play or unspecified5%
Offside is the one that stings. Most of the time it’s a marginal call that nobody on the pitch can see. The share has crept up too, offsides made up 63% of disallowed goals in 2022/23 and jumped to 72% by 2024/25.
The teams and players it keeps happening to
No side escapes it, but some collect more than their share. West Ham have had 16 goals ruled out since 2022/23 and Chelsea 15, with Arsenal, Manchester United, Aston Villa, Brentford and Bournemouth all on 13.
Among individual scorers, Ollie Watkins and Dango Ouattara lead the way on five apiece, with Richarlison and Kai Havertz on four, and Erling Haaland, Yoane Wissa, Tomas Soucek, Callum Wilson, Eberechi Eze, Alejandro Garnacho and Dominic Solanke all on three.
If you regularly back goalscorer markets, this offer is for you.
One thing to be clear about: not every one of those 215 would have triggered the guarantee. The offer covers goals the referee awarded and VAR then overturned, which is the majority of tight offside calls under the current protocol, but not all of them. Our data tracks disallowed goals rather than which ones were awarded first.
How Unibet’s VAR Goal Guarantee works
- Back a goalscorer before kick-off. First Goalscorer, Anytime Goalscorer (including PowerSub) or Last Goalscorer, on a Premier League or Community Shield match.
- Your player scores and the referee gives it.
- VAR overturns it. Unibet still settles your player as a goalscorer.
It works on singles, accumulators and Bet Builder selections, so a chalked-off goal will not take down your acca either.
The one condition that decides it
The referee has to have awarded the goal in the first place.
If the assistant’s flag goes up straight away and the goal is never given, the guarantee does not apply, because there was nothing to overturn. It is the goals that get given, celebrated and then taken away that are covered.
Everything else on your bet settles on the official result as normal. So if your striker’s disallowed goal was the only leg that came in, that leg pays, and the rest of the bet is judged on what actually happened.
Key terms
What it doesSettles your player as a goalscorer if VAR overturns an awarded goalEligible marketsFirst Goalscorer, Anytime Goalscorer (including PowerSub), Last GoalscorerCompetitionsPremier League and Community ShieldBet typesSingles, accumulators and Bet BuilderPre-match onlyIn-play bets do not qualifyThe catchThe goal must have been awarded by the referee before VAR intervenedOpt-inNone requiredRuns until20 September 2026EligibilityUnibet customers aged 18+ in the UK or IrelandOperatorPlatinum Gaming Limited, UKGC account 45322
Settlement is based on official competition data. Unibet reserve the right to amend, suspend or withdraw the promotion.
Offer terms checked on 9th September 2026.
Questions people ask
1. Do I need to opt in to VAR Goal Guarantee?
No. There is no code, no opt-in and no deposit requirement. Place a qualifying pre-match goalscorer bet and it applies automatically.
2. Is it only for new customers?
No, it is open to all Unibet customers aged 18 or over in the UK or Ireland.
3. Does it work on accumulators and Bet Builders?
Yes. Singles, accumulators and Bet Builder selections all qualify, so a disallowed goal will not break your acca.
4. What if the goal was never given in the first place?
Then the guarantee does not apply. It only covers goals the on-field referee awarded and VAR later overturned.
5. Does it cover in-play bets?
No, pre-match only. Your selection has to be placed before kick-off.
Read more of our 2026/27 football season tips and predictions
- Premier League winner odds 2026/27
- Premier League top scorer odds 2026/27
- Premier League relegation odds 2026/27
- Champions League winner odds 2026/27
- Championship promotion odds 2026/27
About the author
Craig Mahood
Craig Mahood is an expert in sports betting and online casinos and has worked with the company since 2020. He joined the Betting & Gaming team at The Sun in June 2022 and works closely with the leading bookmakers and online gaming companies to provide content on all areas of sports betting and gaming. He previously worked as a Digital Sports Reporter at the Scottish Sun, covering Scottish football with particular focus on Celtic and Rangers, As well as football, he has covered horse racing, boxing, darts, the Olympics and tennis for the Sun.
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