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Accepting a Wager

This guide walks you through accepting a wager someone created for you on FairWins — one created for your specific address and shared by QR or link.

Taking an open challenge instead?

If someone gave you a four-word code rather than a direct link, you're taking an open challenge — a wager with no named opponent. The flow is slightly different (enter the code → approve → sign → confirm). See Open Challenges.

Prerequisites

  • A browser wallet (MetaMask) or mobile wallet via WalletConnect
  • POL for gas and enough USDC to match the required stake
  • An active membership tier (see Getting Started)
  • The wager QR code or link from the creator

Step-by-step

1. Open the wager

Scan the creator's QR code (the app has a built-in scanner, and your phone's camera works too) or open the deep link they sent you. Either lands on the acceptance page (/friend-market/accept?marketId=…).

You can preview the offer — stake required, deadline, creator address — before connecting a wallet.

2. Connect your wallet

Connect with the address the creator invited. If the wager was created for a specific opponent address, a different address cannot accept it. If you're on the wrong network, the app offers a one-click switch.

3. Review the terms

  • Terms — the wager description. If it's encrypted you'll see "Encrypted Wager" until you decrypt it (one wallet signature derives your key; you must have an encryption key registered — Account Center → Security)
  • Your stake — the amount you must lock, fixed by the creator. For an Offer, note the odds multiplier — if you're the settler you put up the majority stake
  • Time remaining — the acceptance deadline countdown
  • Who settles it — the creator (Me), you the opponent (Them), a neutral Friend (arbitrator), or an Oracle (Polymarket / Chainlink / UMA)

4. Accept (or decline)

Click Accept. Accepting escrows your matching stake, so you'll be prompted for up to two transactions:

  1. Approve — allow WagerRegistry to take your USDC stake (skipped if you already have enough allowance)
  2. Accept — the acceptWager call; your stake joins the creator's in escrow

Acceptance also screens both addresses against the sanctions oracle and checks your membership tier. (Taking an open challenge by code adds a signing step between the two — see Open Challenges.)

Not interested? Decline rejects the offer and releases the creator's stake back to them immediately.

5. Confirmation

Once the transaction confirms, the wager is Active: both stakes are locked until it resolves, draws, or passes its resolve deadline. It appears in My Wagers → Participating.

After acceptance

When the event happens, the wager resolves according to its resolution type — see Resolving a Wager. If it's never resolved, both stakes become refundable after the resolve deadline; your money can't get stuck.

Troubleshooting

Accept button disabled — check, in order: wallet connected, correct network, deadline not passed, active membership, sufficient USDC + POL.

"Deadline passed" — the acceptance window expired; ask the creator to make a new wager.

Wrong-address error — the creator invited a specific address; switch to it.

Can't read the terms — encrypted wagers require your registered encryption key. Sign the decryption prompt, and make sure you're connected with the invited address (only invited addresses hold a key to the envelope).

Blocked with a sanctions message — acceptance screens both parties against the Chainalysis sanctions oracle.

QR scanner shows no camera — grant camera permission to fairwins.app in your browser settings.