Two more U.S. sportsbooks have hopped on the bandwagon and introduced measures designed to allow NFL bettors to protect their bets in the event that a player leaves the game with an early injury.
After DraftKings unveiled its Early Exit program a few weeks ago, which allows users to receive cash credits equal to the amount wagered if the bet in question is “significantly impacted” by a player leaving the game early due to injury, FanDuel and ESPN Bet have followed suit.
FanDuel announced on Sept. 2 a new Bet Protect program, wherein customers get bonus bets back on pre-game NFL player props if the bet-on player gets injured in the first quarter of a game. The program will pay out all straight wagers in bonus bets within 24 hours, while parlays will be re-priced with new odds. If the player in question was the only losing leg, the parlay or SGP will be paid out in bonus bets like a straight bet.
Then, on NFL kickoff day on Sept. 4, ESPN Bet launched an “injury insurance” policy that gives customers a full refund in the form of bonus bets on pre-game player props if the player wagered upon is injured and ruled out for the rest of the game. Bets on the “under” in such situations would be graded as winners and for parlays, the applicable leg(s) would be voided and the payout odds recalculated to reflect the remaining unaffected legs. ESPN Bet’s page explaining the policy does not suggest the feature is only applicable for NFL props.
While FanDuel’s policy applies to no-return injuries in the first quarter, DraftKings’ and ESPN Bet’s cover the whole first half.
Fanatics ‘flattered’ by rivals ‘copying our homework’
The new measures from that trio of operators are likely a reflection of just how popular player prop wagers have become. They’re also slightly rejigged versions of a policy that Fanatics Sportsbook was already offering.
Fanatics‘ longer-standing Fair Play feature has been in place since 2024 for numerous sports including pro football, basketball, baseball, hockey and tennis. The operator has cited the program as something that sets it apart from competitors. For the 2025 football season, Fanatics has extended its player prop bet protection coverage from the first quarter to the first half.
Fair Play hit the headlines in May when Stephen Curry’s game-ending hamstring injury in the second quarter of an NBA playoff game for the Golden State Warriors against the Minnesota Timberwolves resulted in a payout of nearly $225,000 for one bettor who had laid down $5,000 on a four-leg parlay including a Curry total points over/under prop.
In an email received by SBC Americas on Thursday, Fanatics stated that Fair Play protection has saved more than 500,000 customer bets from losing while an estimated $54 million in player prop bets were lost at other sportsbooks.
Fanatics also said in the email that it is “flattered” that other sportsbooks have started “copying our homework.”
“When Fanatics Sportsbook launched (this is only our second full NFL season), we said we would bring new ideas and put the sports fan first. Well… now everyone is copying our Fair Play™ injury protection,” read a section of the email. “While other sportsbooks are only now catching on to this fan-first movement, Fanatics Sportsbook continues to set the standard and lead the industry with the most generous bet protection in the market.”
Helping out your customers: That’s the real winner this football season.
