Just when you thought Rutgers had a lock on the worst bad beat of Week 1, along comes DraftKings to make Arkansas fans wish they had been Greg Schiano’d.
Despite winning 70-0, and setting a school record with 10 consecutive touchdown drives to open the game, bettors who took Arkansas (-50.5) to cover against Arkansas-Pine Bluff at DraftKings opened their accounts to find all bets on the game had been voided.
The reason why is just the latest reminder to always check the house rules before you place a bet with a sportsbook.
After Arkansas took a 49-0 lead after halftime, the two teams agreed to shorten the second half to 10-minute quarters. This meant the game was no longer action, according to DraftKings’ football rules:
There must be 5 minutes or less of scheduled game time left for bets to have action unless the specific market outcome is already unconditionally determined.
That’s a bit different from how the rules are written at FanDuel:
At least ten minutes of official time must elapse in the fourth quarter for bets to have action.
As well as BetMGM’s rule:
55 minutes of play, unless an official result is declared by the official governing body before then.
Understandably, DraftKings bettors were quite stunned when they saw their bets voided, but really they shouldn’t have been. The book is only following it’s own rules that are clearly laid out.
In an email to FTW, DraftKings clarified that undetermined bets were voided and “spread bets that were voided due the shortened quarters that would have won based off the final score of 70-0, received cash credits.”
How is the Arkansas point spread void? #DraftKings
— #teamCDOT (@CdotJudge) August 30, 2024
Wtf @DraftKings … Why did you void the live +70.5 Arkansas Pine Bluff bet at halftime??
— Mike Barbera (@MikeBarbera45) August 30, 2024
Why did DraftKings void Arkansas -50.5? They won 70-0, cheaters
— BillyGoat (@Supadupa545) August 30, 2024
Always, ALWAYS, read the house rules, folks. This was pretty avoidable.
