FanDuel Announces Refunds on Moneyline Bets on Bears

January 7th, 2019

FanDuel Announces Refunds on Moneyline Bets on Bears

The Chicago Bears’ season ended on the now infamous “Double Doink” that saw kicker Cody Parkey’s game winning field goal hit the upright and crossbar and fall no good.

While it might be some consolation to the kicker to know that his kick was tipped by the merest fingertip, bettors who took the Bears to win the game might not have the same consolation. Luckily, fans of NFL betting through FanDuel will get some financial consolation.

Action Network’s Darren Rovell reported on Monday morning that FanDuel would give bettors up to a $100 credit on a moneyline bet on the Bears.

FanDuel Sportsbook giving bettors who placed a moneyline bet on the Bears yesterday a “bad beat” credit, matching their bet up to $100.
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) January 7, 2019

Not the First FanDuel Fan Move

The move to refund FanDuel customers is not an unprecedented move, but an unusual one to be fair. The American sports betting giant released a statement from CMO Mike Raffensperger that indicated they wish to keep sports betting fun for the country, despite the sometimes cruel nature of how a bettor might lose a bet.

“We are thrilled for the Eagles, but it was a tough way for the Bears to lose. With playoff season heating up, this was a way to prove there are more ways to win on the FanDuel Sportsbook and once again show why we are the most innovative and fun sportsbook in the United States.”

This is not the first time that FanDuel has showed dedication to their customers in this regard. While not exactly the same situation, FanDuel paid out on bets placed on Alabama to win the College Football National Championship after early season NCAA football betting, a gamble by FanDuel that didn't pay off as the Tide got flattened by Clemson in the season finale.

This is, however, the first example of FanDuel refunding bettors who have lost on incredibly poor luck. The likelihood of a team missing a field goal after the ball hits the goalpost twice in one kick is astronomical, and one that FanDuel will likely never have to refund again.

Other Notable Refunded Bets

As mentioned before, refunding on bets due to stunning plays is not an unprecedented move for companies to make. Back in April of 2018, Irish Bookmaker Paddy Power refunded bets made on golfer Sergio Garcia to win the Masters. During the first round of the 2018 Masters, Garcia had the incredibly bad luck to shoot an octuple bogey (+8) on the 15th hole.

Even outside the realm of sports, Sportsbet announced refunds for every single bet places on The Bachelor after the October Finale of the 2018 edition of the show saw the bachelor opt to choose neither of the finalists in a stunning twist that, for some, undermined the entire premise of the season.

Risk free bets are not uncommon however. Often, new bettors can receive a risk-free bet upon signing up for a new company. FanDuel itself offeres a risk-free bet up to $500 for new players to take advantage of on their first wager.