The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement on Thursday ruled that FanDuel's sportsbook must pay out on dozens of disputed soccer bets that were placed in mid-July and led to a monthlong investigation by regulators.
The dispute centered on odds FanDuel offered on the soccer matches and whether the prices posted were the result of an error by the bookmaker. Beginning around July 12 and lasting until July 15, bettors in New Jersey targeted games in MLS, the Premier League, La Liga and Serie A.
A parlay bet is a form of sports wagering where a single bet combines together two or more individual wagers up to a total of 12 picks and is dependent on all of those wagers winning together for the bet to cash.
- Jan 27, 2020 FanDuel are the first online sportsbook to have launched the Same Game Parlay in the US. A Same Game Parlay combines bets from the same game. For instance, in a NBA game (let’s say Los Angeles Lakers vs New Orleans Pelicans), a same game parlay could contain the following bets: Lakers to win (Moneyline).
- FanDuel has the Longest Shot Same Game Parlay offer. Place a $1 same game parlay on any sport/game where the SGP is offered, and if it wins and has the week’s longest odds (ie you win the most from a $1 bet), you get a $5,000 bonus in site credit.
- How to place a parlay bet on the FanDuel Sportsbook app (iOS).
- FanDuel's free sports betting strategy guide is your go-to reference for understanding sports betting. We cover all the basics – straight bets, parlays, teasers and more – that can help you win money wagering on your favorite sports.
In total, tens of thousands of dollars were wagered on the games over four days in New Jersey, with a potential payout of more than $100,000.
'Today, the [Division of Gaming Enforcement] ruled that a total of 10 online customers and one retail customer who placed wagers on erroneous multiple soccer markets should be paid out after an investigation into a new bet type that was installed by a vendor incorrectly resulted in erroneous lines being made available to customers,' Kevin Hennessy, spokesman for FanDuel, said in a statement to ESPN.
'FanDuel Sportsbook appreciates the DGE looking into this matter on our behalf. We regret that this error happened, believe it is important for customers to know that there is a review process for these issues, and thank the DGE for their collaboration in the matter. Customers impacted will receive their winnings in their online accounts immediately and our retail customer has been contacted to come into the Meadowlands to receive his winnings.'
The majority of the 50-plus bets made in New Jersey were parlays placed online. However, at least two of the bets, totaling $10,000, were made over the counter at the FanDuel sportsbook at the Meadowlands.
Daniel Leavey, a 29-year-old New Yorker from Long Island visited the sportsbook at the Meadowlands with his father on July 12. On one of the video screens displaying the odds, Leavey noticed an alternate line for an upcoming MLS match: FC Cincinnati +5 goals (-134) versus Atlanta United.
Leavey placed a $5,360 bet on Cincinnati +5 goals and was asked by the teller if he would like to make another bet on the same game. Leavey obliged and put another $4,640 on Cincinnati +5 goals.
When Leavey returned to the Meadowlands sportsbook on July 16, after Cincinnati's 1-0 win, he was told by FanDuel staff that the bets were being held. The bets were frozen for one month, leaving Leavey and the other bettors without their initial stakes and winnings while the DGE investigated.
'Funds are held until an investigation is complete,' a spokesman for the DGE told ESPN in an email Thursday.
Leavey is due a net profit of $13,462 from his wagers.
The prices on the goal lines were the result of the error. Odds on a soccer team plus five goals, for example, should have been much shorter than the -134 offered by FanDuel, potentially in the range of -5,000. The pricing also was off on more traditional goal lines, such as +1 or +2.
A bettor at the FanDuel sportsbook at Blue Chip Casino in Indiana also spotted the opportunity and placed numerous parlay bets that included Cincinnati +5 and other soccer games affected by the vendor error.
FanDuel voided the bets in Indiana, as Indiana Gaming Commission regulations allow sportsbooks to cancel wagers 'in the event of obvious error, at the certificate holder's or vendor's discretion.'
The matter is being reviewed by the Indiana Gaming Commission's compliance committee.
The sports calendar always seems to heat up at this time of year, just in time to help thaw out the Northeast from another long and cold winter.
You can find a plethora of high-level sports action just about every night of the week. The NBA and NHL playoffs are fast approaching and the college basketball season is marching quickly toward March Madness.
There’s even tennis, golf, soccer from across the pond, and upstart football leagues like the AAF here to fill in any gaps.
Pick a night this time of the year and you’re likely to find more than a dozen NBA and NHL games on the slate. Plus, at least a couple of the top college basketball teams in the country hitting the hardwood.
It’s the perfect time of year to put together a multi-sport parlay, and FanDuel Sportsbook makes it even better by offering you a little insurance on that bet.
Understanding parlays in NJ sports betting
A parlay is simply two or more basic bets combined together into one wager. It’s a multi-sport parlay if you combine bets from more than one sport.
Parlays pay much better than individual bets on their own. The catch is you normally have to win every bet, or leg, that is a part of the parlay, to get paid anything at all.
However, FanDuel Sportsbook’s Multi-Sport Parlay Insurance changes that.
Put together a parlay with four or more legs in any sport on FanDuel Sportsbook. Bet up to $25 on the parlay and if all but one of the legs hit, you get your money back.
Players can take advantage of FanDuel Sportsbook’s Multi-Sport Parlay Insurance on up to four different parlays every day. However, each individual leg of the parlay must have odds no shorter than -200.
The insurance does not cover parlays that include big favorites. We’re looking at you Houston Rockets over the Atlanta Hawks.
It’s a great way to take a chance on a parlay and not have your dreams completely dashed by one bad pick or untimely upset. Multi-Sport Parlay Insurance won’t make you rich, but it can certainly help you avoid busting your bankroll with a single mistake.
Get started on FanDuel Sportsbook
To get started betting parlays and taking advantage of FanDuel Sportsbook’s Multi-Sport Parlay Insurance you must first sign up for an account with FanDuel Sportsbook.
Just click this exclusive FanDuel Sportsbook link and follow these step-by-step instructions:
- Click on “Want to register with your FanDuel account?” if you already have a FanDuel DFS account. Follow the instructions on the next page.
- If not, enter your account and personal details.
- Agree to the terms of use and privacy policy by checking the box.
- Click the green “Sign Up” button.
- If you’re on a mobile device, click the “Download” button at the bottom of the screen.
- Login using the details you provided on the sign-up page.
It’s really that simple. Plus, as long as you signed up using the link above, you are eligible for a risk-free bet of up to $500. That means FanDuel Sportsbook will give you a refund in site credit of up to $500 if you lose your first bet.
You can even use this to bet on a parlay.
Once you’re in, take a look around the FanDuel Sportsbook homepage to see what action is available and upcoming.
Putting together a parlay bet slip
Putting together a parlay bet slip is as easy as clicking on the sides you like. Then confirming them on the right-hand side of the page.
Fanduel Round Robin
Once you’ve selected at least two, a parlay box will appear asking you how much you want to wager. Fill that in and what you stand to win will suddenly appear. FanDuel Sportsbook’s Multi-Sport Parlay Insurance automatically covers you, as long as the bet is $25 or under.
Log in and click “Place Bet” to move ahead with it.
How To Make A Same Game Parlay On Fanduel
As an example, a four-team $25 parlay including moneyline bets on the following sides would pay +1606, or $401.62:
- New Jersey Devils over the Montreal Canadiens
- Colorado Avalanche over the Florida Panthers
- Indiana Pacers over the Detroit Pistons
- Philadelphia 76ers over the New Orleans Pelicans
Bet individually, $25 on each would only win a total of $204.36.
How To Bet A Parlay On Fanduel
However, with FanDuel Sportsbook’s Multi-Sport Parlay Insurance, anyone betting this as a parlay would stand to win over $400 and get their money back if only three out of four legs come in.