A sports betting operator refunded more than $500,000 in player prop wagers after Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry suffered a hamstring injury on Tuesday night.
Key Takeaways
- One Fanatics Sportsbook customer hit on a parlay that paid out over $224,000
- The Fair Play Policy is similar to a promotion that has led to $8 million in refunded bets
- Curry’s status for Thursday’s Game 2 is officially unknown
Fanatics Sportsbook's Fair Play Policy, which covered the entire first half of the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, allowed customers who bet overs on the injured Warriors star’s stats to receive cash refunds on single bets.
Parlay legs involving Curry were also voided, allowing the rest of the multi-leg wagers to stand with recalculated odds.
This especially came into play for a bettor who put down $5,000 on a four-leg parlay that included bets in the Warriors-Timberwolves and the Champions League’s Barcelona-Inter Milan match on Tuesday.
Because Curry’s leg was voided, the parlay hit at odds of +9,240 instead of being counted as a loss. The payout of $224,773 was the largest ever through Fanatics’ Fair Play Policy.
Refunding bets because of injuries is not new for some sportsbooks, but it has led to controversy across the sports betting industry in recent years. However, Fanatics Sportsbook has a clear policy that serves much like a customer promotion.
Extension pays off
Curry left the game limping with a left hamstring issue in the second quarter, logging just 13 minutes. During the NBA regular season, the policy only covered the first quarter, but it was extended to any injuries before halftime for the playoffs. All under bets on player props are paid out, while overs are refunded or parlay legs voided.
Since launching the customer-friendly program last football season, Fair Play Policy has saved users over $8 million, including $2 million during the NBA playoffs. The league’s postseason has been rife with injuries to stars, including Curry, Damian Lillard, Ja Morant, and Jimmy Butler, among others.
Without Curry
The Warriors went on to win the game 99-88 without Curry available in the second half to take a 1-0 lead in the Western Conference semifinal series. Curry’s scheduled to undergo an MRI on Wednesday to discover the extent of the injury. His status for Thursday’s Game 2 hasn’t been made official, but the Warriors are preparing as if Curry won’t be available.
“I talked to him at halftime, he’s obviously crushed, but the guys picked him up and played a great game,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said after Tuesday’s game. “Obviously, we’re all concerned about Steph, but it’s part of the game. Guys get hurt, and you move on, and our guys did a great job of moving on and getting a win, 48 hours after a Game 7 road win.”
