DraftKings Adds Early Exit Refunds for Player Injuries

DraftKings Sportsbook is rolling out a new feature aimed at giving bettors a bit more peace of mind when things don’t go as planned—especially when injuries hit early.

Good to know

• The “Early Exit” feature covers injuries or unexpected exits in the first part of games.
• Applies to full-game player props, singles, and parlays, but not live bets or under wagers.
• Credits are issued within 24 hours if a bet qualifies.

Bettors know the frustration—placing a prop bet only to watch a key player leave the game moments later due to an injury. DraftKings says its “Early Exit” program will now step in when that happens, giving bettors their money back in the form of site credits if their bet is heavily impacted by that early departure.

The feature applies across multiple sports including MLB, NFL, NBA, WNBA, NHL, golf, and competitive soccer matches. Each sport has a specific time window where an injury must occur for a bet to qualify.

In MLB, for example, bettors are covered if a starting pitcher exits before recording three outs or if a starting hitter doesn’t make it to their second at-bat. For NBA and WNBA games, the first quarter is the cutoff for regular season, but the NBA postseason extends that to the first half. In the NFL, the player must exit before the end of the first quarter. Hockey covers the first period, golf counts if the player withdraws before round two, and in soccer, a player has to be subbed off in the first half (excluding halftime).

If a player’s injury qualifies and affects a parlay leg, DraftKings will remove that leg and recalculate the payout based on what’s left. Straight wagers tied to the injured player will be refunded with credits. However, bets that already hit before the injury, under bets, live bets, or anything outside the qualifying window won’t get credit.

The company noted that it holds full discretion over how the rule is applied and can change it as needed.

DraftKings has already put the feature into action. Over the weekend, the sportsbook credited bets tied to Reds pitcher Chase Burns, even though it wasn’t an injury that caused the issue. Burns pitched three outs before the MLB Speedway Classic was suspended due to weather. DraftKings explained on X (formerly Twitter), “Since it was a unique situation, we’re making your Chase Burns wagers eligible for Early Exit credits.”

By adding this layer of insurance, DraftKings is trying to keep players happy—and maybe even more likely to return—when games don’t play out as expected.