New Jersey bookmaker FanDuel has declined to pay out a bettor his potential winnings of around $82,000 due to a pricing error. The dispute has not yet made it to court but it was reported by a local TV station, which explains that the $110 bet on Broncos was placed at the FanDuel Sportsbook at the Meadowlands Racetrack.
The gambler, identified in News12 New Jersey as Anthony Prince, made an in-game bet on Sunday, relying on Denver Broncos trailing the Oakland Raiders 19-17 in the fourth quarter. Prince went to the counter to place a bet after quarterback Case Keenum passed to the Oakland 18-yard line. FanDuel’s system immediately updated the odds in order to reflect the new situation – Denver had to become a -600 favorite. However, a glitch occurred in the live feed and the odds were displayed differently, putting the Broncos as +75,000 underdogs.
As a result, Prince placed his $110 bet on incorrect 750-1 odds and on his ticket, the potential payout was $82,610. In reality, the correct odds of -600 should have earned him $18.35, ESPN’s David Purdum explains. Eventually, Broncos scored a 20-17 win and Prince went to the counter to collect his winnings. The FanDuel Sportsbook replied that it could not pay him on the 750-1 odds displayed on his ticket. The gambler was instead offered $500, along with skybox tickets to three New York Giants games.
He rejected it, insisting that they owed him the winnings from the ticket. Apparently, Anthony Prince plans on hiring an attorney and demanding the $82,610 payout in court, as it becomes clear from the News12 New Jersey coverage. While the bettor has not yet taken the dispute to court, the case is under investigation by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement, which is the state gambling regulator. Citing New Jersey regulations, ESPN says that betting operators do not have the right to void wagers without approval by the DGE.
FanDuel’s Response
Prince expressed his disappointment with the sportsbook, saying he thought the operation would be much better and safer now that it is legal and regulated. Illegal bookies might still be a better option, however, he noted. In an official statement on Tuesday, FanDuel explained that glitch in their system and said that over an 18 second period, there were several bets placed at the erroneous price during the Sunday game.
The sportsbook added that it paid out all winning bets but at the accurate market price. This is not just an industry practice but such unfortunate cases are specifically addressed in FanDuel’s house rules, the statement continues. Betting companies’ rules and policies, however, should always comply with the state or national regulations. Sportsbooks in other jurisdictions address such issues in a different way. In Nevada, for instance, sports betting operators are required to inform the Gaming Control Board about errors of this nature. An investigation determines whether the bet would be paid off or canceled.
Things are bit different in the United Kingdom where betting regulations are generally very strict and cover any situation. One of the largest bookies in the country is Paddy Power Betfair, the gambling and betting group that owns FanDuel. Whenever glitches in the live-odds feed occur, they are called palpable errors and such bets are void.
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