FanDuel Bet Protect+ Raises Ire Of Problem Gambling Organizations
Jesse M. Cox Published 21/04/2026
FanDuel has introduced a new measure in its prop betting and parlay plays that, on the surface, appears to be somewhat helpful to bettors. FanDuel Bet Protect+ offers insurance against a player suffering an injury that would impact the outcome of a prop bet or a parlay play, including that player.
Citing it as an industry first, FanDuel is offering the injury insurance to players who are willing to add a 3% surcharge to each bet to cover the policy. However, problem gambling organizations are arguing that the additional charge is creating an illusion of control to bettors that, in reality, isn’t really there.
How FanDuel BetProtect+ Works
In unveiling FanDuel BetProtect+, Flutter Entertainment, owners of the online betting site, described it as a measure offering injury protection that puts bettors in control.
“The challenge is that even with the most well-planned bet, the most comprehensive research, the best hunch—it can all get squashed by an unexpected injury,” Jon Sadow, Sportsbook Product Vice President at FanDuel, said in a statement. “We want to allow our customers to regain that loss of control.”
Injuries are among the biggest frustrations for sports bettors, FanDuel cited. They can end a bet before it really has a chance to play out. This has been a persistent pain point across the industry, and sportsbooks have taken various approaches to address it.
In response, FanDuel says it spoke with customers, researched different ways to meet their needs, and ultimately developed a distinct strategy for injury bet protection.
That strategy is the basis for FanDuel BetProtect+. If a player bet on leaves the game due to an injury at any point, on a straight bet such as a player prop, the wager will be refunded in cash. For parlays, the leg involving the injured player is removed from the bet, and the payout on the parlay is recalculated.
Opting in to this offer is entirely up to the individual bettor. They must click to add the insurance to their bet.
Insurance Isn’t A New Concept In Sports Betting
Insurance on parlays has been offered by online sportsbooks for a few years. Generally, if one leg of the parlay fails, it can still pay out if the other legs come in.
And bets have been on occasion refunded when there’s been a key injury to a player in a game. However, this wasn’t so much policy as it was left to the discretion of the individual sportsbook. Often, rather than refund a bet, the sportsbook offers a bonus bet to the victimized player.
Problem Gambling Organizations Don’t Like FanDuel BetProtect+
Not everyone sees the benefit of this unique insurance policy going to the bettor. Those who work in the problem gambling industry believe it is creating a false illusion of control in the mind of the person making the bet.
Isaac Rose-Berman, a fellow at the American Institute for Boys and Men who is also a sports bettor, views the policy as a sneaky way for FanDuel to make even more money off its customers. That’s even though FanDuel is claiming it won’t make a profit off FanDuel BetProtect+.
“There is simply no way this will not print money for FanDuel, and anything suggesting otherwise is a lie,” Rose-Berman told GamblingHarm.org. “Not sure how that verbiage got by legal or frankly anyone with a brain.”
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