What Happens if a Player You Bet on Gets Injured?
Written by
Joe - Poker PlayerLast updated:
February 18, 2023
What happens to your prop bet if a player you bet on gets injured? The answer to that requires greater exploration because it can vary based on several factors, including when the players get injured and the sportsbook rules and regulations.
Player injuries can typically affect wagers specific to a player’s individual performance known as player prop bets, be it in a team sport or a 1-vs-1 match. This article helps answer the question by explaining what factors can affect the outcome of the bet (i.e., if it gets void or not). At the same time, it also mentions what specific sportsbooks do when a player gets injured.
Understanding Key Sports Betting Terms
Before getting into the house rules, let’s get your memory a refresh on the meaning of some sports betting key terms related to the outcome of any placed wager.
- Void: this means that your bet is canceled. In this context, canceled means that you’ll have your money returned back to you. More reasons than one can lead to a void bet, such as the event not taking place, a player being pulled out of a match before it starts, etc.
- Ejected: players or coaches of a team can get ejected during a specific sport due to playing against the rules. For example, there are specific rules for players in the NBA, i.e., the National Basketball Association in the United States. A specific coach or player can be ejected if they do the following.
- 2 technical fouls that are unsportsmanlike
- 2 “type 1” flagrant fouls during a match
- Injury: in this case, we are referring to injuries as severe situations where players are unable to play a game or continue playing a match. It does not refer to a player getting a minor injury that may or may not affect how they play (mostly—more on this below).
- Inactive: this term is specific to a player’s contribution/participation in a specific game. For example, an inactive player in an NFL match may be considered inactive by a sportsbook if the player does not place a snap. A snap is when a player passes the ball to one of their teammates by throwing it under their legs.
What Happens to Prop Bets When a Player is Injured: Difference by Sport
As mentioned above, there is no definitive answer to whether a bet is void when a player is injured. Factors like the time of injury and their activity matter. In addition, sportsbooks treat prop bets differently by sport and even the type of ticket.
That said, let’s review how players injuries can affect the outcome of your bets depending on the sport, house rules, and the ticket.
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If a player gets injured, is the bet void in football?
Football can refer to American football, which is part of the National Football League (NFL). However, the following two scenarios applies to both American football and soccer when a player gets injured.
1. The time the injury occurred
In this case, the bet will be considered void if the player is injured (and cannot play a game) before a match. However, the bet will NOT be considered void if the player is injured (and cannot play a game) during a match, i.e., the player is active.
2. Whether the injury led to the player becoming inactive
If the injury happens before the game, making the injured player inactive and preventing them from playing in the given match, the wager will be voided.
However, the bet will NOT be considered void if the player is injured but will still play the match you’re betting on. What may happen instead is that the sportsbook will adjust the odds for the player to ensure that the bets are fair based on their skill level after the injury.
What happens if you bet on a player and they get injured in NBA?
The same points mentioned above for NFL matches may apply to the NBA. Again, the exact rules will depend on the sportsbook. For example, a sportsbook, such as FanDuel, may declare that an NBA player must be on the court for them to be considered active.
If a player gets hurt, is the bet void on FanDuel?
No, your bet will not be void if a player is hurt during a game, be it football, basketball, or another sport. This rule assumes that the player was injured during a match. What’s important to note is that the player must be active for the bet to not get void.
Fanduel has provided specific instructions for this that you should note. A player that gets hurt before a game, i.e., they are deemed inactive, will void the bet. In that case, FanDuel will return your money (i.e., your wager on the canceled bet), and you can choose another bet (if available). FanDuel explains that betting is about taking risks, and a player getting injured during a game is a risk that all bettors take. Thus, it’s a fair ask.
If a player gets hurt, does the bet void on DraftKings?
When a tennis player retires mid-way of the game due to an injury, all bets up until that point will stand. Moreover, bets on any teams or players of a game that have played up to a point before an event is canceled will stand. DraftKings also has declared the right to void any bet at its discretion.
What happens if you bet on a player and they get injured BetMGM?
BetMGM claims that postponed or canceled games will lead to a void bet. However, if the game is only delayed by a few hours, the bets stand as they were. Thus, players that are inactive and injured beforehand can lead to a void bet. However, that can vary based on the sport. For example, BetMGM will not refund bets on injured players (even beforehand) on PFL games.
Caesars Sportsbook player injury policy
Caesars Sportsbook treats players injuries by sport. But according to the house rules, for player prop bets to be have action, any player must play at least one snap. The rule is adjusted according to the sports as follows:
| Sport | Rule for Player Prop Bet to be Considered “Action” |
| Footabll | The player must play |
| Baseball | The player must play |
| Basketball | The player must play |
| Hockey | The player must play |
| Soccer | The player must start(Extra time and penalty kick shootout statistics are not included) |
Prop bet as a part of a regular parlay ticket(multiple games)
If your player prop bet is a part of regular parlay and the player gets injured, the sportsbook will remove that leg from your ticket and the remaining legs will be counted as normal. The payout will be adjusted accordingly. It means, the overall parlay will pay out at a smaller odds.
For example, suppose you make a 3-leg props parlay with the odds of +600 and two legs win, while one pushes. In this case, only the two legs that won will pay out. In fact, your ticket becomes a two-leg parlay with the adjusted payout.
What if the injured player was a part of a same-game parlay?
Sportsbooks rules vary dramatically when it comes to grading same-game parlays. Some sportsbook cancel or void the entire ticket when the player you bet on does not play, while others, like Draftkings reprice the ticket with that player prop bet being removed.
Injured player and college props
College sports prop bets are considered a quite niche betting market as college sports betting is not legal in all US states and also betting on such events is not that popular. For these reasons, no official injury reports and inconsistency in snap counts reporting allows sportsbooks to easily grade props bets as void when a college sport player is injured. Still, the rules widely vary among sportsbooks. If you have experience with an online bookie in grading such tickets, share it with the our sports bettors community on X.
What happens if you bet on a player and they get ejected?
Most sportsbooks will NOT consider the bet void if the player is ejected during a game. There’s always a risk with sports betting, and ejection is part of it. Thus, prop bets will stand because of this reason.
What happens to a live bet if the player is injured?
Live betting is quite riskier than other types of wagering. Because everything changes in real time, countless factors affect the course of the game and its outcome, hence, lines are adjusted quickly and you should decide as quickly.
While placing a live bet, if the player is injured during the course of the game and cannot play anymore, your bet will be graded as “No Action” and your wager will be returned to you. If the player returns to playing after being injured, the odds will be adjusted.
Final Thoughts
Make it a habit to read through a sportsbook’s house rules before you start placing bets there. As mentioned above, the rules vary among sportsbooks, so the best way to familiarize yourself with the rules is to look at what each website says. You can find details about injured or inactive players and much more.
In addition to that, get in touch with the customer service personnel if you still have lingering questions. Their job is to assist you, so you should ensure that you’re getting the most out of your betting experience at a specific website. That is why we recommend the online US sportsbooks with the best customer support. To get a quicker and more accurate response, try to keep your questions specific to help the representative understand your point easily.
You must remember that you’re putting your money on the line with every bet. So, make sure to choose your sportsbook wisely and educate yourself about their rules and policies.
