DraftKings Says It Was Right to Void Golf Bettor’s $14.2M Payout

US betting and gaming giant DraftKings has insisted that it was in the right to void the wagers of an Iowa man who was set to win some $14.2 million. The operator insisted that its policy allows it to cancel any bets due to errors.

A Player’s Bets Were Voided

The situation stems from the wagers of Nicholas Bavas, who placed multiple wagers on the 2024 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am golf tournament. While the weather reports showed that heavy rains were coming and that there was a significant chance of the final round of the tournament getting canceled, DraftKings was still accepting bets. As a result, Bavas placed a few opportunistic wagers.

Bavas placed a total of five wagers on the golf tournament’s outcome. At first, he wagered $100 on a 20 Picks parlay, selecting Wyndham Clark as the winner. He later bet $25 on a separate parlay, in which he listed the top 20 finishers. An hour later, Bavas wagered $50 more on the same 20 Picks parlay as his first one. Half an hour later, he wagered another identical bet for $100. A few minutes after that, he made a $50 bet that was identical to his third one.

The tournament’s final round was eventually canceled due to the rain and wind, with the PGA Tour confirming that there would be no play on the next day. As a result, the tournament standings prior to the final round’s cancellation were considered final.

Under these results, Bavas should have won $14.2 million. DraftKings, however, thought otherwise and voided the wagers. While Bavas got his bets back, he felt deprived of a multi-million-dollar payout and initiated a lawsuit against the operator.

Bavas Took DraftKings to Court

Bavas’ complaint insists that DraftKings’ decision to void the wagers was unfair. His lawyers slammed DraftKings’ house rules, accusing the company of having double standards. They argued that the company has a “dizzying array of interlocking sets of rules” that govern all of its wagers but seems to leverage an entirely different ruleset when “unforeseen events occur that require an unanticipated large payout by DraftKings.”

Attorney Ben Lynch pointed out that if Bavas had wagered on losing golfers, DraftKings would not have allowed him to cancel his bets and claim a refund after the tournament was cut short. Lynch furthermore argued that DraftKings’ rules at the time of the tournament did not allow it to void the bets and asserted that “they changed the rules after this tournament.”

Bavas and his lawyers are now seeking damages for breach of contract and violations of consumer protection laws.

DraftKings Denies Any Wrongdoing

DraftKings, however, insisted that its rules allow it to void any “futures bets” placed after the last shot of what is later designated as the final round. However, since Bavas’ parlays also involved other players and rounds, these rules shouldn’t have applied.

In any case, DraftKings has maintained that it is innocent, saying that Bavas should have been well aware of the risks associated with his wagers.

The trial is set to take place in September 2026.