DraftKings lost a bag on Thursday night.
The sportsbook ran a promotion for Game 1 of the NBA Finals in which bettors were guaranteed a win as long as the team they bet on took a lead of 10 or more points at any stage of the game.
The promotion was only for moneyline bets and required an opt-in; select bettors weren't eligible for the promo.
Qualified bettors who bet on the Warriors at a price of -165 won their wager even though Golden State ended up losing the game. The Warriors led by at least 10 points on three separate occasions — including as early as the second quarter — and even entered the fourth quarter up 12 before unraveling down the stretch.
Golden State was outscored, 40-16, in the last frame en route to a 120-108 loss.
And, of course, a Celtics ticket at +145 also won by virtue of the final score, but that bet was guaranteed before the end of the game. Boston went up 114-103 with 2:53 remaining in the fourth quarter.
As long as a bettor was qualified and opted-in properly, they were assured a profit no matter what. But through Friday morning, Warriors moneyline bettors had not yet been compensated and their bet was graded as a loss.
All bettors were eventually paid out in full at around 12:30 p.m. ET on Friday, said Stephen Miraglia, a spokesperson for DraftKings.
Miraglia declined to comment on exactly how much the sportsbook lost from the promotion.
The maximum bet was $500 for many and $100 for some, depending on prior betting patterns.
