Anyone who has been betting on sports long enough has felt it: that moment when your player goes down in the first quarter and your ticket’s basically toast. The Fair Play Policy at Fanatics Sportsbook is built to soften that blow.
It’s basically a built-in safety net for wagers tied to individual player performance when players get injured early, so your ticket doesn’t go completely up in smoke. So, instead of forcing you to eat a loss on something you couldn’t control, the Fair Play Policy can refund your stake on a single prop or adjust your parlay so the rest of your picks still have a shot.
And it’s not just us saying so: over $9.5 million in bets have already been paid back or salvaged through Fair Play payouts since the feature launched, which says a lot about how often this kind of thing happens during a long NBA or football season.
🤔 What Is Fanatics Fair Play?
Think of it like this: you’ve got a straight bet on Aaron Jones’ rushing yards, but he tweaks an affected leg on his second carry and doesn’t return. Or maybe you’ve got him in a same game parlay with a quarterback TD prop.
Under the Fanatics Sportsbook Fair Play Policy, Jones’ bum leg doesn’t sink your ticket. Single bets on an individual player can get refunded, “under” props might be graded as wins, and in parlays, the busted leg gets voided so the rest still runs with recalculated odds.
The policy covers props in most major sports, though more on that later, and the rules aren’t random. Each league has its own rules when it comes to Fair Play, tied to when the player starts and how soon they leave.
Why it matters:
- More forgiving than other sportsbooks: Some books just let you lose; here, the Fair Play policy can save you or even turn an “under” into a win. DraftKings‘ Early Exit policy is comparable, but it still doesn’t have quite the same kick.
- Automatic: No forms, no chasing down customer service. If it qualifies, it triggers.
- Keeps the sweat alive: In a parlay, you still have a chance to cash the rest.
For those of you who lean heavy on player props, whether it’s LeBron’s assists in the NBA playoffs or a pitcher lasting at least one pitch in April, the Fanatics Sportsbook Fair Play Policy takes a little sting out of bad luck.
If you want to see the Fair Play policy in action, register today with the help of the Fanatics Sportsbook promo.
💰 Bet Types for Fanatics Sportsbook Fair Play
The Fanatics Sportsbook Fair Play Policy isn’t tied to every single betting market. It focuses on wagers built around an individual player’s performance rather than the team’s final result.
If you’re wondering what qualifies, think of it like this:
- Covered prop examples: Points, rebounds, assists, rushing yards, passing TDs, home runs, strikeouts, saves, goals… basically, the stats we all check first after a game.
- Single player prop bets: If your guy starts the game but gets injured early under the Fair Play rules for that sport, you can get refunded. Or, if it’s an “under,” it could be graded as a win.
- Parlay bets with player props: If one leg blows up because of an injury, the Fair Play policy voids that leg, recalculates the odds, and your ticket still has life.
- Not covered: Full game totals, team totals, or anything that’s not directly about one player.
The whole idea is to keep betting fans from losing a wager just because someone’s hamstring went in the first quarter or a pitcher barely threw at least one pitch before walking off.
Read Next: Fanatics Sportsbook promo code in Missouri
🏟️ What Leagues Have Fanatics Fair Play + Player Injuries
Fanatics Fair Play covers most of the major professional sports leagues, including the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, WNBA, MLS, and a ton of international soccer competitions, plus professional golf and tennis tournaments.
Each of these has specific timing rules that determine when the protection applies, whether for an injured player or a sub no one saw coming. Here’s the breakdown:
| Sport | Fair Play Rules |
| 🏈 NFL | Player prop bets are refunded or ‘under’ graded as a win if the player leaves in the first half and does not return. Also, there’s no preseason coverage. |
| 🏀 NBA | Regular season: coverage if they’re hurt in the first quarter and don’t return. NBA playoffs: extended to the first half. No All-Star events. |
| ⚾ MLB | Fair Play applies when the listed pitcher starts and throws at least one pitch but leaves before recording three outs. On the other hand, batters have to have one plate appearance but leave before their second. No All-Star events. |
| 🏀 WNBA | Covered if the player exits in the first quarter and doesn’t return. No All-Star coverage. |
| 🏒 NHL | Applies if the player leaves in the first period due to injury and doesn’t return. |
| ⚽ Soccer | Covered if the player starts but is subbed off in the first half of regulation (injury time counts). No friendlies or halftime subs. |
| ⛳ Golf | Tournament props voided if a player withdraws before starting round two after beginning the tournament. |
| 🎾 Tennis | Match bets refunded if a player retires or is disqualified after the match starts. Other unsettled props on that match get stakes returned. |
This policy is built for the stuff that drives sports bettors crazy, like losing a ticket because your wide receiver limped off on the first drive. It’s one of the few play policies in the sportsbook world that actually gives you a fair shake when player injuries wreck a bet.
P.S: The Fair Play hub inside the Fanatics app lists all the leagues and timing rules.
🏅 Fanatics Fair Play Final Tips
The Fair Play Policy runs in the background, so you are already covered when a prop qualifies. The real advantage is knowing how to make the play policy work for you during the grind of a long NBA playoffs or football season.
Here are some of FantasyLabs’ tips to help you make the most of the Fair Play policy:
- Check who actually starts: NFL inactives, MLB lineups, NHL starting goalie, soccer XI. If your player starts, you are in the game. But if your running back for the New York Jets is inactive, Fair Play won’t apply.
- Manage injury risk: For players coming off injuries, stick with safer markets or make them a smaller piece of a same game parlay so a void won’t wipe out the whole ticket. Maybe skip adding that Minnesota Vikings receiver who is nursing a hamstring to every same game parlay.
- Watch for trap situations: MLB “openers” and pinch-hit risks mean fewer plate appearances. And in golf or tennis, past withdrawals are usually a red flag.
- Adjust after voids: If Fair Play voids a leg in your parlay, the odds shift. Sometimes that’s the moment to hedge or just let it ride.
- Follow grading results: Fair Play can flip an “under” into a win or drop a refund into your balance. Those fair play payouts are visible in your betting history so you can reset before the next game.
If anything feels off or you need the latest cutoffs per league, head to the in-app fair play hub in the Fanatics app. It’s the live source for fair play rules, timing windows, and oddball cases. And if a gambling problem is on your radar, get help: call 1-800-GAMBLER.
While Fanatics’ Fair Play is pretty unique, you can also access Bet Protect via the FanDuel promo code.
❓ Fanatics Fair Play Policy Frequently Asked Questions
If you’re still wondering how the Fanatics Policy works in real life, these answers will help you bet smarter and avoid the kind of heartbreak that comes when a ticket dies too soon.
⭐ What does fair play on Fanatics Sportsbook mean?
The Fair Play program at Fanatics Sportsbook protects wagers tied to individual player performance. That means that if a covered player leaves the game early due to injury or similar issues, the play policy can refund your stake or even turn an “under” into a win. In multi-pick bets, the affected part is voided so the remaining picks keep going, sometimes settling the wager.
⭐ Does Fanatics Sportsbook void injured players?
Yep, so if a player meets the fair play requirements and leaves early, single prop bets can be refunded or graded as winners. In a multi-pick ticket though, the removed part is voided so the other picks stay alive. This applies to most major sports, from NFL and NBA to golf.
⭐ When in a game does Fanatics void for fair play?
It depends on the sport. NFL and NBA regular season use the first quarter, while the NBA playoffs go to the first half. MLB applies when a pitcher starts, throws at least one pitch, but leaves before three outs, or a hitter has one plate appearance and leaves before their second. The NHL uses the first period, soccer covers first-half substitutions, and golf or tennis have their own tournament rules.
⭐ How do I qualify for Fanatics Fair Play?
You don’t need to do anything. The policy is automatic for eligible wagers when the player starts and leaves under the timing rules. It’s separate from promos like the FanCash Drop Game, which has its own payouts.
⭐ Where can I check the exact rules?
For the latest rules by league, go to the in-app hub for Fair Play inside the Fanatics app. It’s updated all season, which helps when you’re building game parlays or hedging bets. If a gambling problem is on your radar, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
Injury protection tends to be more common at DFS sites—see our reviews for PrizePicks and Sleeper to learn about their Reboot Policy and Injury Insurance, respectively.
