Nicholas Bavas, a 37-year-old Iowa resident, has filed a lawsuit against DraftKings after the company voided a 20-leg parlay on the Pebble Beach Pro-Am in February last year.
Bavas wagered $325 on the bets on Saturday night, staking that the final leaderboard would be the same as the end of play on day 3. The final day was cancelled due to adverse weather, and the sports betting site subsequently voided the bets.
There had been storms at the end of Saturday, and it was widely anticipated that play on Sunday would be called off, but DraftKings kept their market active. Bavas placed four identical bets combining the winner, top 5 finishers, top 10, and top 20. He then placed one more bet on the top 20 in no particular order. The bets would have paid out at a massive $14,204,781.77.
In the 39-page complaint, it is stated, “The leaderboard of the top 20 golfers at the conclusion of play in the Tournament is not in dispute,” his complaint argues. “All of Bavas’s [b]ets… were therefore winners.”
DraftKings updated rules after bets were placed
DraftKings claimed that its rules meant the bets were invalidated by the cancelled final round. However, it was only after Bavas placed the bets that the terms were updated to state, “In the event there is a reduction in scheduled rounds played, bets placed on any market will be void if… the bet(s) are placed after the final shot of the most recently completed round.”
Prior to the update, rules had stated that any PGA Tour tournament bet would be paid out as long as the players completed at least 36 holes. The complaint details this change with screenshots of before and after, showing that when the bets were placed, the rules should have validated the bets.
DraftKings needs to honor the bets
Bavas’ attorney Darren Kaplan told The Independent that DraftKings “didn’t really give an explanation” for canceling the bets. Instead, according to Kaplan, “they just told him the bet would not be honored.” Co-counsel Benjamin Lynch also stated, “He placed a valid bet and DraftKings needs to honor it.”
Other bettors were also angered by DraftKings decision to void the bets, with one user posting a bet receipt on X that showed a $20 parlay with a possible payout of $755,415.17.
DraftKings is also facing a lawsuit in Indiana, where a bettor landed a 7-leg parlay worth $150,000 on a Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets NBA match. The operator refused to pay, citing an obvious error in the odds.
Additionally, MLB players are suing the company over the use of their images on its website and social media posts. A court rejected a motion to dismiss the case last week.
Adam is an experienced writer with years of experience in the gambling industry. He has worked as a content writer and editor for five years on sites such as Oddschecker, CoinTelegraph and Gambling Industry News, bringing excellent knowledge of the world of sports betting and online gambling. Adam focuses on emerging stories in the ever changing landscape of betting in the US. Read the latest on prediction markets, changing legislation, and sweepstakes.
