Definition
Draw no bet is a football market with two outcomes - one team or the other to win - where if the match is drawn, the stake is refunded. It removes the risk of losing on a draw at the cost of a shorter price than backing the same team on the standard match-result (1X2) market, because the bookmaker prices in the possibility of returning the stake.
It is equivalent to an Asian handicap line of 0.
DNB suits a bettor who is fairly confident a team will not lose but is unsure about the draw. It reduces variance relative to a straight win bet and removes the dead outcome, but it is not free insurance - the price is adjusted so the bookmaker keeps its margin.
In context
For affiliates, draw no bet is a term that belongs in betting-education and preview content because it is a common, useful market that many bettors do not fully understand - particularly that it is the same as an Asian handicap of 0 and that the shorter price is the cost of the draw refund, not a worse deal in disguise. Content should work an example comparing the DNB price to the 1X2 win price for the same team and show what happens in each result (win, draw refund, loss).
The honest framing is standard: DNB changes the risk profile (lower variance, no dead stake on a draw) but not the underlying expectation - the bookmaker's margin still applies, adjusted into the price. Content should not present DNB as a way to beat the book or as risk-free (a loss is still a full loss), should compare operators where relevant, and should carry age-gating and responsible-gambling messaging.
For affiliate-facing content, the framing is that draw no bet is a two-way football market that refunds the stake on a draw, that it is equivalent to an Asian handicap of 0, that its shorter price reflects the draw refund rather than poor value, and that it should be explained as a variance-reduction choice with the bookmaker's margin still applied.
Worked example
An affiliate's explainer compares a team at 2.50 on the 1X2 win market versus 1.90 on draw no bet: on a win both pay, on a draw the DNB refunds the stake while the 1X2 bet loses, and on a loss both lose. It states DNB equals an Asian handicap of 0, that the shorter price is the draw-refund cost, and carries responsible-gambling messaging.
Related terms
Frequently asked questions
Browse more iGaming terms in our glossary.
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