One of the biggest online sports betting sites in the world has paid back millions of dollars to players because of boring games at the 2022 World Cup.
Bet365 said on Wednesday, after another 0-0 tie in Qatar, that it had now refunded more than US$7 million (or C$9 million) to customers due to its "Bore Draw" offer that returns stakes if the match finishes 0-0.
To be eligible, bettors must place a bet before a match on certain markets, such as on both the outcome at the end of the half and end of the game, anytime goalscorers, or if a player will score with a header. If the match finishes 0-0, and the bet loses, a player will have their money returned to them.
And, according to bet365, its users are taking full advantage of the offer.
“Thanks to the Bore Draw + offer, we’ve now refunded over £6 million in the past 24 hours,” bet365 spokesperson Steve Freeth said on Wednesday. “We’ve enhanced our popular Bore Draw offer to include more markets, as well as Bet Builders for the World Cup, so many of our customers won’t be too disappointed despite three 0-0 draws in the past four group matches.”
Morocco and Croatia ends goalless at Al Bayt Stadium.
— bet365 (@bet365) November 23, 2022
Our Bore Draw Money Back + Offer has been triggered for a third time in Qatar.
The offer is just one of the tactics that operators are using to entice customers during the World Cup, which is a major event for legal sportsbooks around the world. A bit of kindness to bettors now could keep them around and wagering after the tournament, when they’ll no longer get refunds for boring games.
And the £6 million or so thus far is just some of the refunding bet365 has done because of the boring-match offer. The global bookmaker now claims to have returned approximately US$48 million (C$65 million) over the past four major soccer tournaments.
“Denmark vs France was the only 0-0 after normal time in Russia 2018, but there were 11 ‘Bore Draws’ at the 2014 showpiece which included a semi-final and the final between Germany and Argentina,” Freeth said in a recent blog post. “The Euro 2016 Final was another huge game that qualified for the concession as did England vs Scotland at Euro 2020 – let’s see what happens at the 2022 World Cup!”
