How to Use a Draw No Bet (When and Why)
Written with AI assistance and reviewed by LokeNessiSport Editorial · Last updated: July 2026
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Understand what Draw No Bet actually is
In a Draw No Bet market you back one team to win, and the draw is voided rather than lost. There are three real-world results but only two ways your bet settles: if your team wins, the bet wins; if the match is drawn, your stake is returned in full; and if your team loses, the bet loses. In effect you are backing a side to win with built-in insurance against the draw. It is most associated with football and other sports where draws are common, and it sits between a straight win bet and a safer, lower-paying market.
Know how the stake refund settles
The key mechanic is the refund. On a drawn match you get your stake back — no profit, no loss — as if the bet had never been placed. Because the bookmaker is giving you that protection, Draw No Bet always pays shorter odds than backing the same team on the straight match-result (1X2) market. You are trading some potential profit for the removal of the draw as a losing outcome. Understanding that trade-off is the whole point of the market: you pay for safety with a lower price.
See where the odds come from with a worked example
Draw No Bet odds are derived from the straight win price and the draw price, so they are not a separate opinion — they are the same market repackaged. Take a simple example: suppose a team is 2.10 to win and the draw is 3.50 on the standard 1X2 market. The Draw No Bet price on that team will land at roughly 1.75. You are paid less than the 2.10 straight-win price precisely because the draw no longer costs you your stake. The exact figure a bookmaker shows may differ slightly because of their margin, but the logic is always the same: DNB is shorter than the win, because the draw is no longer a loss.
Compare Draw No Bet with backing the straight win
Choose the straight win market when you are confident your team will actually win and you want the full price for that opinion — you accept losing the whole stake if it ends level. Choose Draw No Bet when you fancy a team but genuinely fear the draw, for example a strong side that often grinds out tight, low-scoring games, or a favourite missing attacking players. The straight win pays more but punishes a draw; Draw No Bet pays less but hands your stake back on a draw. Neither is "better" in the abstract — it depends on how likely you think the draw is and how much price you are willing to give up to avoid it.
Compare Draw No Bet with Double Chance
Double Chance and Draw No Bet both reduce risk but in different ways, and confusing them is a common mistake. Double Chance covers two of the three results as winners — for instance "home win or draw" pays out on either, but a defeat still loses your stake and the odds are very short. Draw No Bet covers only the win as a payout, but refunds the draw rather than counting it as a win. Double Chance protects you against the draw and also stakes a claim on it as profit; Draw No Bet only protects against it. As a rule of thumb, Double Chance is the more cautious, lower-paying choice, and Draw No Bet sits between it and the straight win.
Decide when Draw No Bet is the sensible pick
Draw No Bet tends to make sense in specific situations: matches you expect to be cagey and low-scoring, cup or European ties where teams play conservatively, a favourite with a key attacker missing, or any spot where your reason for liking a team is real but your fear of a stalemate is also real. It is less useful when you expect an open, high-scoring game where a draw is unlikely — there you are paying for insurance you probably do not need, and the straight win offers better value. Always check whether the reduced Draw No Bet odds still represent value against your own estimate of the team's win probability before choosing it.
Fit it into a wider staking plan
Draw No Bet changes the shape of a single bet's risk, but it does not change the fundamentals: you still need to be taking a price that offers value, and you still need sensible staking. Because DNB stakes are occasionally refunded, some bettors treat it as a slightly lower-variance option and size accordingly, but it is not a safe bet — your team can still lose and take your stake with it. Keep unit sizes consistent, avoid chasing losses, and judge Draw No Bet the same way you judge any market: is the price generous relative to the real chance of the outcome.
Responsible gambling
Draw No Bet reduces one specific risk — the draw — but it does not make betting safe, and nothing guarantees profit. Your stake is at risk on every bet. Only bet money you can afford to lose, set deposit and time limits before you start, and treat betting as entertainment. LokeNessiSport is an independent information platform for adults aged 18 and over and does not accept bets; availability and the legality of online betting depend on where you live, so check your local rules and eligibility first. If gambling is causing harm, free confidential help is available at BeGambleAware.org and in our responsible gambling resources at /responsible-gambling.
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