A typographical error in a betting line on a Cleveland Browns-Kansas City Chiefs game in January led to a
The error was revealed last week by the
It involved the
In such bets, gamblers wager on whether a particular player or group of players will exceed a certain statistical benchmark, or fall short of it.
In documents released by the state, it was revealed that BetMGM intended to offer bets on whether Mayfield and Mahomes would each pass for 300 or more yards in the game.
But due to a manual error in posting the bet, the “3” was dropped, and bettors were given the option of betting on whether the two quarterbacks would pass for “00” yards or more during the game.
If either quarterback completed just one pass for just one yard, the bet would have been a winner. The pair combined for 459 passing yards.
Five customers of BetMGM pounced on it, as did four on Borgata Online before the odds were corrected. Borgata is owned by
According to state documents,
The state responded that the bets could not be cancelled until after an investigation. That same day, the company decided to let the bets stand and to pay them off; BetMGM confirmed Thursday it had paid the bettors.
Ironically, one of BetMGM's main enticements for new customers is a no-brainer bet, one designed to be so easy to win that it's almost a given. A typical incentive would be a
It was not the first time a technical error led to an unexpected payout for sharp-eyed bettors.
In
FanDuel initially sought to void the bets, but then changed course and agreed to pay them, according to state documents.
Most sports books have policies that state they are not obligated to pay off on obviously incorrect betting propositions, known in the business as palpable errors or “palps.” But nothing prevents companies from choosing to honour the bets voluntarily.
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