Your sportsbook will not always provide cash out offers on your bet, and occasionally during a game your cash out will be temporarily suspended. In those precious seconds, you won’t have access to the cash out function, and there will be nothing else to do but wait until the cash out offer has been reevaluated. We are here to help, to explain why this happens and to explore your options so that you are fully equipped for when it happens next time.
The terms and conditions at DraftKings, FanDuel and other major US sportsbooks have clauses about cash out, in that they are within their rights to suspend the market and even not accept your cash out request. There are rare cases in which you may actually not be able to cash out an offer, but these are not everyday scenarios at all. With all these considerations in mind, we will focus on how you can bring the best out of any cash out offers, and how it pertains to your ultimate betting strategy.
Cash Out Suspended General Conditions for Cash Out Offers
The cash out markets usually go live once a game that a bet is tied to starts. However, this is not always the case, as we have to take into consideration the fact that:
A) You may have a parlay with legs on different games, and they are not playing at the same time
B) Your sportsbook may offer a pre-game cash out on your bet
Scenario b) is not common, but it gives you a chance to sell your bet back before the game has started. Most sportsbooks do not allow you to cancel your bet, but if you receive such a cash out offer, then you can use this as an alternative to canceling any bet you change your mind about. We have to emphasize: this is not a common scenario. Don’t rely on pre-game cash out offers, usually, if you make a bet it is final and canceling a wager is often not possible or a lengthy procedure involving customer support and special requests.
Scenario a) is quite common among parlay bettors, especially with NFL, soccer, MLB, NBA and UFC betting. You can have cash out offers during your first few games, before your next few, right up to the last game on your parlay. Though if one of your picks loses, you will not receive any cash out offers as your entire parlay loses.
Now we will go on to troubleshoot why your cash out is suspended.
Why My Cash Out is Suspended
You had a cash out offer on the table a few seconds ago, but suddenly the markets are put on hold and you cannot cash out your ongoing wager. The most likely cause is that something has happened in the game you have bet on that means the oddsmakers must recalculate the odds.
| Reasons Why Your Cash Out Offer is Suspended | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NFL Medium Frequency | NBA Medium Frequency | Soccer High Frequency | MLB Low Frequency | NHL Medium Frequency | UFC High Frequency | Tennis High Frequency |
| - During a dangerous drive - After a touchdown - During a field goal attempt - During a major review - In overtime | - During the buzzer-beater attempt - When a timeout is called - During critical moments in the fourth quarter - In overtime | - After a goal - During a penalty/dangerous freekick - During VAR reviews - After a possible red card challenge | - During a home run review - When the bases are loaded - During a pitching change | - During a penalty shot - After a goal - In overtime periods | - During a KO attempt - When a fighter is on the verge of submission - During referee interventions | - When the ball is in play - At match point - When challenges are called |
These are the most likely causes for cash out markets to be suspended, though there are all kinds of other factors that can also stop play such as freak accidents, serious injuries, weather conditions, and so on. Due to the nature of some sports, they may have more points at which cash outs are suspended. For example, tennis betting has a very high frequency of suspended cash outs, as generally you will only be able to cash out your bets after and before serves. Once the ball is in play, the markets are usually put on hold as the action can settle in seconds and either player can win, making it very difficult to generate quick odds during play.
On the subject of frequency of suspended cash out offers, we also have to point out that straight bets have fewer hiccups than parlay wagers. The more bets you have in your parlay, the more complicated it is for your sportsbook to calculate a cash out offer. Depending on which wagers you select (as some are not eligible for cash out offers), you will get cash out offers on the following:
- Straight Bets
- Same Game Parlays (SGP)
- Same Game Parlays x (SGPx)
- Round Robin bets
- Parlays
- Teasers
- Live Bets
Some betting markets do not have cash out offers, and bonus bets never have cash out offers.
Higher Rate of Suspended Cash Outs:
Parlays
Round Robin Bets
SGP and SGP+
Cash Out Suspended at DraftKings
At DraftKings, to cash out you have to open My Bets and head to the Cash Out tab. It will show you your ongoing bets, and there will be a yellow button with a cash out offer. By clicking this button and accepting the offer, you can successfully cash out your wager.
However, if the button is not yellow and doesn’t display an offer, the market is temporarily suspended. You will have to wait for a few seconds before the sportsbooks re-evaluate the odds of the bet winning, and then your cash out function should turn yellow again.
Our experts have found that DrafKings has some of the most generous cash-out offers, and you can capitalize on these efficiently through its designated sports betting apps for iOS and Android. The only areas in which we think DraftKings could improve are by indicating which of its betting markets have cash-out functions and introducing a partial cash-out function. Otherwise, it is a fantastic tool for live bettors to make good money on.
Cash Out Suspended at FanDuel
FanDuel is arguably even easier than DraftKings, as you can simply open your Active Bets to check your cash out offers. The little green Cash Out button will display your offer, and when it goes gray then the function is temporarily disabled. Just like DraftKings, FanDuel have quick reload times and the powerful software does not need more than a few seconds to regenerate real time odds. If your cash out button is gray and says Cash Out Unavailable, you only need to wait a few seconds before the function will reactivate and you will get your chance to sell back your bet.
But here is the winner for us. FanDuel gives you the option to make a partial cash out, so that you can lock in a portion of your returns, and keep the rest of your bet running. This really gives FanDuel users the edge, as it gives them more flexibility to manage their cash out offers and optimise their strategy. Another neat little tool is the FanDuel Reuse Selections button, through which you can quickly draft up a replica of your current bet slip, edit it, and make a new bet on the spot.
Legality of Suspending Cash Out Markets
Sportsbooks reserve the right to suspend the cash out markets, or even disable cash out functions for certain bets. It is in the terms and conditions that you accept when you sign up for a sportsbook, and ultimately there is little you can do if your cash out offer is unavailable. That is not all. The terms and conditions at all the major sportsbooks go on to say that in the event of a fault or mistake, the sportsbook has the right to rescind a cash out offer.
This is an extremely rare scenario, but if it does happen to you, you need to know the reason why. The most likely cause is that an error has occured during the game, and the sportsbook has not taken this into account.
In the early days of VAR in soccer, the scenario was more common than it is now. A player scores a goal, the odds are recalculated and bettors cashed out their wagers with the new odds. But then the goal was reviewed, and if it was disallowed, the sportsbooks then had to take the cashed out money back.
Quite embarrassing for the operators and more than frustrating for bettors, but now the lessons have been learned and sportsbooks generally wait until VAR reviews have been concluded.
Of course, that is not the only example, as other freak incidents can cause mishaps and errors, but for the most part, the sportsbook will not offer cash outs until the facts have been verified. Therefore, you won’t run into the problem of having cashed out money taken out of your account. We cannot emphasize how rare it is nowadays.
Alternatives to Cash Out Bets
One of the best alternatives to cash out that we have found is Early Payout offers. These are only offered at a select few sportsbooks, and the conditions are quite strict. The best sportsbook in the US that we have found with such offers is bet365. The UK-based sportsbook has Early Payout offers on NFL, NCAAF, NBA, NCAAB, Hockey, and Soccer. DraftKings also has a similar feature, the Early Win betting promotion, in which your bets can win if your chosen team leads by a specific margin.
The idea is that you place a moneyline bet, and if your chosen team is winning by a specific margin, then they will automatically win the bet. The margin is set by the conditions of the Early Payout offer, such as going 2 goals ahead in a soccer game or leading an NFL game by 17+ points.
Another great alternative to cash out is through no sweat bets, parlay insurance, and retirement/substitution guarantees. With no sweat bets and parlay insurance offers, you must place an original bet, and if it loses you get a chance to try again with a complimentary bonus bet. After losing, you can redeem your bonus bet, which you can then use to try to win back the money you lost on your first wager.
Retirement or substitution guarantees relate to individual players. In substitution guarantees, if your chosen player is forced to leave the game early, the sportsbook will either make your bet void or return your stake in bonus bets. Retirement guarantees most often relate to tennis, in that if you bet on a player to win and the opponent is forced to retire, then your selection gets paid as a winner. They technically didn’t win the game, as the opponent retires, but the offer covers that eventuality as well, so you will still win.
How to Optimise Your Cash Out Strategy
Heading back to cash out offers, there is not much you can do if the market is suspended. Where cash outs are involved, quick decision making is key to success. If your bet is heading towards a loss, the earlier you can cash out, the better. The offer will only reduce as the minutes tick away, before the sportsbook does not offer anything at all.
If you have picked a winner, it is always better to let the bets run their natural course than cash out any offers. The sportsbook will always offer you a lower amount than what you stand to win if you let your bet run. So the cash out is more of a safety precaution, to be used if you think any late action can spoil your wager.
Bettors who plan on using live bets and cash out functions should do their research when browsing different sportsbooks. You need a good sportsbook that have tons of live bets and quickly generates real time odds. Plus, your chosen sportsbook should have a powerful mobile app that can seamlessly deliver these live odds and cash out offers. We have analysed countless sportsbooks for how quickly and smoothly they can offer live bets and cash outs. Below are some of the top sportsbooks we have found.
