Draw no bet (often shortened to DNB) is a betting market that removes the draw from the equation: you back one team to win, and if the game ends level your stake is simply returned. It turns a normal three-way match into a two-way bet, which is why many punters reach for it when they fancy a side but worry about a stalemate. This guide explains exactly how the market settles, why its odds are lower than a standard win bet, how it differs from similar markets, and the situations where it does and does not make sense.
What draw no bet means
Most team sports are priced as a three-way market, also called 1X2: the home win, the draw, and the away win. On a standard win bet, a draw counts as a loss. Draw no bet changes that. You still pick a team, but the draw is taken out as a possible result — it neither wins nor loses your bet.
In practice the market only has two live outcomes for your money: your team wins, or your team loses. The draw becomes a “void” result, meaning the bet is cancelled and your original stake comes back. If you want a fuller picture of how prices, pools and payouts fit together, our guide on how sports betting works in New Zealand covers the basics.
How a draw no bet wager settles
There are three things that can happen, and only three:
- Your team wins — the bet wins and pays out at the odds you took.
- The match ends in a draw — the bet is void and your full stake is refunded. You make no profit and no loss.
- Your team loses — the bet loses and your stake is gone. The refund only applies to a draw, not to a defeat.
The key point is that draw no bet protects you against one outcome — the draw — and nothing more. It does not make a losing team safer; if your pick is beaten, the bet is settled as a loss just like any other.
Why the odds are shorter
Because draw no bet removes a way to lose, the trade-off is a lower price than the same team’s standard win odds. A bookmaker is effectively charging you for the draw insurance.
A simplified example shows why. Imagine a match where the prices imply a 50% chance of the home win, 25% a draw and 25% an away win. A plain win bet on the home side would pay around 2.00, because 1 ÷ 0.50 = 2.00. With draw no bet, the draw is set aside, so you are backing the home team in a two-way contest it wins roughly two times out of three once draws are excluded (50 out of the remaining 75). That shortens the fair price to about 1.50. A bookmaker’s built-in margin usually trims it a little further.
So the question is never “which price is better” in isolation — the win bet always pays more. It is whether the draw protection is worth the smaller return for the match in front of you. Thinking in those terms is the heart of value betting: comparing the odds on offer with how likely you think each result really is.
Draw no bet vs other ways to cover the draw
Draw no bet is one of several markets that deal with the draw differently. The table below lines them up on the same outcomes so you can see where each one sits.
Market comparison
| Market | Your team wins | Match drawn | Your team loses | In short |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Match winner (1X2) | Pays out | Bet loses | Bet loses | Highest odds, three-way risk |
| Draw no bet | Pays out | Stake refunded (void) | Bet loses | Shorter odds, draw protected |
| Double chance (team or draw) | Pays out | Pays out (smaller return) | Bet loses | Lowest odds, draw still wins |
| Asian handicap 0 (level ball) | Pays out | Stake refunded (push) | Bet loses | Same settlement as draw no bet |
Double chance
Double chance combines two of the three results into one bet — for example “home win or draw”. The difference is important: with double chance a draw is a winning result and pays out, whereas with draw no bet a draw only refunds your stake. Double chance therefore carries even shorter odds than draw no bet, because it covers two live outcomes instead of one-and-a-half.
Asian handicap 0 (level ball)
An Asian handicap of 0, sometimes called “level ball”, settles in exactly the same way as draw no bet: your team wins and the bet pays, the game is level and the stake is refunded (a “push”), or your team loses and the bet loses. The two markets are mechanically identical, so it is worth comparing prices — some bookmakers list both for the same match and the odds can differ slightly. Our guide on how to read betting lines explains handicaps and other lines in more detail.
When draw no bet makes sense
Draw no bet is a tool for a specific situation, not an all-purpose upgrade. It tends to suit:
- Low-scoring sports and matches where draws are common, such as football, where taking the draw off the table removes a realistic way to lose.
- A favourite you trust to avoid defeat but not to win comfortably — cup ties, derbies and cagey fixtures where a stalemate feels possible.
- Building steadier accumulators, where one surprise draw would otherwise sink the whole slip.
It is less useful when a draw is unlikely or impossible, because you are paying for insurance you do not need. A sensible approach is to fold the decision into a wider plan rather than picking the market match by match; our framework on building a betting strategy covers staking and record-keeping that apply here too.
Common mistakes
- Treating it as risk-free. Draw no bet only refunds a draw; a loss is still a loss.
- Ignoring the shorter price. Over many bets, the reduced odds eat into returns, so use it only when a draw is a genuine threat.
- Forgetting the settlement period. Most draw no bet markets settle on normal time, so a result decided in extra time or a penalty shoot-out may not count the way you expect.
Draw no bet in different sports
The market only exists where a draw is possible. It is most common in football betting, where around a quarter of matches end level, and it also appears in rugby, cricket limited-over caveats aside, and other codes that can finish tied. In sports and formats that always produce a winner — most tennis matches, basketball with overtime, or knockout ties taken to a shoot-out — there is nothing for draw no bet to protect against, so the market is rarely offered.
Betting on draw no bet in New Zealand
In New Zealand, TAB NZ is the only licensed operator for sports and racing betting following the Racing Industry Amendment Act 2025, and the Department of Internal Affairs oversees the sector. Odds are shown in decimal format, so a draw no bet price of 1.60 returns $1.60 for every $1 staked (your $1 back plus 60 cents profit) if the bet wins, and your stake back if the match is drawn. You can read more about the rules and safer wagering in our overview of betting in New Zealand.
Responsible gambling
This article is for general information only. It does not encourage betting and is not betting advice. Draw no bet lowers the exposure on one outcome, but it does not remove the risk of losing your stake, and no market, system or staking method can guarantee a profit. You must be 18 or over to bet in New Zealand. If gambling is causing harm to you or someone you know, free and confidential help is available 24/7 from the Gambling Helpline Aotearoa on 0800 654 655, or by texting 8006.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does draw no bet include extra time and penalties?
Usually no. Most draw no bet markets settle on the result after normal time (90 minutes in football, plus stoppage time). If a knockout tie goes to extra time or a penalty shoot-out, a scoreline that was level at full time will normally void the bet and refund your stake. Always check the bookmaker’s settlement rules for the specific market.
Can I use draw no bet in an accumulator?
Yes. Draw no bet selections can be combined into a multi or accumulator. If one leg ends in a draw, that leg is treated as void and the accumulator recalculates using the remaining legs, rather than the whole bet losing on that result.
Is draw no bet the cheaper option than a straight win bet?
It is cheaper in risk but not in price. You give up some potential return in exchange for getting your stake back on a draw. Whether that is worthwhile depends on how likely a draw is in that particular match — the more drawable the fixture, the more the protection is worth.
Which sports offer draw no bet?
Any sport where a draw is a realistic result — football most of all, plus rugby and other codes that can finish level. Formats that always produce a winner rarely offer the market, because there is no draw to protect against.
