Draw No Bet, commonly shortened to DNB, is a football betting market where you select one team to win but receive your stake back if the match ends in a draw.
There are therefore three possible settlement outcomes:
Your team wins → Bet wins
Match ends in a draw → Stake returned
Your team loses → Bet loses
The draw is effectively removed as a losing outcome for your selected team.
What Does DNB Mean in Betting?
DNB stands for Draw No Bet.
Suppose Arsenal plays Chelsea and you select:
Arsenal — Draw No Bet
If Arsenal wins, your bet wins.
If the match finishes level, your stake is normally returned.
If Chelsea wins, your bet loses.
This makes DNB different from the standard 1X2 market, where a draw causes a bet on either team to lose.
Draw No Bet Example
Imagine the market is:
Arsenal DNB — 1.60
Chelsea DNB — 2.30
You place €10 on:
Arsenal Draw No Bet
Possible outcomes:
| Result | Settlement |
|---|---|
| Arsenal wins | Bet wins |
| Draw | €10 stake returned |
| Chelsea wins | Bet loses |
If Arsenal wins and the odds are 1.60:
€10 × 1.60 = €16 total return
That includes your original €10 stake.
If the game ends in a draw, you normally receive the €10 stake back without a profit or loss on that wager.
What Happens if a Draw No Bet Match Ends in a Draw?
The wager becomes a push or void, depending on the terminology used by the sportsbook.
Your stake is returned.
For example:
Liverpool DNB
Liverpool 1-1 Manchester United
The match is drawn.
The Liverpool DNB selection therefore does not win or lose.
The stake is refunded.
Does Draw No Bet Mean You Cannot Lose on a Draw?
Correct.
The defining feature of DNB is that a draw normally results in your stake being returned.
But DNB does not protect you if the opposing team wins.
For example:
Arsenal DNB
Arsenal 1-1 Chelsea → Stake returned
Arsenal 2-0 Chelsea → Win
Arsenal 0-1 Chelsea → Loss
Draw No Bet vs 1X2 Betting
The main difference is how the draw is treated.
A normal 1X2 market offers:
1 — Home win
X — Draw
2 — Away win
If you select Arsenal to win at 1X2:
Arsenal wins → Win
Draw → Loss
Arsenal loses → Loss
With Arsenal Draw No Bet:
Arsenal wins → Win
Draw → Stake returned
Arsenal loses → Loss
Because DNB provides protection against the draw, its odds are normally lower than the corresponding straight 1X2 win price.
For a complete explanation of the three-way market, see our 1X2 Betting Explained guide.
Draw No Bet vs Double Chance
Draw No Bet and Double Chance can both provide protection against a draw, but settlement is different.
Suppose Arsenal plays Chelsea.
Arsenal Draw No Bet
Arsenal wins → Win
Draw → Stake returned
Chelsea wins → Loss
Arsenal or Draw — 1X Double Chance
Arsenal wins → Win
Draw → Win
Chelsea wins → Loss
With Double Chance, the draw is a winning outcome.
With Draw No Bet, the draw normally results in a refund.
This difference is reflected in the odds.
Draw No Bet vs Asian Handicap 0
Draw No Bet is closely related to Asian Handicap 0.
For example:
Arsenal DNB
and:
Arsenal Asian Handicap 0
normally have the same basic settlement:
Arsenal wins → Win
Draw → Stake returned
Arsenal loses → Loss
This is why Asian Handicap 0 is often described as equivalent in settlement to Draw No Bet.
However, sportsbooks may display different odds, rules or market labels, so it is still worth checking the exact terms.
For other handicap lines, see our Asian Handicap Betting Explained guide.
Why Are Draw No Bet Odds Lower Than 1X2 Odds?
DNB removes one way for your selection to lose.
With a standard home-win bet:
home win → win
draw → lose
away win → lose
With home Draw No Bet:
home win → win
draw → refund
away win → lose
Because the draw no longer produces a full loss, sportsbooks normally offer a lower price for the DNB selection than for the equivalent straight match winner.
This does not mean DNB is automatically better value.
The price and probability still need to be considered together.
Draw No Bet Odds Example
Suppose a football match offers:
Arsenal to win — 2.10
Draw — 3.40
Chelsea to win — 3.60
The Draw No Bet market might instead offer approximately:
Arsenal DNB — 1.55
Chelsea DNB — 2.40
These figures are illustrative.
The DNB price is shorter because a draw returns the stake instead of producing a losing bet.
Is Draw No Bet a Two-Way Market?
Yes.
A traditional DNB market presents two team selections:
Home DNB
Away DNB
There is no separate draw selection because the draw results in the qualifying stakes being refunded.
This differs from a standard 1X2 market, which contains three selectable outcomes.
Draw No Bet Home Meaning
Home Draw No Bet means you are backing the home team to win with protection against the draw.
For example:
Arsenal DNB vs Chelsea
Arsenal wins → Win
Draw → Refund
Chelsea wins → Loss
The exact score does not matter.
A 1-0 and a 4-3 home victory both satisfy the same DNB selection.
Draw No Bet Away Meaning
Away Draw No Bet works in exactly the same way for the away side.
For example:
Arsenal vs Chelsea
Chelsea DNB
Chelsea wins → Win
Draw → Refund
Arsenal wins → Loss
What Does DNB 1 Mean?
Some betting interfaces combine DNB terminology with home/away numbering.
If a market identifies:
1 = Home
and:
2 = Away
then DNB 1 generally refers to the home team with the draw removed as a losing outcome.
However, interface terminology varies, so always confirm the team name rather than relying solely on a number.
Is Draw No Bet the Same as “Win or Draw”?
No.
This is an important distinction.
Win or Draw, commonly shown as 1X or X2, is Double Chance.
If the match is drawn, Double Chance normally wins.
With Draw No Bet, the draw normally refunds the stake instead.
Therefore:
DNB ≠ Double Chance
even though both offer some protection against a drawn match.
First-Half Draw No Bet
Sportsbooks may also offer DNB for individual match periods.
For example:
First Half Arsenal Draw No Bet
Only the first-half result matters.
Suppose the scores are:
Half time: Arsenal 0-0 Chelsea
Full time: Arsenal 2-0 Chelsea
The first-half DNB selection would normally be refunded because the first half was drawn.
The eventual full-time Arsenal victory does not change the first-half settlement.
Second-Half Draw No Bet
A second-half DNB market can also be offered.
In that case, settlement may be based on the result of the second half as an independent period rather than the overall match score.
For example:
Half time: Arsenal 1-0 Chelsea
Full time: Arsenal 1-1 Chelsea
Second-half score:
Arsenal 0-1 Chelsea
For a second-half-result market, Chelsea would therefore have won the second half even though the overall match finished 1-1.
Always check which period the DNB market refers to.
Does Extra Time Count in Draw No Bet?
For standard football DNB markets, settlement is commonly based on the full-time regulation result, meaning 90 minutes plus stoppage time.
Extra time and penalty shootouts are normally separate unless the market explicitly says they are included.
Suppose a cup match finishes:
90 minutes: Arsenal 1-1 Chelsea
Extra time: Arsenal 2-1 Chelsea
A standard regulation-time Arsenal DNB bet would normally be refunded because the score after 90 minutes was a draw.
A separate To Qualify market would be used to bet on which team ultimately advances.
Draw No Bet vs To Qualify
These markets should not be confused in knockout football.
Arsenal Draw No Bet
Normally based on the regulation-time result.
If the game is drawn after 90 minutes, the stake is returned.
Arsenal to Qualify
Arsenal must progress to the next round.
Extra time or penalty shootouts may therefore count.
A team can fail to win a DNB bet outright after 90 minutes but still win a To Qualify market later.
Draw No Bet in Accumulators
DNB selections can sometimes be included in accumulator bets.
Suppose your accumulator contains:
Arsenal DNB
Barcelona to win
Inter to win
If Arsenal’s match ends in a draw, the Arsenal DNB leg will commonly be treated as void or settled at odds of 1.00.
The accumulator then effectively continues using the remaining qualifying legs.
For example:
Arsenal DNB → Draw / Void
Barcelona → Win
Inter → Win
The bet could effectively become a winning double rather than losing because Arsenal drew.
The exact calculation depends on the sportsbook’s rules.
See our Accumulator Betting Explained guide for more on void accumulator legs.
What Happens if a DNB Selection Is Void?
A DNB bet can be void for reasons other than a draw.
For example, an abandoned or postponed match might be void depending on sportsbook rules.
In a single bet, the stake is generally returned when the selection is void.
In an accumulator, the void leg is usually removed from the combined calculation.
Specific operator terms always take precedence.
What Happens if the Match Is Abandoned?
Settlement rules vary.
If a match is abandoned before the regulation period is completed, unresolved DNB bets may be void.
Some sportsbooks have specific time limits or rescheduling policies for postponed fixtures.
Because abandonment and postponement rules vary significantly between operators, check the sportsbook’s football settlement rules.
Live Draw No Bet Betting
DNB can also be available during a match.
The basic settlement can remain:
selected team wins → Win
draw → Refund
selected team loses → Loss
but the odds change continuously according to:
- current score;
- time remaining;
- red cards;
- match statistics;
- team strength;
- other live information.
The fact that a team is currently leading does not guarantee that its DNB selection will win at full time.
Is Draw No Bet Safer Than 1X2?
DNB removes the draw as a losing result, so it gives the bettor one form of additional protection compared with backing the same team in a straight 1X2 market.
However, describing DNB simply as a “safe bet” would be misleading.
The opposing team can still win.
Lower DNB odds also reflect the additional draw protection.
A market with fewer losing outcomes is not automatically profitable or good value.
Is Draw No Bet Better Than Double Chance?
Neither market is automatically better.
They have different settlement structures.
Draw No Bet:
team wins → Win
draw → Refund
team loses → Loss
Double Chance:
covered result 1 → Win
covered result 2 → Win
uncovered result → Loss
Double Chance usually provides broader outcome coverage, which is reflected in its price.
The right comparison depends on the available odds and the outcomes being covered.
Is Draw No Bet Better for Underdogs?
DNB can be used when backing either favourites or underdogs.
Backing an underdog DNB means:
underdog wins → Win
draw → Refund
favourite wins → Loss
This provides protection against a draw while retaining exposure to the underdog winning.
However, this does not mean underdog DNB bets are inherently profitable.
The price still determines whether a wager represents good value relative to its probability.
Does Draw No Bet Guarantee a Refund if My Team Does Not Win?
No.
The refund occurs specifically when the qualifying result is a draw.
If the opposing team wins, the DNB selection loses.
For example:
Liverpool DNB
Liverpool 1-1 Arsenal → Refund
Liverpool 0-1 Arsenal → Loss
These outcomes should not be confused.
Common Draw No Bet Mistakes
One common mistake is thinking DNB means:
win or draw = winning bet.
That describes Double Chance more closely.
With DNB, a draw normally refunds the stake rather than producing a winning payout.
Another mistake is assuming DNB and To Qualify are equivalent in knockout competitions.
They are not.
A team can draw after 90 minutes and later qualify through extra time or penalties.
Another common error is assuming DNB always provides better value because it reduces one losing outcome.
The additional protection is reflected in the odds.
Finally, remember to check whether the market applies to:
- full time;
- first half;
- second half;
- regulation time;
- another specified period.
Final Takeaway
Draw No Bet is a two-way football market designed around a simple settlement rule:
Your team wins → Bet wins
Draw → Stake returned
Your team loses → Bet loses
The market is therefore different from both standard 1X2 betting and Double Chance.
It is also closely related to Asian Handicap 0, which generally has the same basic settlement structure.
The most important points are to check which match period applies and whether extra time is included.
Draw protection reduces one way for the wager to lose, but it does not guarantee profit or make a selection risk-free.
Betting involves financial risk, so only stake money you can afford to lose.
