Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Emeka Egbuka went down with a hamstring injury this weekend. The second-quarter injury triggered $1.5m in payouts from Fanatics Sportsbook.
It’s the biggest single payout since the operator launched its Fair Play injury protection. One bettor walked away with $27,894. Their six-leg parlay had Egbuka in it, and when Fanatics voided that leg, the rest of the bet came through.
Fanatics runs Fair Play across all 2025 professional football games. The protection lasts the entire first half. That’s different from most competitors, who stop coverage after the first quarter.
Why Fair Play Coverage Beats Other Operators
Most sportsbooks offer some injury protection. But they cut it off early.
Egbuka got hurt in the second quarter, which means he’d have been outside most operators’ coverage windows. Fanatics’ extended protection caught it. And customers didn’t lose money on a bet that never had a fair chance to play out.
The company says 20% of new sign-ups point to Fair Play as their main reason for joining. That’s according to internal research. It’s working as a customer acquisition tool, not just a marketing gimmick.
What Happened With Customer Payouts
Anyone who bet on Egbuka prop bets got cash refunds. Didn’t matter if they placed the wager before the game or live during play.
Parlay bettors got different treatment. Fanatics voided the Egbuka leg but let the rest of the bet continue. So if you had a five-leg parlay and Egbuka was one leg, you now had a four-leg parlay still in play.
That $27,894 payout shows how this can work in a bettor’s favour. Without the voided leg, that parlay would’ve been dead. Instead, it paid out big (though obviously at lower odds than the original six-legger would’ve hit for).
The injury itself isn’t severe. Reports suggest Egbuka will be back on the field soon.
How This Shapes the Sportsbook Market
Fair Play is clearly driving customer decisions. One in five new users cite it as their reason for picking Fanatics over other books.
That puts pressure on competing operators. Do they extend their injury protection to match Fanatics? Or do they stick with first-quarter-only coverage and risk losing market share?
The $1.5m payout is significant, but it’s also marketing gold. Fanatics can point to actual money returned to actual customers. Not just a promise in the terms and conditions.
Other operators have offered similar features, but Fanatics went further with half-time coverage. And they’re making noise about it. The company recently announced it’ll host Fanatics Fest in New York next summer for four days.
The real test comes if injuries pile up. Can Fanatics sustain this level of protection? For now, they’re betting it keeps new customers coming through the door.
