What Does Draw No Bet Mean in Football? DNB Explained

Draw No Bet (DNB) is a football betting market where the draw is effectively removed from the result. You choose one team to win, but if the match ends in a draw, your stake is returned instead of losing the bet.

For example, if you select Arsenal Draw No Bet and Arsenal win, the bet wins. If the match ends in a draw, your original stake is refunded. If Arsenal lose, the bet loses.

Draw No Bet is also commonly called DNB, which means Draw No Bet.

What Does Draw No Bet Mean?

Draw No Bet means you are betting on a team to win, while protecting your stake if the match finishes level.

There are three possible match results:

• Home team wins
• Match ends in a draw
• Away team wins

With a standard 1X2 bet, choosing the home team means you need the home team to win. A draw or away win means the bet loses.

With Draw No Bet, a draw results in your stake being returned.

Simple example

Imagine a match between:

Arsenal vs Chelsea

You select:

Arsenal — Draw No Bet

There are three possible outcomes:

This is why Draw No Bet can be useful for people who want to back one team but do not want a draw to count as a losing result.

How Does Draw No Bet Work?

The basic process is straightforward.

1. Choose a team

You select the team you believe will win.

For example:

Manchester United — Draw No Bet

2. Place your stake

Suppose you stake ₦5,000 on Manchester United Draw No Bet.

3. Wait for the match result

There are three possible outcomes.

If Manchester United wins, the bet is successful.

If the match ends in a draw, the stake is refunded.

If Manchester United loses, the stake is lost.

The exact settlement rules can vary by bookmaker, so always check the market’s terms before placing a bet.

Draw No Bet Example

Let’s use a simple example.

Suppose the Draw No Bet odds for Team A are 1.80 and you stake ₦5,000.

If Team A wins:

₦5,000 × 1.80 = ₦9,000 total return

Your potential profit would therefore be:

₦9,000 − ₦5,000 = ₦4,000

If the match ends in a draw, the ₦5,000 stake is returned under standard DNB settlement.

If Team A loses, the ₦5,000 stake is lost.

Remember that odds and settlement conditions depend on the bookmaker and the specific market.

What Happens If a Draw Occurs?

This is the main feature of Draw No Bet.

If the match ends in a draw, the selection is normally treated as a void result for that market, and the original stake is returned.

For example:

You place:

₦10,000 on Team A — Draw No Bet

The match finishes:

Team A 1–1 Team B

The match is a draw, so your ₦10,000 stake is normally refunded.

You do not receive a profit from the bet, but you also do not lose your original stake.

However, always check the bookmaker’s specific rules because settlement conditions can differ between operators and markets.

Draw No Bet vs 1X2 Betting

Draw No Bet and 1X2 betting are different markets.

In a standard 1X2 market, you choose one of three outcomes:

• 1 = Home win
• X = Draw
• 2 = Away win

If you choose the home team and the match ends in a draw, your 1X2 bet loses.

With Draw No Bet, you only choose a team.

If that team wins, you win the bet.

If the match is drawn, your stake is returned.

For more information about football betting markets, see our Football Betting Guide.

Draw No Bet vs Double Chance

Draw No Bet and Double Chance are sometimes confused because both can provide protection against a draw or loss, but they work differently.

With Draw No Bet, you select one team to win.

• Team wins → bet wins
• Draw → stake refunded
• Team loses → bet loses

With Double Chance, you select two of the three possible results.

For example:

1X

means:

• Home win
• Draw

Either result makes the selection successful.

The odds for Double Chance are generally different from Draw No Bet because the two markets cover different outcomes and are settled differently.

Is Draw No Bet the Same as a Refund?

In the event of a draw, a standard DNB market normally results in your stake being returned.

But Draw No Bet is not simply a general refund option.

The refund occurs specifically because the match ended in a draw and the DNB market treats that outcome as void.

If the team you selected loses, your stake is not normally refunded.

For example:

Team A DNB — ₦2,000

• Team A wins → winning bet
• Draw → ₦2,000 returned
• Team A loses → ₦2,000 lost

Does Extra Time Count in Draw No Bet?

This depends on the specific competition and bookmaker’s settlement rules.

Many football betting markets are settled based on the result after the scheduled 90 minutes plus stoppage time, unless the bookmaker’s rules state otherwise.

In knockout competitions, extra time and penalties can create different settlement conditions.

For this reason, do not assume that every Draw No Bet market is settled in exactly the same way.

Always check the bookmaker’s rules for:

• 90-minute markets
• extra time
• penalty shootouts
• postponed matches
• abandoned matches

The wording of the market is important.

What Happens to a Draw No Bet in an Accumulator?

If you include a Draw No Bet selection in an accumulator and that match finishes as a draw, the selection is normally void and the bookmaker recalculates the accumulator using the remaining selections.

For example, suppose an accumulator contains three selections:

• Team A DNB
• Team B to win
• Team C to win

If Team A draws and the DNB selection is void, the accumulator can continue with the remaining two selections under the bookmaker’s settlement rules.

Because accumulator rules can differ between operators, check the bookmaker’s terms before placing the bet.

Why Do People Use Draw No Bet?

Draw No Bet is mainly used when someone wants to back a particular team but considers a draw a realistic possibility.

For example, a bettor may believe Team A has a stronger chance of winning but may not want a draw to result in a complete loss of the stake.

DNB therefore provides a different risk structure from a standard win market.

It is important to remember that Draw No Bet does not guarantee a profit or eliminate betting risk. If the selected team loses, the stake can still be lost.

Common Draw No Bet Mistakes

Confusing DNB with Double Chance

These are different markets. DNB protects the stake against a draw, while Double Chance covers two possible match results.

Assuming a draw produces a profit

A draw normally means the stake is returned. It is not normally a winning profit outcome.

Ignoring bookmaker rules

Settlement rules can differ, particularly for extra time, penalties, postponed matches and abandoned matches.

Thinking DNB protects against a loss

It does not. If your selected team loses, the bet normally loses.

Forgetting the difference between odds and return

Your total return includes your original stake. Your profit is the amount left after subtracting the stake.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does DNB mean in betting?

DNB means Draw No Bet. You select a team to win, but if the match ends in a draw, the stake is normally returned.

What happens if a Draw No Bet match ends in a draw?

The selection is normally treated as void and the original stake is returned.

What happens if my Draw No Bet team loses?

The bet normally loses and the stake is not refunded.

Is Draw No Bet better than 1X2?

They are different betting markets and have different settlement rules. DNB removes the draw as a losing outcome, while 1X2 requires you to correctly predict one of the three match results.

What is the difference between DNB and Double Chance?

DNB selects one team and normally refunds the stake if the match is drawn. Double Chance covers two of the three possible results, such as home win or draw.

Does Draw No Bet include extra time?

Not necessarily. Settlement depends on the competition and bookmaker’s rules. Check the specific market conditions before placing a bet.

Can Draw No Bet be used in an accumulator?

Yes, many bookmakers allow DNB selections in accumulators. If the DNB selection is drawn and becomes void, the accumulator is generally recalculated according to the bookmaker’s rules.

Final Takeaway

Draw No Bet means you are backing one team to win while a draw normally results in your stake being returned.

For example:

Team A DNB

• Team A wins → bet wins
• Match draws → stake refunded
• Team A loses → bet loses

DNB is different from both 1X2 and Double Chance, so understanding the settlement rules is important before using the market.

For more football betting terminology and explanations, explore our Football Betting Guide.

Betting involves financial risk. Set limits, understand the market rules and only use money you can afford to lose.