DraftKings ‘Ghost Leg’ Promotion to Pay Out One-Leg Parlay Losses as Cash Wins

How ‘Ghost Leg’ Works

The promotion uses a “Ghost Leg Token” that customers can apply to their eligible parlays. If a parlay with the token applied loses by exactly one leg, that losing selection is effectively erased or “ghosted” from the bet slip. The sportsbook then recalculates the odds based on the remaining winning legs and pays out the wager in cash as if the losing leg never existed.

This transforms a would-be losing ticket into a smaller, but still profitable, cash win. For example, if a five-leg parlay with one losing leg is “ghosted,” it becomes a winning four-leg parlay, and the customer receives the cash payout for that successful four-leg wager.

A Strategic Launch for the NFL Season

The launch of the “Ghost Leg” promotion is strategically timed to coincide with the start of the NFL regular season, the most active period for sports betting in the U.S. By directly addressing a common source of bettor frustration, the “bad beat” of a near-miss parlay, DraftKings is making a strong play for customer acquisition and loyalty during this critical time.

The offer is specifically available for the NFL slates in Weeks 1 and 2 of the season, a period of peak engagement for both casual and seasoned bettors.

Key Program Details and Requirements

To be eligible for the “Ghost Leg” promotion, wagers must meet several specific criteria.

• The promotion applies to Parlays, Same Game Parlays (SGP), and Same Game Parlay Extra (SGPx).
• The wager must have a minimum of three legs.
• Each individual leg of the parlay must have odds of -500 or longer (e.g., -400, -110, +200).
• The offer is valid for both pre-match and live bets placed during specific windows in Week 1 and Week 2.

The company has also clarified that if a leg of a parlay is voided and that void makes the wager ineligible for the promotion (e.g., reducing it to two legs), the Ghost Leg Token will be refunded to the user’s account.