FanDuel sent this man a $7,000 check. Thing is he already self-excluded two months ago

Sportsbooks are usually known for taking money out of their players’ pockets. The trend goes one way, mostly benefiting the bookie.

I was surfing through Reddit, when I found this thread of a man who self-excluded from gambling two months (congrats by the way for keeping it up, since quitting gambling can save you a good bunch of money every month); but received a check in the mail – apparently randomly – for $7,000 from FanDuel.

That’s like breaking up with a toxic ex, only for them to show up two months later with a $7,000 “I miss you” gift. Stay strong, king — FanDuel ain’t slick.

Now he’s confused as to how this would have happened, since he didn’t have any balance left in his FanDuel account. He asked if it was OK to cash it, or get in touch with the customer support. That’s like a casino dealer accidentally handing you back all your losses and asking you to keep it quiet. Cash it fast before they realize they goofed — or call support if you actually believe in fair play.

Here is what he said:

Hey guys. I have not had an account for 2 months now and have finally self excluded and life has been better. I have slipped up once or twice but overall a positive trajectory. I am confused bc i was sent $7000 from Fanduel. I had no pending money nor bets so idk why id receive this check for no reason. I want to ask their customer service but am afraid my self exclusion will not allow it. Has this happened to anybody else. It has confused me but i won’t complain. I was down about $6500 in the year I bet so it’s as if it’s a refund but for what? Any help is appreciated. thanks

So, let’s break it down a bit.

FanDuel sent him a $7K check despite him having quit gambling and self-excluded a couple of months ago. It’s confusing considering there were no pending bets or money left in the account. The only thing that gets close to the reason is that he was down $6,500 in the year, and this sort of aligns closely with the said amount. The classic “Hey, remember how much you lost? Here’s a taste to reel you back in” move. That check isn’t generosity — it’s the world’s most expensive bait. Hope he treats it like an escape bonus and not a VIP re-entry ticket.

It all points to a possible, just may be: a refund. There’s another problem. This man is hesitant to contact to FanDuel support, since he self-excluded and does not want to break that pace. A mere visit to that site could push him to bet again, so he rather not take a chance at all. This is important now that he’s now enjoying improved life quality, of course with occasional slip ups. He wants to keep that momentum intact; and frankly we should appreciate it. His only recourse is to ask fellow Redditors what the deal is.

Dude is basically staring at a surprise $7K like it’s a cursed treasure — tempting, but possibly dangerous. Honestly, props to him for prioritizing his progress. He should just take the check, cash it, and never look back. If it’s a mistake, that’s FanDuel’s problem, not his.

Another user in the same thread had a similar experience to share:

Someone I know self excluded at the beginning of this year. For some strange reason they received about $500 in Venmo deposits from fanduel. He can’t even access the site anymore and has no clue why they sent these “refunds”. They were in $50 increments.

So, what I’m coming to is that this sort of stuff happens. It’s not that rare, even though it might happen less than often. I mean people going for self-exclusion are in a minority anyways.

It’s like finding a unicorn — rare, but not impossible. These betting companies have so much money moving around that random refunds, accounting errors, or even strategic “we miss you” checks probably happen more than we think. Self-excluders are a small crowd, but when it does happen, it’s just another reminder that gambling companies never truly say goodbye… they just leave the door slightly open.

There could be numerous reasons for it

Refund for Overcharged Fees or Bet Calculation Errors: Sometimes sportsbook do make errors in their calculations. I think the code can break. It happens. They could have issued a refund under that pretext. But then again, $7K is no little money; and the “error” have had to be a pretty big on their books for it to have had happened.

A $7K “oopsie” isn’t just some rounding error — it’s like the sportsbook equivalent of forgetting you left the stove on. Either their system glitched big time, or they’re playing 4D chess, hoping he takes the bait and logs back in. Either way, if the check clears, it’s their problem, not his.

Promotional Offers or Bonuses: Sometimes these sites – I am not accusing anyone here so don’t sue me – reactivate dead accounts by putting in free money or bonuses or special promotions for high rollers. Given that this man has self-excluded we can safely kick this idea out of the door.

Yeah, sportsbooks are like that one ex who suddenly remembers your birthday when they need something. But since he self-excluded, they can’t legally lure him back with a “Hey, big spender” bonus. This check is either a genuine mistake or some weird refund — but either way, it’s not a VIP invite back to the chaos.

Class Action Lawsuits or Regulatory Settlements: There’s also settlements that are made when a sportsbook is sued either by the regulator, or the players under Class Action lawsuits. This happens when a book is breaking the responsible gambling rules. This in turn forces them to issue a full refund + any compensation amount back to the impacted people. Losing $6500 could possibly indicate a payback of some sort. I mean the UKGC takes such settlement measures from time to time, and they impact all users on the platform, not just particular individuals. And not just this, places like NJ have similar laws and money is usually refunded to players after legal settlements. Read this NJ Gambling Regulations document, if you’re really interested. If the check is tied to a settlement, this man should ensure it’s legitimate and reportable for tax purposes, as gambling winnings and refunds may have tax implications. You don’t want to piss off the wrong guys.

What I’m really trying to say is if this is some kind of a legal settlement, then it’s not just a refund – it’s basically FanDuel getting legally spanked and handing over hush money. If that’s the case, dude should absolutely verify it’s legit and make sure Uncle Sam doesn’t come knocking later. Nothing worse than escaping gambling addiction only to get blindsided by the IRS.

Here are a few cases I found, where the players were refunded:

1. DraftKings (2024): DraftKings voided and refunded over $61,000 in bets on the Russian basketball events and nearly $7,000 on the NFL bets after the DGE directed them to do so.
2. Rush Street Interactive NJ (2024): The bets were voided, and the wagered amounts were refunded to the affected customers.
3. PointsBet (2023): For the pre-match bets ($13,500 wagered, $28,275 paid out), the bets were voided, and the initial stakes were returned to the customer.
4. Bet365 (2024): Rather than a fine, the DGE mandated Bet365 to honor the original odds, resulting in the full $519,323.32 being paid to affected bettors.

Looks like the DGE is out here playing referee, making sure the sportsbooks don’t pull a fast one. At this rate, they might as well start reviewing NFL calls, lol. “After further review, the bet stands, and the sportsbook loses a timeout.”

System Error or Accidental Payment: May be FanDuel didn’t owe him anything and sent out this payment in error. However $7000 isn’t a small amount, so someone must have caught it, otherwise one must really question their internal checks.

If FanDuel accidentally sent out $7K and nobody noticed, their finance team must be running on autopilot. Either someone goofed hard, or this was meant to go out for a reason. If it’s truly an error, well… let’s just say mistakes this generous don’t happen often, so maybe it’s best not to ask too many questions.

Settlement of Past Bets Post-Self-Exclusion: Since this man didn’t give precise details about his past bets, it could have been the payment for bets that were settled “after” the self-excluded (may be some multi-leg parlay he doesn’t remember about now). I know it seems unlikely, but still worth considering.

There’s always that one forgotten bet that lingers in the system like an unpaid parking ticket. If he had some wild parlay still in play when he self-excluded, it could have hit, and now FanDuel is just settling up. Unlikely? Sure. But hey, sportsbooks do love their fine print. If that’s the case, he accidentally pulled off the ultimate discipline move — win big and never bet again.

His self-exclusion is causing a problem with communicating with FanDuel

Thing self-exclusion prevents access to the betting site. This includes customer service so that the interaction can be kept at zero. Apparently the regulators don’t trust the service agents not to tempt the player to try gambling again.

Makes sense — last thing you need is a customer service rep hitting you with, “While you’re here, have you considered our risk-free parlay boost?” Regulators know the game too well. Full lockdown means no access, no temptation, and no sweet-talking agents trying to pull a “just one more bet” move.

So his fear of contacting FanDuel support is valid. What he could do is to ask some trusted member of this family or friend to get in touch with their customer service on his behalf. If he wants to be extra cautious, he could ask his lawyer for advice, especially if the check is tied to some settlement to ensure he ain’t breaking local gambling laws. I know it’s far-fetched, but this is what I think at least.

No harm in playing it safe. Letting a trusted friend (or even a lawyer) handle it keeps him clear of any temptation traps. Plus, if this is some settlement money, legal advice wouldn’t be the worst idea— last thing he wants is to unknowingly break some obscure gambling law.

It might sound like overkill, but hey, when a sportsbook randomly hands you $7K, caution > curiosity.

Users report such incidents occasionally, so it isn’t that rare

Since this gentleman asked other Redditors if this has happened before. It has. I couldn’t find many threads, where users receiving refunds linked to regulatory actions, such as settlements for inadequate self-exclusion processes. I mean it’s rare but gets to show you that legal battles can sometimes benefit the players in weird ways.

Yep, sometimes the house doesn’t just lose — it gets legally forced to hand back the chips. These regulatory settlements are rare, but they do happen, especially when a sportsbook messes up its responsible gambling policies. So, while it might feel like a random blessing, there’s probably a legal paper trail behind that $7K. Moral of the story? Sometimes, quitting gambling does pay — just in the weirdest way possible.

He could just cash the check and wait for a few months to see if anything happens

If I were him, I would just cash it and let the money rest in the account for two to three months to see if it was a settlement, scam or some kind of an accounting error on FanDuel’s part. If nothing happens, then I guess it would be fine to use it, hopefully for non-gambling spending.

It’s the perfect wait-and-see approach. Cash it, park it somewhere safe, and give it a couple of months to see if FanDuel suddenly remembers they goofed. If nobody comes knocking, congrats — you just got an unexpected bankroll for real life, not for another round of bets. Just don’t let it burn a hole in your pocket too soon.

A user in the thread wrote the same:

I would deposit the money and not spend it for 2-3 months in case it’s a fake check scam or mistake. If the check clears and they don’t contact you within a few months you should be good.

The great part in all of this is that this man got his entire initial stake back, plus $500 more. He should take this stroke of serendipity positively. Not overthink it; especially when things worked out for him fine in the end. At least as a former gambler, he will end the year net-positive.

He basically got a full refund for quitting at the right time — like the universe hit the undo button on his losses. Instead of overanalyzing, he should just take the win, move on, and enjoy his net-positive year. A rare gambling story with a happy ending? Now that’s a jackpot.