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DraftKings bonus bets and No Sweat bets: how they work and how to convert them

In short: A DraftKings Bonus Bet adds its winnings to your cash balance but not its stake, cannot be split, and under DraftKings' standard promotion terms lasts 7 days. A No Sweat bet refunds a losing qualifying bet as one Bonus Bet. Convert either at plus money with a cash hedge at another book.

DraftKings's rules checked against its own help and terms pages on October 14, 2026 (sources at the bottom of this page). Offers and terms change, so read the offer in the app before you bet. 21+ only, and only where DraftKings is licensed.

How a DraftKings Bonus Bet pays

DraftKings' help centre says the Bonus Bet stake isn't included in any potential winnings, and that winnings from a Bonus Bet wager are added to your cash balance. Its promotion terms give the example: a $10 Bonus Bet at +100 that wins credits only the $10 profit. The Bonus Bet itself can't be withdrawn and needs a one-time play-through — it has to be bet to become anything.

  • No splitting: a Bonus Bet can't be split into multiple transactions, so it goes on one bet in full.
  • No teasers, and no combining with other rewards on the same bet.
  • Pushes and voids: if a Bonus Bet wager pushes or is voided, the reward comes back to your account — unlike some other books.
  • Expiry: the date is on your Rewards page. DraftKings' standard promotion terms make Bonus Bets valid for seven days (168 hours) from when they are credited.

DraftKings No Sweat bets

In DraftKings' No Sweat promotion terms, the reward is issued as one Bonus Bet based on the amount of the losing qualifying bet, up to the offer's maximum, and cashed-out or voided bets void the promotion. Two practical points follow: don't cash out a No Sweat bet, and value the possible refund at roughly 65–75% of its face, since it arrives as a Bonus Bet rather than cash.

That valuation is what makes a No Sweat bet worth hedging. The no sweat bet guide gives the hedge formula with a refund value built in.

Profit Boosts, Odds Boosts and Odds Surges

DraftKings has three kinds of boost. A profit boost token raises the potential profit on an outcome — its example is a 25% boost turning −115 into +108. A boost applies to a single transaction and is not returned if you cash the bet out; a profit boost comes back if the bet is voided.

What DraftKings' terms say about promotions

DraftKings' terms of use list any type of bonus abuse, or abuse of any offers or promotions, as improper conduct, and its promotion terms say DraftKings decides what counts as abuse at its sole discretion. Use your own single account and keep to each offer's stated rules.

Worked example: converting a $25.00 DraftKings Bonus Bet

Bonus Bet: $25.00 on Team A at +300 (decimal 4.00) at DraftKings. If it wins it pays $75.00; the $25.00 stake is not returned.

Hedge: Team B at −350 (decimal 1.2857), with cash, at a different sportsbook.

Hedge stake = $75.00 ÷ 1.2857 = $58.33.

If Team A wins: $75.00 − $58.33 = $16.67.

If Team B wins: the hedge returns $75.00, a profit of $16.67.

You keep about $16.67 of the $25.00 Bonus Bet either way — a 66.7% conversion, an estimate that holds only if both bets are accepted at these prices.

Illustrative prices, not a current offer or a live market. Real prices move, so recompute with the hedge calculator before you place either bet. The figures come from the same formula the free calculator runs.

Converting a DraftKings bonus bet, step by step

  1. 1

    Open the Bonus Bet in your DraftKings account

    DraftKings lists Bonus Bets and their expiry on your Rewards page. Note the expiry, any minimum odds, and any sport or bet-type limits shown on the token or in the offer's terms.

  2. 2

    Find a plus-money price at DraftKings

    Look for one side of a two-way market at roughly +250 to +500 at DraftKings, inside the token's rules. Main-line moneylines, spreads and totals in major leagues usually price tightest on the other side.

  3. 3

    Find the best price on the other side elsewhere

    At a different sportsbook you hold cash at, find the opposite outcome at the best price available. This price decides most of what you keep.

  4. 4

    Size the hedge

    Hedge stake = the bonus bet's winnings ÷ the hedge's decimal odds. The free hedge calculator does this for you.

  5. 5

    Place both bets and check the slips

    Place the Bonus Bet at DraftKings, confirm it was accepted at your price, then place the hedge straight away. Recompute if either price moved.

  6. 6

    Record the pair as one position

    Log both bets and the amount you kept, so you know what each book's bonus bets are actually worth to you.

Mistakes that cost money at DraftKings

  • Putting a Bonus Bet on a favourite: a $10 Bonus Bet at +100 earns only $10.
  • Planning to split one Bonus Bet across several bets, which DraftKings does not allow.
  • Using a Bonus Bet on a teaser, or stacking it with another reward.
  • Cashing out a No Sweat qualifying bet, which voids the promotion.
  • Counting a No Sweat refund as cash when sizing the hedge — it is a Bonus Bet.
  • Letting the seven days run out waiting for the perfect game.

Where DraftKings Sportsbook is available

Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, D.C., West Virginia and Wyoming.

This is the state list TrueEdge's own catalogue uses to decide which books it shows you. Licences change: the book's app checks your location before it takes a bet, and that check is the one that counts. You must be 21 or older and physically in a state where the book is licensed.

Tools for this

  • Hedge calculator — free; its Bonus bet tab sizes the hedge for a DraftKings bonus bet
  • Promo optimizer — searches live prices at the books you hold for the best conversion, with both stakes worked out
  • How to convert bonus bets to cash — the method at any book, with the formula
  • How to use a no sweat bet — hedge sizing when the refund comes back as a bonus bet
  • TrueEdge plans — the promo optimizer is part of the TrueEdge plan, $79.99 a month or $63.99 a month billed yearly, and a new account can start with a 7-day free trial

Frequently asked questions

How does a DraftKings No Sweat bet work?

If the qualifying bet loses, DraftKings issues one Bonus Bet based on the amount you lost, up to the offer's maximum. Cashing out the bet voids the promotion.

Do DraftKings bonus bets return the stake?

No. DraftKings says the Bonus Bet stake isn't included in any potential winnings: a $10 Bonus Bet at +100 that wins credits $10.

Are DraftKings bonus bet winnings cash?

Yes. DraftKings says winnings from a Bonus Bet wager are added to your cash balance. The Bonus Bet itself can't be withdrawn.

How long do DraftKings bonus bets last?

DraftKings' standard promotion terms make them valid for seven days (168 hours) from when they are credited. Check the Rewards page for yours.

Can you split a DraftKings bonus bet?

No. DraftKings says Bonus Bets can't be split into multiple transactions or used on teasers.

What happens if a DraftKings bonus bet pushes?

DraftKings returns the reward to your account if a Bonus Bet wager pushes or is voided.

How do you convert DraftKings bonus bets to cash?

Bet the Bonus Bet at plus money at DraftKings and hedge the other side with cash at another book, sized so both results pay about the same. Expect roughly 65–75%, an estimate that depends on prices.

Sources

Every rule above about DraftKings comes from these pages of its own, read on October 14, 2026. Addresses are shown rather than linked; open the book's app or site yourself to check them.

  • DraftKings help: What is a Bonus Bet: https://support.draftkings.com/dk/en-us/what-is-a-bonus-bet?id=kb_article_view&sysparm_article=KB0010380
  • DraftKings help: How do I use a Bonus Bet: https://support.draftkings.com/dk/en-us/how-do-i-use-a-bonus-bet?id=kb_article_view&sysparm_article=KB0010774
  • DraftKings help: How do I apply a boost: https://support.draftkings.com/dk/en-us/how-do-i-apply-a-boost?id=kb_article_view&sysparm_article=KB0010436
  • DraftKings help: Withdrawing from DraftKings: https://support.draftkings.com/dk/en-us/withdrawing-from-draftkings-overview-us?id=kb_article_view&sysparm_article=KB0010400
  • DraftKings promotion terms (standard Bonus Bet wording; offer ended): https://www.draftkings.com/jp6
  • DraftKings No Sweat promotion terms (offer ended): https://sportsbook.draftkings.com/jp301
  • DraftKings Sportsbook terms of use (New Jersey): https://sportsbook.draftkings.com/legal/nj-terms-of-use

Bonus bet guides for other books