FanDuel is dropping the fee on its Bet Protect+ injury protection feature for NFL bets throughout September. The sportsbook announced the change as the 2026 NFL season kicks off, giving users a temporary way to protect eligible player props without paying the usual 3% charge.
FanDuel is making Bet Protect+ free on eligible NFL wagers throughout September, temporarily removing the 3% fee that normally comes with this feature. Users still need to select the protection before placing their bet, but there is no limit on how many qualifying NFL wagers they can use it on during the month.
Bet Protect+ is available on eligible pre-game and live player props, including overtime. If a player leaves because of an injury and does not return, a losing straight wager can be refunded in cash. For parlays, Same Game Parlays, and SGP+ bets, the injured player’s leg would be removed, and the wager recalculated using the remaining selections.
It’s worth noting that the feature does not apply if a player is ejected, returns to the game after leaving, or if the wager has already been cashed out.
This comes after FanDuel expanded Bet Protect+ to NFL markets ahead of the 2026 season. Usually, users pay an extra 3% of their stake to add the protection. That means a $100 wager would normally cost an additional $3 to protect. But these changes have made the feature more user-friendly, removing that fee.
FanDuel is also refunding the fee to users who already paid for Bet Protect+ on qualifying NFL wagers before the September promotion was announced.
Limiting the offer to September allows FanDuel to make Bet Protect+ more appealing during the opening weeks of the NFL season, when interest and betting activity are at their highest. The start of football season is an important customer acquisition and retention period for sportsbooks, making it an ideal time to waive the usual 3% fee.
The promotion also gives users a chance to try Bet Protect+ without paying extra, which could make them more likely to use the feature later in the season when the standard fee returns.
For now, FanDuel has only committed to making the protection free through September. It remains to be seen whether strong usage or pressure from competition leads them to extend the offer into October.
FanDuel’s decision to waive the Bet Protect+ fee comes at an interesting time. Earlier this week, Fanatics unveiled FAIR PLAY MAX while emphasizing that its injury protection does not come with an additional charge.
The timing makes it look like FanDuel scrapped its initial fee in response. Bet Protect+ normally costs 3% of the wager, while Fanatics has been using free injury protection as one way to differentiate its sportsbook. FanDuel making Bet Protect+ free throughout September removes that advantage for Fanatics.
This is a good example of how competition between sportsbooks can benefit users. Rather than competing only through signup bonuses or odds boosts, operators are increasingly adding features that make the betting experience more user-friendly.
In this case, the push to offer better injury protection has resulted in Fanatics expanding its coverage and FanDuel temporarily eliminating an existing fee.
