Sports Betting

FanDuel Refunds Fantasy Sports Contest Fees After Platform Outage on NFL Sunday

Posted on: September 15, 2026, 09:38h.

Last updated on: September 15, 2026, 10:54h.

Written by

Devin O'Connor Devin O'Connor is a senior reporter for Casino.org, covering politics, casino business, and gaming news. Devin came on board with Casino.org in 2014...
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Key Points

FanDuel refunded net losses to DFS players affected by a Week 1 outage that prevented lineup changes
The outage began 90 minutes before Sunday's NFL kickoffs, leaving users stuck with placeholder rosters and demanding further compensation
Rival DraftKings quickly capitalized on the misstep to market its own daily fantasy platform

FanDuel has refunded contest fees for daily fantasy sports (DFS) players after the platform encountered technical difficulties during week one of the NFL regular season.

FanDuel fantasy sports DFS refund — A FanDuel logo is pictured in Toronto. FanDuel has refunded losses for daily fantasy sports customers who were impacted by a technical issue on Sunday (Sept. 13). (Image: Shutterstock)

FanDuel confirmed on Monday (Sept. 14) that it will refund net losses to Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) players impacted by a major outage during NFL Sunday’s kickoff slate.

The technical issues began around 11:30 a.m. ET—roughly 90 minutes before the first Sunday games—leaving users unable to edit lineups or swap inactive players before lock.

To our DFS customers: we acknowledge that yesterday’s site issue was unacceptable. NFL Week 1 is supposed to be a joyous time, and we fumbled,” FanDuel said in a statement.

“The team investigated the issue and has now refunded the net losses to our impacted customers. We remain committed to offering you a better DFS experience and have plenty of fun in store for Week 2 and beyond,” the release added.

Player Backlash & DraftKings Escalation

Many FanDuel DFS players weren’t satisfied with the fantasy sports platform’s response to the Sunday hiccup. Many demanded bonus bets and other compensation.

I need bonus bets. This is ridiculous and beyond unfair,” read one comment on X to the FanDuel Customer Support account.

The refunds were only applied to DFS players who tried to log in to their accounts to make lineup changes. That ruffled some players’ feathers.

“Why wouldn’t the issue have applied to all users playing DFS? Even if you had a dummy lineup in, you could not edit it,” said a FanDuel customer.

Rival DraftKings responded by welcoming FanDuel DFS customers to its fantasy sports platform.

“Your DFS home should probably be somewhere that treats DFS like it matters,” DraftKings wrote on X. “We’ve noticed other companies just don’t care. We’re not shocked.”

“Biggest prize pools. More ways to play. Better customer service. Always choose DraftKings,” the company wrote.

The Shifting Economics of DFS

The outage highlights the evolving dynamics between daily fantasy sports and sports betting. Unlike sports wagering—where players bet directly against the house—DFS functions as a peer-to-peer contest where the platform collects a commission or rake on entry fees.

While DFS built the customer base for modern US gambling, sports betting has become significantly more profitable for operators.

FanDuel no longer breaks out DFS revenue in its quarterly financial filings, instead lumping the segment into its “other” reporting category—reflecting a broader industry shift in focus toward sportsbook operations.