Early Payout Information

An Early Payout is a feature offered by sportsbooks that allows your bet to be settled as a win before the game ends. If a team reaches a predefined lead during the game and you have placed a Moneyline (ML) bet—either 2-way or 3-way (for sports like soccer)—the sportsbook will instantly mark the bet as a winner, regardless of the final result.

This means you don't have to wait for the match to finish to know the outcome of your bet once the Early Payout conditions are met.

Early Payout thresholds vary by sportsbook and sport. You can see the exact number of points (basketball, football), goals (soccer, hockey), or runs (baseball) required for an Early Payout by visiting the Sportsbooks page.

Here is an example of a game that reached an Early Payout:

You are on a sportsbook that allows Early Payout for NBA games. You are looking at a game between the OKC Thunder vs the Los Angeles Lakers (Pre-Live). You see that this sportsbook offers an Early Payout at 20 points. You think that the Thunder will at some point in the game be up 20 points on the Lakers. You place a Moneyline (ML) bet on the OKC Thunder. The game is now live and in the 2nd quarter, the Thunder lead the Lakers 41-21. The Thunder are up 20 points and have met the Early Payout threshold. The sportsbook will instantly mark the bet as a winner regardless of the final result.

Why Do Sportsbooks Offer Early Payouts?

Sportsbooks introduce early payout features mainly to stand out in a highly competitive market. The chance to be paid out before a match finishes is attractive to many bettors, particularly in sports where momentum can swing late on.

Early payouts also serve as a form of risk control for customers, allowing them to secure winnings without having to endure the uncertainty of the final stages of a game.

From a promotional standpoint, early payout offers are great marketing tools. When bettors benefit from being paid early, it often leads to positive word-of-mouth and social media attention, which helps strengthen a sportsbook's brand image and credibility.

Why Do Bettors Use Early Payouts?

Early payout offers can be combined with specific betting approaches, including matched betting, to reduce risk or lock in profit. Betters can also "hedge" their bets by placing a bet on the opposite side of the same event. This can potentially lead to a "Double Win (DW)" or the rare "Triple Win (TW)" scenario. We will explain these scenarios in more detail below.

Some bettors also use early payouts alongside performance-based research. For example, you take a look at the NHL games that are schedule for today. You see that the Pittsburgh Penguins are playing the Nashville Predators. You identified that the Penguins are a team that triggers a high frequency of Early Payouts and the Predators are a team that concedes a high frequency of Early Payouts. This could make the Penguins a suitable bet for an Early Payout. Obviously nothing is 100% guaranteed, but this data could help you make a decision.

How do I know which Sportsbook offers Early Payout for which league?

Sportsbooks usually have an "Early Payout" or "EP" badge next to a game's Moneyline odds. If you click on the Team's ML (either 2-way or 3-way), if it has an "Early Payout" or "EP" badge, then it should qualify for Early Payout.

If you want more information on which sportsbooks offer Early Payout for which league and the EP target that has to be reached, please check the Sportsbooks page.

What is a Double Win (DW)?

A Double Win happens when you have bets covering multiple outcomes in the same match—such as betting on both teams' Moneylines (ML) in a 2-way market, all three outcomes in a 3-way market (both teams' ML and the draw), or placing an ML bet alongside a Double Chance bet in a 3-way market.

A Double Win occurs when your first bet is settled as a win via an Early Payout, but the match ultimately finishes with a different outcome that causes your other bet(s) to win as well. In a 3-way market, a draw or the other team winning after an Early Payout has already been triggered is also considered a Double Win.

This is a key concept for the ability to win multiple bets on the same game, either by betting on multiple outcomes pre-live or by betting live on the team that is losing after the opposing team has already received an Early Payout.

Examples

Basketball Example:
You bet the New York Yankees ML on a sportsbook that offers Early Payout and also bet the Toronto Blue Jays ML (on any sportsbook). The Yankees builds a lead that triggers an Early Payout, and your bet on the Yankees ML is settled as a win before the game ends. The final result has the Blue Jays winning, which means your bet on the Blue Jays ML also settles as a win—resulting in a Double Win.

Soccer Example:
You bet Liverpool ML on a sportsbook that offers Early Payout and place a Double Chance (Manchester United or Draw) bet. Liverpool takes a lead that triggers an Early Payout, settling your Liverpool ML bet as a win before the match ends. The match finishes as a draw, causing your Double Chance bet to also settle as a win—resulting in a Double Win.

In the end, this means you won both bets.

What is a Triple Win (TW)?

A Triple Win (TW) is a rare occurrence where three separate bets on the same game are all resolved as winners. There are two primary scenarios where a TW can happen, depending on the sport.

Soccer Scenario

In soccer, a TW can occur when you bet on Team A's ML and Team B's ML on a sportsbook that offers Early Payout, and also place a bet on the Draw in a 3-way market.

If Real Madrid takes a lead that triggers an Early Payout, that bet is settled as a win. Later in the match, Barcelona takes a lead that also triggers an Early Payout, settling that bet as a win as well. If the match then ends in a draw or with Real Madrid winning, your final bet also resolves as a win—resulting in a TW.

All Other Sports Scenario

In sports with 2-way markets (such as basketball, football, baseball, or hockey), a TW requires betting on Team A's ML and Team B's ML on a sportsbook that offers Early Payout.

When the New York Knicks reaches a lead that triggers an Early Payout, that bet is settled as a win. You then hedge live by placing an additional bet on the Knicks ML before the game ends. If the Miami Heat later takes a lead that also triggers an Early Payout and the game ultimately finishes with the Knicks winning, all three bets are resolved as winners—resulting in a TW.

In the end, this means you won all three bets.