PointsBet paid out Shohei Ohtani AL MVP bets 3 months early because they have eyes like the rest of us

PointsBet is up to its old tricks again, paying out bettors early for wagers that haven’t yet been resolved. And while the strategy has backfired in the past, that shouldn’t be a worry this time around.

Because PointsBet has eyes like the rest of us, the sportsbook paid out every Shohei Ohtani AL MVP bet Thursday, two months before ballots for the award are even submitted and three months before the winner is announced.

The decision came on a night where the MVP front-runner added to his league-best home run total with his 40th of the season … after being pulled early from his start on the mound due to cramps.

EARLY PAYOUT

We already know Shohei Ohtani has the MVP in the bag…

So we are paying out everyone that bet on the GOAT to win AL MVP today pic.twitter.com/tvfaJFIme0

— PointsBet Sportsbook (@PointsBetUSA) August 3, 2023

Ohtani’s odds to win MVP are -20000 at DraftKings, which hasn’t pulled the market yet. He’s been at the top of every single one of BetFTW’s MVP ladders this season, including the latest released today.

PointsBet, which recently sold its U.S. operations to Fanatics, often pays bettors early in different scenarios as a form of building customer loyalty. Notably, after Dak Prescott’s Week 1 injury last season, it paid out bets on the Dallas Cowboys to finish under 10.5 wins, but Dallas went on to thrive without Prescott and finished the season 12-5.

This early payout isn’t likely to backfire in the same way. Especially since many bettors will end up putting that money back into other wagers.