DraftKings apologizes for “Never Forget” 9/11 Parlay

DraftKings has issued an official apology, first via the Boston Globe and then on its X (formerly Twitter) account, for a September 11th-themed parlay bet the operator briefly featured. The bet, called the ‘Never Forget’ 9/11 parlay urged DraftKings players to bet that three major New York sports teams would win their games on the 11th and 12th.

In the statement emailed to the Globe, DraftKings said, “We sincerely apologize for the featured parlay that was shared briefly in commemoration of 9/11. We respect the significance of this day for our country and especially for the familys (sic) of those who were directly affected.” The spelling error was corrected by the time the apology made it to X.

The error of offering a bet related to a national tragedy, however, was not so quickly solved. One screenshot saved showed that 343 bettors had wagered, which matched the number of firefighters and paramedics who lost their lives in the 2001 terrorist attack that killed over 3,000 people.

That number of bettors had grown to over 800 before the parlay was removed from DraftKings’ sportsbook. DraftKings has not issued a statement in regards to whether bettors who engaged in the “Never Forget” parlay have had their money refunded or credited for future use within the app.

DraftKings has been close behind rival sports betting operator, FanDuel, in New York’s state revenue reports each month, and actually generated a higher handle in August. The oversight of offering a bet themed around an attack on innocent people, many of them New York residents, may affect DraftKings’ standing with customers in general, but especially within the Empire State.

Stephanie Feeley

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