DraftKings Blasted for Tone Deaf 9/11 Themed Bets
On Sunday night, the eve of the 22nd anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks that killed almost 3,000 innocent Americans, sports betting company DraftKings unveiled a tone deaf bet opportunity using the tragedy as a backdrop.
On a day that is filled with sadness and pain for so many Americas, DraftKings decided it would be a great time to promote a ‘parley’ (when a winning bet’s original stake, as well as the subsequent winnings, are on used on new wagers) using highly emotional and evocative 9/11 language.
Even more disgusting, the ‘Never Forget’ betting option was focused on New York teams, the city that suffered the worst of the attacks.
Counting down the minutes until DraftKings pulls this “never forget” 9/11 parlay pic.twitter.com/dLZftfFXMs
— Nick Guy (@thenickguy) September 11, 2023
Draft Kings really had a “Never Forget” 9/11 parlay today. Fire your entire marketing team, guys. They’re imbeciles. pic.twitter.com/X2lErzsJIb
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) September 11, 2023
good thing i bet the under on “DraftKings apologizes for 9/11 Parlay Promotion by Noon EST -100” last night pic.twitter.com/UbQmaLO1fX
— Casey (aka “Bingo”) (@CTWritePretty) September 11, 2023
Draftkings is getting DRILLED for promoting a “Never forget 9/11” parlay.
DK issued a statement apologizing for it.
“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… pic.twitter.com/10QjV0zV8y
— NFL Retweet (@NFLRT) September 11, 2023
By Monday morning, the crass parlay was removed.
DraftKings provided the following statement to the Boston Globe:
In a 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 of those who were directly affected.”
The Mets are playing Monday at Citi Field, located in New York City, where the World Trade Center towers were struck by hijacked airplanes.
The Yankees are playing at Fenway Park in Boston, which is where two of the four hijacked plans departed.
The Jets are playing at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., close to Newark International Airport, which is where the plane that crashed into a Shanksville, Pa., field departed.
