DraftKings Sportsbook — at least for a brief while Sunday night into Monday, and at least in New York — ran a “Never Forget” parlay tied to the anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001.
“Bet these New York teams to win tonight on 9/11,” the DraftKings promo read, offering a three-team moneyline parlay for the Mets to defeat the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Yankees to defeat the Boston Red Sox, and the New York Jets to defeat the Buffalo Bills.
The odds were set at +651 for the parlay on games taking place on the 22nd anniversary of the events of 9/11, when a team of terrorists hijacked four planes, with two of them hitting and destroying the World Trade Center Twin Towers.
In total that day, 2,977 innocent people lost their lives, with more than 2,600 of them dying at the New York site.
“Never forget” became, and remains, a rallying cry to always remember the events of that day.
Response and reaction
The backlash to the DraftKings parlay came swiftly on social media, much of it compiled by Awful Announcing. The parlay was removed from the DraftKings Sportsbook app Monday morning, and at least 970 users had wagered it on before it was taken down.
“We sincerely apologize for the featured parlay that was shared briefly in commemoration of 9/11,” read a statement from a DraftKings spokesperson, released at 11:50 a.m ET. “We respect the significance of this day for our country and especially for the families of those who were directly affected.”
This is a developing story.
