In this photo illustration, the American daily fantasy sports contest and sports betting company DraftKings logo is displayed on a smartphone screen.
Budrul Chukrut | Lightrocket | Getty Images
Sports gambling giant DraftKings issued an apology on Monday for a bet parlay offer that coincided with the 22nd anniversary of the Sept. 11 terror attacks in which almost 3,000 Americans lost their lives.
The majority of the tragic deaths on 9/11 occurred in the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers and the commercial airline jets that struck and destroyed them.
Earlier on Monday, DraftKings promoted a parlay bet titled “Never Forget,” a phrase commonly associated with the Sept. 11 attacks.
“We sincerely apologize for the featured parlay that was briefly shared in commemoration of 9/11,” DraftKings said on X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter.
“We deeply respect the significance of this day for our country, especially for the families directly affected,” the company stated.
The parlay would have paid out if the New York Yankees, Mets, and Jets had won on Monday.
However, the offer received strong criticism on social media and was subsequently retracted by the company.
“Absolute clowns,” one X user replied to DraftKing’s apologetic tweet.
“Shameful,” another user commented.
Another post read, “No, you do not respect the significance of the day, nor do you respect the individuals who place bets with you.”
Bret Eagleson, the son of Bruce Eagleson who was killed at the Trade Center, told The Associated Press, “It is disgraceful to exploit the national tragedy of 9/11 for promotional purposes.
“What we need is accountability, justice, and closure, not self-interest and shameless promotion,” added Eagleson, who leads a group called 9/11 Justice.
Since a landmark 2018 U.S. Supreme Court case that paved the way for legal sports betting in any state, over 30 states and the District of Columbia have launched legal betting markets.
The market is projected to exceed $7.6 billion by 2023, according to Statista Market Insights.
Ten years ago, AT&T removed a tweet featuring a hand holding a mobile phone capturing an image of the Tributes in Light, which are two beams of light projected upwards from lower Manhattan to commemorate the Twin Towers.
The tweet had the caption, “Never Forget.”
“We apologize to anyone who felt our post was in poor taste,” AT&T later tweeted. “The image was solely meant to pay respect to those affected by the 9/11 tragedy.”
— Additional reporting by CNBC’s Stefan Sykes
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