The New York Jets saw their Super Bowl hopes collapse almost instantly on Monday Night Football, with star QB Aaron Rodgers going down with a season-ending Achilles injury.
The Jets had traded for Rodgers in the offseason, in hopes of the four-time MVP guiding the team to the promised land with the help of their stacked defense. Many bettors were hammering his season futures to win awards and rack up stats in New York.
DraftKings reacted promptly to injury, working to please customers with a swift refund amid their despair of seemingly lost wagers. They are returning all of Monday night's bets that include him, as well as futures wagers on Rodgers specifically. However, they will not be refunding connected outcomes such as Jets win totals or Jets Super Bowl bets, which are in serious peril, according to Darren Rovell of Action Network.
“After suffering tear of his Achilles tendon, Aaron Rodgers' season is over. In addition to the refunds on last night's game, we'll be refunding all Rodgers futures singles and parlays where Rodgers is an open leg,” the company tweeted.
On the contrary, FanDuel Sportsbook refused to provide any similar compensation. It is often a battle between the books to see who will try to gather the positive PR from helping out their users in certain situations. The move was a no-brainer for DraftKings after setting gambling Twitter ablaze earlier in the day, as they worked to mend relationships with customers.
The refund comes on the heels of DraftKings landing in the news in an unfavorable light, after an insensitive marketing promotion with a 9/11-themed parlay led to a public apology by the Sportsbook.
The NFL season is now in full swing, with injuries rapidly changing team's Super Bowl odds on a daily basis. The Jets were a prime victim on opening weekend, seeing their chances tank from +1400 to +6000, per DraftKings Sportsbook odds. They will have a tough time staying in the hunt with Zach Wilson as QB, and will have to rely heavily on their defense to keep them in playoff contention.