Tuesday evening was not a great moment for DraftKings. Earlier in the day, the company had walked back a controversial decision to impose an extra fee on winning bets. By nightfall, users were flooding social media with complaints about a strange email blast. The messages appeared to inform players about the outcomes of golf bets — but most recipients insisted they had never placed any.

Two unrelated events quickly merged into a single wave of backlash. Social media filled with screenshots, memes, and questions. DraftKings had a chance to address the issues — but chose to do so as quietly as possible.

Context: Golf betting has grown more popular in recent years as interest in the sport has expanded. Many sportsbooks and online casinos have started offering betting lines for golf tournaments, using bonuses and promos to attract new users. The trend has reached neighboring Canada as well, where golf wagers are also on the rise. Sources at casinosbonusca.com — a site tracking online casino bonuses in Canada — confirmed this uptick. Many of the platforms listed there are actively competing with DraftKings and other major players in the golf betting space.

Earlier in the day, DraftKings attempted to introduce a new policy: starting January 1, 2025, the company would charge players an additional fee on winning bets. The wording was mild, calling it a “symbolic amount,” but users quickly did the math — the fee amounted to more than 3%, especially in states where sports betting is already heavily taxed.

The reaction was swift. The community accused DraftKings of greed and of trying to shift operational costs onto users. Within hours, the company reversed course — officially announcing the cancellation of the plan and attributing the move to “customer feedback.”

While DraftKings tried to explain its position, its main competitor, FanDuel, took a different approach. The company publicly stated it had no plans to impose any fees on winning bets.

The timing made it sting even more. During its earnings report, FanDuel’s parent company, Flutter Entertainment, made it clear that it did not support DraftKings’ initiative. Amid the wave of criticism aimed at DraftKings, the statement felt like a stab in the back — especially considering the two companies dominate a large share of the market.

Just as users were processing the news of the reversed fee, DraftKings made a second misstep. Customers began receiving emails about golf bets they never placed.

The messages referenced results from a tournament where several golfers tied for the same position. DraftKings explained that it had applied the Dead Heat Rule and included adjusted payout amounts. The problem was that many recipients had no connection to golf bets at all.

Speculation quickly spread that the emails were sent due to a system error. But DraftKings didn’t offer any direct explanation — the emails went out, users were confused, and social media lit up once again.

The emails included mention of the Dead Heat Rule — a rule used when multiple participants tie for a position. In such cases, odds are split among the winners, and the final payout is lower than expected.

Experienced bettors were familiar with the rule. But in the context of a mass email blast, it only fueled frustration. Recipients were baffled as to why they were being walked through the mechanics of bets they had never placed. Dead Heat is a niche term — and without proper context, it felt like just another attempt by the operator to deflect or obscure.