PokerShares axes coronavirus betting market amid Twitter backlash
Curaçao-licensed brand performs U-turn after posting odds on number of US Covid-19 infections
PokerShares, which predominantly sells ‘action’ in poker players, has removed betting on Covid-19 cases in the US following complaints that the market was in poor taste.
On Tuesday this week, PokerShares announced on Twitter with the hashtag #COVID19 that after “many requests” the first Covid-19 betting market had been added to the book.
Customers were presented with four possible outcomes and prices as to the estimated number of confirmed cases in the US by the end of March. The favourite at +160 (2.6) was between 12,000-24,999 cases.
After many requests we have added our first general #COVID19 Betting Market 😱😱
Action ➡️ https://t.co/cx8KiJqwCo pic.twitter.com/Mi0z4cJN60— PokerShares (@pokershares) March 11, 2020
However, some Twitter users slammed the decision to take bets on the outbreak, with Melanie Moser from PokerStars describing it as “absolutely disgusting”. Another user said it was a “bit distasteful”.
Betting on people getting sick is absolutely disgusting! There are parents/grandparents/children dying and you put a betting market up?
— Melanie M || A-Game Agency (@MelanieMoser_) March 11, 2020
PokerShares tweeted on Wednesday that the market had been removed after a “10-hour test period, negative feedback on social media and reconsideration”.
The site apologised for any offence caused but included a Twitter poll asking for feedback on betting on disasters and where the line should be drawn.
At the time of writing, the results for “disgusting and distasteful”, “fine, it raises awareness”, and “I’m neutral” were 32%, 37% and 31% respectively from 767 votes.
While some Twitter uses felt the Covid-19 market was in bad taste, others seemed comfortable with the opportunity to gamble on the number of cases. So far, there have been more than 1,000 infections and at least 32 deaths in the US from Covid-19.
Due to the outbreak, PokerShares is also taking bets on whether the annual $10,000 buy-in World Series of Poker Main Event will still take place as scheduled this summer.
Earlier this week, PokerStars announced the postponement of all its scheduled live events in Europe up until 10 April due to coronavirus. Fellow operator partypoker has also taken the decision to postpone live tournaments.