Sports Leagues Unite to Combat Harassment of Athletes by Bettors
WHO:
The New York Times - The NFL, MLB, MLS, NBA, NHL, and their players’ unions.
The New York Times - Joe Maloney, president of the Sports Betting Alliance.
The New York Times - Terri Carmichael Jackson, WNBA Executive Director.
The New York Times - Meghann Burke, executive director of the NWSLPA.
WHAT:
The New York Times - The NCAA launched an anti-harassment campaign earlier this year.
The New York Times - The Big Ten athletes commission asked the NCAA to advocate limiting prop bets due to athlete harassment.
Daily Mail Sports - The leagues suggested that sportsbooks and mobile betting operators should create clear rules that could result in lifetime bans for fans who harass or issue threats of violence against athletes or others around the game.
Daily Mail Sports - The leagues proposed streamlined reporting mechanisms for sportsbooks and mobile betting operators to report evidence of harassment to the proper authorities.
Daily Mail Sports - The leagues called for operator accountability, stating that sportsbooks and mobile betting operators should proactively monitor, flag, and ban accounts linked to abusive behavior.
The New York Times - The leagues and unions formally asked state regulators to address harassment and violent threats directed at athletes and staff.
The New York Times - The letter requests a lifetime ban on bettors who harass or threaten athletes, coaches, or staff.
The New York Times - The letter also asks for a standardized reporting system and proactive monitoring of abusive behavior by sportsbooks.
Daily Mail Sports - There has been a rise in online abuse by sports bettors against athletes, players, owners, and leaders.
WHERE:
The New York Times - The request was made to state regulators in the United States.
WHEN:
The New York Times - The letter was signed on a Tuesday (exact date not specified).
WHY:
Daily Mail Sports - The leagues stated that threatening the safety of an athlete or their family members over a sports bet "crosses a bright ethical and criminal line, and it is entirely unacceptable."
The New York Times - The request is in response to the “escalating threat” of harassment and violent threats directed at athletes and staff, particularly since the surge in sports betting following the Supreme Court's decision in 2018.
The New York Times - Athletes have increasingly spoken out about harassment from bettors who lost money.
HOW:
Daily Mail Sports - The leagues and unions are advocating for state gaming commissions and regulatory authorities to take actions to curb harassment behavior from fans.
The New York Times - The leagues and unions are advocating for regulators to require sportsbooks to implement bans and monitoring systems for abusive bettors.
The New York Times - Legal sportsbooks already have policies to suspend or ban customers who engage in threatening or abusive behavior.
The NCAA has launched an anti-harassment campaign this year in response to growing concerns from the Big Ten athletes commission, which is urging the NCAA to limit prop bets due to athlete harassment. In a collaborative effort, various leagues are calling for sportsbooks and mobile betting operators to implement clear rules that could lead to lifetime bans for fans who threaten or harass athletes, along with streamlined reporting mechanisms for harassment evidence. They emphasize that threatening the safety of athletes or their families over sports bets is not only unethical but also unacceptable, and they are advocating for state gaming commissions to take action against such behavior.