Five prominent professional sports leagues, along with their players' associations, have sent a unified letter to gambling regulators across 35 states and the District of Columbia. The letter calls for the establishment of rules that would permanently strip betting privileges from individuals who threaten or harass athletes, coaches, officials, or team staff.
The NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, and MLS, together with their respective players' unions, highlighted the growing dangers faced by professional athletes and personnel due to ongoing harassment and violent threats from sports bettors.
The leagues urged sportsbooks and mobile betting platforms to revoke wagering rights for anyone confirmed to have engaged in abusive behavior or made threats against any athlete, coach, official, team member, or their families.
Although the NCAA did not endorse the letter, the leagues also encouraged states to broaden these bans to include threats against amateur athletes.
The leagues and unions noted that while the legalization of state-regulated sports betting has provided fans with new ways to connect with their favorite sports, it has also led to adverse effects for players and other individuals involved in professional sports.
They expressed concern that individuals who lose bets often resort to sending threatening and harassing messages to players, coaches, and their families through social media and direct interactions.
The letter emphasized that threatening the safety of an athlete or their relatives over a wager crosses an ethical and criminal boundary that is completely intolerable. It is imperative for state and local authorities to protect all sports participants.
States like Ohio, West Virginia, Louisiana, and Wyoming have already implemented measures to exclude “bad actors” from licensed sportsbooks and mobile applications. The leagues are advocating for the remaining 35 states and D.C. to adopt similar regulations.
“We urge all state gaming commissions and policymakers to swiftly implement uniform rules and legislative safeguards to combat this behavior,” the letter states.
Since the Supreme Court's 2018 PASPA ruling, which legalized state-regulated sports betting, there has been a noticeable increase in the harassment of athletes by bettors. For instance, former Houston Astros pitcher Lance McCullers received threats from a bettor who was later discovered to be residing abroad.
In another case, California bettor Benjamin “Parlay” Patz threatened four Tampa Bay Rays players, allegedly targeting over 300 accounts of professional and college athletes. He pleaded guilty in 2021 to sending threats across state lines and was sentenced to mental health treatment and a gambling ban instead of prison time.
In December 2024, Dick Durbin, then-chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, conducted the first federal hearing on sports betting in six years. He noted that former North Carolina center Armando Bacot received over 100 threats on social media after a game against Michigan State.
Additionally, a state legislator informed the gambling industry outlet iGB that a college football kicker faced numerous threats after missing a field goal in a championship game.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, during a press conference at the league's Summer League, mentioned the possibility of the NBA joining a coalition of multiple leagues to address betting-related issues, and he expressed support for a federal sports betting authority.
Joe Maloney, president of the Sports Betting Alliance, which includes members like DraftKings, FanDuel, Fanatics, and Bet365, stated that operators are investing in tools and partnerships to identify offenders and collaborate with leagues.
“We support the initiatives by leagues, players, and regulators to enhance these efforts and clarify that harassment has no place in sports,” Maloney remarked.
The leagues have also suggested a standardized reporting system for cross-operator communication regarding such incidents.