Five major North American professional sports leagues and their players' associations reached out to state gaming regulators on Tuesday, urging a collective approach to combat harassment and threats directed at athletes stemming from sports betting.
In a letter dated September 15, and acquired by SBC Americas, the following organizations co-signed the plea:
– Major League Baseball (MLB) and the MLB Players Association (MLBPA)
– Major League Soccer (MLS) and the Major League Soccer Players Association (MLSPA)
– National Basketball Association (NBA) and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA)
– National Football League (NFL) and the NFL Players Association (NFLPA)
– National Hockey League (NHL) and the NHL Players' Association (NHLPA)
The letter addresses the growing menace that professional players, coaches, and officials face, highlighting what the leagues describe as "the continued harassment and violent threats from sports bettors."
In their correspondence, the leagues pointed out that the rise of legal sports betting has had adverse effects on those involved in professional sports. Most notably, athletes and related personnel are often targeted with increasingly aggressive abuse from gamblers dissatisfied with results tied to player performances or game outcomes.
"Too often, individuals who lose sports bets direct threatening and harassing messages toward players, coaches, and their families via social media and in-person interactions," the letter stated. "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 signatories outlined specific regulatory measures they hope state gaming regulators will implement. They propose:
– Clear regulations that would permanently ban any user confirmed to have abused or threatened any professional or amateur athlete, coach, official, or team personnel, along with their families.
– A standardized reporting framework for online sports betting operators, allowing leagues and players to submit verified evidence of threats to regulators and law enforcement, potentially leading to inclusion on statewide exclusion lists.
– An interstate agreement that allows states to share lists of banned bettors, preventing abusive users from participating in sports betting across various jurisdictions.
The letter holds state gaming regulators and gaming licensees accountable, emphasizing the need for proactive measures from sportsbooks. Specifically, it recommends that licensing for sportsbooks be contingent on their active monitoring for, reporting of, and banning of accounts involved in abusive behaviors toward athletes.
Although many states have existing safeguards, such as exclusion lists, the leagues are calling for consistent regulations to mitigate such abuses. "It is critical that state and local leaders safeguard the participants of sports at all levels. The safety and well-being of players, coaches, officials and their families must always come before a wager," the letter insisted, urging the implementation of policies that would ensure those who threaten athletes or coaches face permanent exclusion from sports betting.
Athletes from various leagues have publicly raised concerns about the threats they receive from frustrated bettors. Lucas Giolito, a former pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, spoke to MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred last year about his concerns, fearing that such harassment could escalate into physical violence.
All five leagues involved in the letter have formal partnerships with sportsbooks, allowing those companies to use league branding and intellectual property. For instance, last month, the NFL announced deals with Fanatics, FanDuel, and DraftKings, permitting these sportsbooks to leverage league trademarks and provide marketing privileges.
Furthermore, the MLB, MLS, and NHL have entered into prediction market agreements with platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket, which focus primarily on sports. These commercial arrangements have sparked scrutiny from various parties, including federal lawmakers. Senator Richard Blumenthal has reached out to the leagues, seeking clarification regarding their financial relationships with sportsbooks and prediction markets. Recently, the MLBPA defended players’ rights to engage in commercial partnerships with sportsbooks, arguing it mirrors the leagues' agreements.
