With the annual US Sports Equinox approaching next month, a coalition of major professional sports leagues took a significant step to address instances of harassment aimed at athletes by disgruntled bettors. On Tuesday, these leagues, along with their respective player unions, issued a memo dated September 15 to 35 state gaming authorities, detailing recommendations for regulatory actions aimed at enhancing athlete safety.
This memo suggests implementing mandatory lifetime bans for individuals who are found to have "abusively harassed or issued threats of violence" against any professional athlete. Among the participating organizations are the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the National Football League (NFL). The advisory also encourages state authorities to enforce similar prohibitions for threats directed at amateur athletes, coaches, officials, and team staff, despite the NCAA not signing onto the letter.
"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 leagues stated in the memo.
The US Sports Equinox, which marks the rare occasion when the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB all have games scheduled on the same day, will occur this year on October 26; however, the Major League Soccer (MLS), which also endorsed the letter, will not be participating on that date.
This initiative follows a troubling trend of harassment incidents since the Supreme Court's 2018 decision to lift the federal ban on sports betting. One high-profile case involved former Houston Astros pitcher Lance McCullers, who received threats from a distressed bettor. An investigation revealed that the individual responsible was located overseas.
The prevalence of harassment cases prompted discussions at the National Council of Legislators From Gaming States earlier this year, where panelists examined underlying issues contributing to these incidents. A state representative detailed a situation involving a college football kicker who endured numerous threats after a missed field goal attempt.
At the annual NBA Summer League press conference, Commissioner Adam Silver was asked about the possibility of his league collaborating with others to establish best practices concerning betting-related issues. He acknowledged that the NBA could support such efforts and hinted at the potential for a federal oversight role in sports betting.
Regulated sportsbooks are also exploring ways to address these risks. Joe Maloney, president of the Sports Betting Alliance, indicated that his organization is committed to developing tools that will help identify problematic behavior and facilitate data sharing among leagues and other stakeholders.
The leagues are advocating for the creation of a standardized reporting platform through which players and unions can securely submit verified evidence of threats to state regulators. Maloney's organization includes major sportsbooks like DraftKings, FanDuel, Fanatics, and bet365, who all support the goal of eliminating harassment from the sports arena.
The NFL mentioned a similar platform in correspondence with the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission, particularly regarding predictions markets. This correspondence followed a Senate subcommittee hearing where concerns over prediction markets and their connection to increased harassment incidents were discussed.
Senator Ted Cruz, who co-authored the Protect College Sports Act, has been optimistic about the bill's prospects as it progresses through Congress. Despite this memo's issuance, it remains uncertain if any league commissioners are prepared to testify about the critical issues tied to sports betting before Congress.
