As the US Sports Equinox approaches, a group of major professional sports leagues has taken significant steps to address harassment directed at athletes from disgruntled sports bettors. In a memo dated September 15, 2023, the leagues, alongside their player unions, reached out to 35 state gaming authorities to propose new regulations aiming to protect athletes from abusive behavior.
With the excitement surrounding sports betting peaking, prominent leagues such as the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the National Football League (NFL) suggested mandatory lifetime bans for anyone found to have "abusively harassed or issued threats of violence" against professional athletes. While the NCAA did not sign this letter, it also called for similar bans against threats made towards amateur athletes, coaches, officials, and team personnel.
In their statement, the leagues emphasized that threatening an athlete or their family due to sports betting frustrations "crosses a bright ethical and criminal line, and it is entirely unacceptable."
The upcoming equinox, occurring this year on October 26, 2023, is when the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB all host games on the same day. Although the Major League Soccer (MLS) also signed the letter, it will not have any games on that date.
The call for bans comes as the industry grapples with a surge in harassment incidents since the Supreme Court’s decision to repeal PASPA in 2018. A notable case involved former Houston Astros pitcher Lance McCullers, who faced threats from a frustrated bettor living overseas.
Several alarming incidents highlight the seriousness of these concerns. In 2019, Benjamin "Parlay" Patz threatened MLB players from the Tampa Bay Rays, stating he would "sever" their necks. He eventually pleaded guilty to transmitting interstate threats and was ordered into mental health treatment but avoided prison.
Athlete harassment continues to be a pressing concern, as illustrated by a recent anecdote shared by former Senate Judiciary Chairman Dick Durbin during a hearing on sports betting. He recounted how former North Carolina center Armando Bacot received over 100 social media threats despite his strong performance in a game against Michigan State, which frustrated bettors.
At a recent National Council of Legislators From Gaming States conference, industry leaders discussed the roots of harassment directed at athletes. One lawmaker shared that a collegiate kicker in his state received numerous threats after missing a game-winning field goal.
During the NBA Summer League, Commissioner Adam Silver acknowledged recent scandals and expressed willingness for the NBA to collaborate with other leagues on establishing betting-related best practices. His comments brought attention to the pressing need for cohesive strategies to prevent insider trading and athlete harassment within sports betting.
The Sports Betting Alliance, led by Joe Maloney, is proactively working to deter threats against athletes. Maloney indicated that member sportsbooks are investing in resources to identify and monitor harmful behaviors and share information with leagues.
The leagues have proposed creating a cross-operator reporting platform that would enable secure sharing of verified evidence regarding threats directed at athletes with state regulators.
In addition to the proposed reforms, the Protect College Sports Act, co-authored by Texas Senator Ted Cruz and Washington's Maria Cantwell, aims to limit college athletes' participation in prediction markets but lacks specific provisions addressing harassment. While Cruz is optimistic about the bill’s progress, clarity around professional sports league endorsements for Congress remains uncertain.
