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Pro sports leagues, players’ unions ask regulators to ban bettors who harass athletes
The New York Times • • general
Key Points:
- Major U.S. sports leagues (NFL, MLB, MLS, NBA, NHL) and their players’ unions have jointly urged state regulators to address increasing harassment and violent threats toward athletes and staff linked to sports betting losses.
- The groups request sportsbooks to impose lifetime bans on bettors who harass or threaten players, coaches, or their families, and to implement standardized reporting and proactive monitoring systems for abusive behavior.
- The letter highlights the rise in athlete harassment following the legalization and surge of sports betting since 2018, with leagues and unions seeking stronger accountability measures from regulators and sportsbooks.
- The Sports Betting Alliance, representing sportsbooks, supports the call for accountability and notes existing policies to ban abusive customers, emphasizing collaboration to eliminate harassment in sports.
- Notably, major women's leagues and unions, including the WNBA and NWSL players associations, were not included in the letter and expressed disappointment and support for protective efforts after learning about it post-publication.
