Major US sports leagues and player unions are calling for lifetime betting bans and stronger information sharing to combat threats against athletes.

Major US professional sports leagues and player unions have joined forces in a coordinated effort to combat the growing problem of athletes, coaches and officials being threatened or harassed over sports bets.

In a joint memo dated 15 September, leading sports organisations called on gaming regulators across 35 states to introduce tougher measures against bettors who target participants following unsuccessful wagers.

Among the proposals is a mandatory lifetime betting ban for individuals found to have abusively harassed or threatened violence against professional athletes.

The initiative brings together leagues including the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB and MLS, alongside player unions, marking an unusual collective effort to address one of the negative consequences associated with the expansion of legal sports betting in the US.

“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 said.

Lifetime bans proposed for threatening bettors

The leagues want state regulators to establish clear consequences for customers whose behaviour crosses from criticism into abusive harassment or threats of violence.

Although the NCAA did not sign the memo, the recommendations extend beyond professional sport.

The proposed mandatory bans would also cover individuals threatening amateur athletes, coaches, officials and team personnel, potentially giving the measures significant relevance for college sport.

The initiative follows several high-profile cases in which athletes have received threats after performances negatively affected wagers.

One such incident involved former Houston Astros pitcher Lance McCullers, who received threats from a frustrated bettor. An investigation subsequently determined that the individual responsible was based outside the US, highlighting some of the practical challenges facing leagues and regulators when attempting to enforce sanctions.

Harassment cases increase concerns

Athlete harassment has received increasing attention since the US Supreme Court overturned the federal sports betting prohibition under PASPA in 2018, paving the way for individual states to legalise wagering.

One of the most serious cases involved California bettor Benjamin “Parlay” Patz.

Patz sent threatening messages to four Tampa Bay Rays players and was accused by federal investigators of targeting more than 300 social media accounts belonging to professional and college athletes.

He pleaded guilty in 2021 to transmitting threats in interstate or foreign commerce. A judge ordered Patz to undergo mental health treatment and abstain from gambling, although he did not receive a prison sentence.

College athletes have also faced similar abuse.

During a US Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in December 2024, then-chairman Dick Durbin highlighted the experience of former North Carolina basketball player Armando Bacot.

Despite producing a strong performance against Michigan State during March Madness, Bacot reportedly received more than 100 social media threats after failing to exceed the betting line on his rebound total.

The case demonstrated how increasingly granular player proposition markets can expose individual athletes to anger from bettors whose wagers depend on specific statistical performances.

Sportsbooks support stronger action

The issue has also become a growing topic among gambling regulators and lawmakers.

At a National Council of Legislators From Gaming States conference in July, athlete harassment featured prominently during discussions involving representatives from college sport.

A state legislator also described threats directed towards a college football kicker after he missed a field goal in a Football Championship Subdivision game.

Sports betting operators have indicated that they support stronger action against this behaviour.

Joe Maloney, president of the Sports Betting Alliance, said operators are already investing in technology and partnerships designed to identify individuals responsible for threats and improve cooperation with other stakeholders.

The Sports Betting Alliance represents major operators including DraftKings, FanDuel, Fanatics and Bet365.

“We welcome efforts by leagues, players and regulators to build on that work and make clear that harassment has no place in sports,” Maloney said.

Centralised reporting platform proposed

Alongside lifetime betting bans, the leagues are calling for the creation of a standardised cross-operator reporting platform.

Such a system would allow athletes, player unions and sports leagues to securely provide verified evidence of threats to state gambling regulators.

The objective is to improve information sharing between stakeholders and make it easier to identify individuals across multiple betting platforms rather than leaving each operator to handle incidents independently.

The NFL has previously raised the possibility of a comparable system in discussions surrounding sports prediction markets.

The league referred to information-sharing mechanisms in comments submitted to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) as the federal regulator considered rules governing event contracts.

Prediction markets add to debate

The leagues’ initiative comes as US lawmakers are also examining the rapid expansion of sports-related prediction markets.

During a Senate hearing in May, lawmakers raised concerns that increased wagering through prediction platforms could contribute to further harassment of athletes.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has also indicated that the league could participate in broader collaboration between sporting organisations around betting integrity and related issues. Silver has additionally expressed openness to the idea of a federal sports betting tsar.

The debate is taking place alongside wider legislative activity in Washington.

Senators Ted Cruz and Maria Cantwell have co-authored the Protect College Sports Act, which includes measures intended to prevent student-athletes from trading on prediction markets.

The legislation does not, however, establish specific federal standards addressing athlete harassment.

Cruz and Cantwell have also previously requested information from professional sports leagues regarding their relationships with integrity monitoring companies and the handling of suspicious wagering activity.

Leagues seek coordinated response

The latest memo represents an attempt to establish a more consistent approach across the fragmented US sports betting market.

Because gambling regulation remains largely state-based, sanctions and reporting procedures can vary considerably between jurisdictions.

A common framework involving regulators, sportsbooks, leagues and player unions could make it easier to identify threatening bettors and prevent them from simply moving between operators or jurisdictions.

Questions remain around how lifetime bans would be implemented and enforced, particularly when threats originate outside regulated US betting markets.

Nevertheless, the joint initiative demonstrates that athlete harassment is becoming an increasingly prominent sports integrity issue as legal betting and prediction markets continue to expand.

By combining mandatory bans with centralised information sharing, the leagues are seeking to establish clearer consequences for bettors who turn unsuccessful wagers into threats against the people involved in the games.

Source: IGB