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Sports betting has changed professional sports in major ways. Now, five major leagues want stronger protection for athletes and their families. The NFL, MLB, NBA, MLS and NHL joined their players associations in a new push. They want states to punish bettors who threaten or harass sports personnel. The groups sent a letter Tuesday to gambling regulators in 35 states. They also sent the letter to regulators in Washington, D.C. Their message focused on athlete safety and bettor behavior. The groups want sportsbooks to permanently ban abusive bettors.
That ban would target people who threaten athletes or their families. It would also cover coaches, officials and team personnel. The request comes as sports betting continues to expand across the United States. The Supreme Court cleared the way for broader legalization in 2018. Since then, betting has become a major part of the sports experience. Fans can wager on games, individual performances and countless smaller outcomes. However, that access has created another problem. Some bettors now target athletes after losing money.
The Five Leagues Taking Action
The NFL, MLB, NBA, MLS and NHL all signed onto the effort. Their respective players associations also joined the request. That creates a rare, united front across professional sports. The leagues and unions want states to establish consistent protections. They also want gambling regulators to give sportsbooks stronger enforcement tools. Those tools could remove dangerous bettors from legal betting platforms. The groups specifically called for permanent wagering bans. Those bans would apply after authorities verify threats or abusive harassment. The request covers professional and amateur athletes. It also includes coaches, officials and other team employees. Most importantly, the protections would extend to their families. That point matters because some bettors have targeted relatives online. The groups described threats against athletes and families as unacceptable. They also called the behavior both an ethical and criminal issue.
Four States Already Have Protections
Four states already provide a model for the proposed rules. Ohio, West Virginia, Louisiana and Wyoming can exclude certain bad actors. Those states allow licensed sportsbooks to remove abusive bettors from their platforms. The five leagues and unions want other states to follow that approach. They believe a national problem requires more consistent rules. Right now, protections vary depending on where an athlete lives or plays. That creates an uneven system for athletes facing similar threats. The groups therefore want every state to establish similar guardrails. They also want sportsbooks and mobile betting operators to enforce them. That could give athletes another layer of protection beyond traditional law enforcement.
The Problem Goes Beyond Professional Sports
The issue also affects college athletes. NCAA research has shown how widespread bettor-related harassment can become. A 2025 NCAA study found that 36% of Division I men’s basketball players experienced betting-related social media abuse. Meanwhile, 16% of FBS football players reported negative or threatening messages. Those numbers show that the problem reaches well beyond professional sports. Athletes can face abuse simply because a wager went wrong. Major League Baseball players have also discussed the problem publicly. A recent survey found widespread concern about bettor confrontations. One surveyed MLB player estimated that 95% of players could report similar experiences. Another player described a bettor repeatedly demanding thousands of dollars. That type of behavior crosses an obvious line. Athletes cannot control whether someone’s parlay wins or loses.
Social Media Makes Things Worse
Social media has made direct contact much easier for angry bettors. Athletes often receive messages minutes after games finish. Those messages can include insults, threats and harassment. Some athletes have also reported threats involving their families. The problem has appeared across multiple sports. WNBA players, for example, have raised concerns about bettor-related abuse. Natasha Cloud recently described threats that she receives after games. She said players have received extremely serious messages from angry bettors. The WNBA and WNBPA also met this summer to address player security. Their discussions followed multiple incidents involving abusive messages. Meanwhile, professional tennis players face similar problems. Bettors have sometimes tried to influence matches from the stands. That creates another difficult challenge for officials and security personnel. Not every disruptive bettor crosses the line into obvious misconduct.
Protecting Athletes Must Come First
Sports leagues have embraced legal betting as part of the modern sports economy. However, that relationship comes with responsibilities. Players should not become targets because someone loses a wager. The same standard should apply to coaches, officials and team employees. Betting companies have started taking steps as well. BetMGM recently updated its terms to explicitly prohibit harassment of athletes and sports personnel. Still, the leagues and unions want stronger action from state regulators. They believe sportsbooks need consistent rules across the country. The proposed bans would not punish normal criticism. They would target verified threats and abusive harassment. That distinction matters for athletes and fans alike. Sports fans should remain free to criticize performances without threatening someone’s safety.
A Bigger Test for Sports Betting
Legal sports betting will likely remain part of American sports. The challenge involves making that industry safer for everyone involved. The five leagues and players associations have now put athlete safety front and center. They want states to create uniform rules against dangerous bettors. Their message is straightforward. Losing a bet never justifies threatening another person. As betting continues growing, that principle will become increasingly important. Athletes should compete without worrying about threats from angry gamblers. The games belong to everyone. However, players should never have to risk their safety for them.
At the end the players should be protected, and this also shows how sports betting is destroying sports.
Author Profile
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Bradley Walker (VP) and Head of our Florida operations for NGSC Sports, bringing extensive experience across collegiate, professional, and amateur athletics. His coverage spans USF Athletics, including football, baseball, lacrosse, and softball, as well as University of Tampa baseball.
Bradley also provides coverage of minor league baseball with the Clearwater Threshers and Major League Baseball with the Tampa Bay Rays. On the national stage, he covers college football bowl games and conference championship matchups, along with premier golf events across the PGA Tour, LIV Golf, and LPGA Tour.
In addition to his reporting work, Bradley is the play-by-play announcer for Pinellas Park High School Patriots football, lending his voice and insight to Friday night lights.
He is also an active podcast host and contributor, serving as a host on The Walker Report, where he delivers in-depth sports analysis, interviews, and coverage across multiple levels of competition.
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