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Amid a rise in online abuse by sports bettors against athletes, players, owners and leaders for the five largest professional sports leagues in the US are pushing for change.
A letter written by the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL and MLS and their respective players' unions demands gambling regulators combat rising harassment and violent threats from losing bettors.
The letter, sent to regulators in 35 states and the District of Columbia, advocates for a lifetime ban from legal sportsbooks for individuals who harass or threaten pro or amateur athletes, coaches, officials, team personnel or their families.
Additionally, leagues and unions are advocating for states to establish a streamlined reporting mechanism which would allow evidence of threats to be sent to regulators and law enforcement.
The aim would be to put violators of the policy on a sportsbook exclusion list that is shared among states.
'Too often, individuals who lose sports bets direct threatening and harassing messages toward players, coaches, and their families via social media and in-person interactions,' the leagues' letter states.
Sports leagues and unions are calling on gambling regulators to crack down harder on abuse
Players union leaders (L, NBPA president Fred VanVleet) and league executives (R, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell) are advocating for bans for those who send threats online
Athletes, like former Astros pitcher Lance McCullers, have been targeted with abuse and threats of violence toward themselves and their families from losing bettors
'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.'
Athletes at the pro and amateur levels have been victims of harassment by bettors ever since online sports betting has become more popular.
In 2024, the NCAA found that 1 in 3 high-profile athletes receive abuse from individuals with a 'betting interest.'
Pro athletes are often targeted as well. In May 2025, former Houston Astros pitcher Lance McCullers said he was targeted by threats to his family after a poor outing against the Cincinnati Reds.
Houston police found that an intoxicated bettor overseas was behind the threats sent to McCullers saying they would 'find my kids and murder them.'
Both those companies partnered with Integrity Compliance 360 over the summer to implement technology using AI and investigative tools to identify people behind social media abuse.
'Threats and harassment in sports continue to escalate, threatening the safety of participants and the integrity of the ecosystem,' Scott Sadin, co-founder and co-CEO of IC360, told ESPN.
'True progress requires a unified response where leagues, operators, regulators and technology partners align around solutions to safeguard stakeholders across every touchpoint.'
The nation's two largest sportsbooks, FanDuel and DraftKings, recently agreed to a deal with a technology company that uses AI and other tools to track down and ban abusive bettors
Matt King, the CEO of Fanatics Betting and Gaming, called the situation an 'infuriating issue' when speaking to ESPN in June.
Four states - Louisiana, Ohio, West Virginia and Wyoming - have policies in place similar to those laid out in the letter.
'We carry all of the burden, all of the risk and danger that comes with the association to gambling,' said Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet, who is also the president of the National Basketball Players Association.
'It was one of those things that was just kind of thrown upon us, and I think everybody's trying to figure out how to adjust to it.'
