5 Major U.S. Leagues Urge Lifetime Bans for Bettors Who Harass Athletes
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Sep 15
5 Major U.S. Leagues Urge Lifetime Bans for Bettors Who Harass Athletes
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Sep 15
Summary
The NFL, MLB, MLS, NBA and NHL, joined by their players’ unions, asked state regulators on Tuesday to require sportsbooks to impose lifetime bans on bettors who harass or threaten athletes, coaches, staff or their families.
The letter also seeks a standardized reporting system and proactive monitoring of betting accounts, arguing abuse has escalated as legal sports wagering expanded after the Supreme Court’s 2018 ruling.
Sportsbooks signaled support: the Sports Betting Alliance said legal operators already suspend or ban abusive customers and are investing in tools to identify bad actors and share information with leagues.
The push comes even as leagues and teams deepen sportsbook and prediction-market partnerships, and it drew criticism because no major women’s leagues or unions were included.
The WNBPA called its exclusion deeply disappointing given repeated betting-related harassment of WNBA players, while the NWSLPA said it backs protections for athletes across men’s and women’s sports.