Ohio combats athlete harassment with new campaign

With millions of Americans having access to legal sports betting, cases of athletes falling victim to gambling-related harassment online have been on the rise.

In Ohio, a new initiative will seek to combat harassment against student athletes, Ohio for Responsible Gambling confirmed.

The initiative is called "More Than A Bet" and represents an online course for athletes and coaches. The course is expected to help them navigate harassment.

Besides athletes and coaches, the course can help campus life leaders, counselors, as well as the public to better understand the different consequences of gambling-related harassment.

Ohio for Responsible Gambling cited data from the NCAA, which revealed the growth of betting-related harassment.

Per this data, one in three high-profile athletes is subjected to online harassment that is related to gambling.

On the other hand, a majority of the harassment against athletes takes place online, with the NCAA estimating some 90% of the abusive messages are received either online or through social media.

Across the United States, between 15% and 25% of all athletes are subjected to betting-related online abuse.

The NCAA estimated that this form of abuse is the fastest growing.

The initiative provides vital resources and information

Thanks to More Than A Bet, college coaches will be able to access resources in cases they need to step in and protect athletes from abuse online.

At the same time, the campaign seeks to support the athletes by making them feel they are not alone in this and can receive help in case they fall victim to abuse.

Counselors and campus life leaders can actively leverage resources provided by More Than A Bet.

In addition, the initiative allows bettors who may be at risk of problem gambling to determine whether or not this is the case.

Visiting the initiative's website, morethanabet.org, bettors can participate in an anonymous online quiz that will help them determine their gambling disorder risk level.

Tom Stickrath, Ohio Casino Control Commission's Chairman, shared his excitement about the new program in a statement.

"These young athletes are more than a bet," he explained.

Stickrath added: "The mental toll of online harassment is unacceptable. By learning about the issue and supporting student-athletes, we can change the narrative."

The initiative comes at a time when BetMGM and MGM vowed to promote Responsible Gambling Education Month under the terms of an agreement with the American Gaming Association (AGA).

The initiative will see the two companies, in collaboration with the Association, promote responsible gaming at the National Football League (NFL) stadiums across the country throughout September.

Additionally, the companies vowed to organize further initiatives that would encourage consumers to engage in gambling responsibly.

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