America's pro sports leagues want gamblers who harass athletes punished

• America’s major sports leagues now urge gambling regulators to act tougher on people who abuse athletes, personnel, staff, their families and anyone tied to the game
• In a letter signed by the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and MLS, as well as their players’ associations, the custodians of their respective sports urge action
• Some states have already taken up measures in their own hands and are working on the issue

Five of America’s major sports leagues have thrown their hats in the ring, asking for stricter measures against people who harass athletes, with the threats and insults heaped on pro players most commonly originating in bets that have come short of their mark.

Angered, bettors often see the athletes as the ones responsible for their misfortune. The NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and MLS have now all called for adequate measures, urging state gambling regulators to act at a time when harassment and threats from sports bettors are escalating.

Time to take appropriate measures against harassment

In the letter, the leagues describe the situation as well as highlight some of the measures that ought to be pursued to deal with the threat:

"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. 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 five organizations, along with their players’ unions, collectively sent a letter to gambling regulators in 35 states, as well as the District of Columbia, insisting that a lifetime ban for people threatening professional or amateur athletes, as well as associated staff, such as coaches, officials, team personnel, or their families, was the right thing to do.

These people, the letter stated, ought to be excluded from regulated gambling and sportsbooks by using the mechanisms already available to watchdogs, such as involuntary exclusion lists.

In the meantime, some states have already passed comprehensive laws that are designed to do just that. Go after hecklers and online abusers driven by their fury over a losing wager.

States are acting up on their own, not waiting on larger action

Among those are Massachusetts, Ohio, West Virginia, Louisiana, and Wyoming, while companies such as DraftKings and Fanatics have specifically teamed up with Integrity Compliance 360, a sports integrity firm, to track individuals who are actually abusing sports personnel and athletes over losing wagers.

Whether it is tennis players or golfers, hecklers and online abusers have sprung driven by their fury over a losing wager. The matter has finally reached a stage where the major sports organizations in the U.S. are calling for appropriate measures to be taken.

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