NFL, NBA, MLB, MLS and NHL Seek Permanent Betting Bans and Standardized Reporting for Threats Against Athletes Across 35 States

Five major U.S. professional sports leagues and their players’ associations have called on state gambling regulators to permanently bar bettors who threaten or harass athletes, coaches, officials or their families. The NFL, NBA, MLB, MLS and NHL sent the joint open letter on September 15 to regulators in 35 states and Washington, D.C. The request seeks consistent procedures for revoking wagering privileges from accounts linked to verified violent threats or abusive harassment.

The leagues want licensed sportsbooks and mobile operators to identify and flag such accounts. They propose tying compliance with these procedures to state operating licenses. The measures would cover not only professional athletes but also coaches, officials, team employees, families and participants in amateur sports.

Specific Requests in the Joint Letter

The proposal calls for a standardized system allowing verified evidence of threats to be submitted to regulators and law enforcement. Some states already operate exclusion lists that prevent certain individuals from using licensed sportsbooks. Ohio, West Virginia, Louisiana and Wyoming serve as examples. The leagues urge other jurisdictions to adopt similar safeguards and recognize exclusions imposed in one state across state lines.

The letter follows reports of hostile messages sent to athletes, often tied to player proposition bets focused on individual statistics rather than team outcomes. Sportsbooks would bear direct responsibility for monitoring accounts connected to abusive conduct rather than relying solely on reports from leagues or athletes.

Regulatory Landscape After Murphy v. NCAA

The 2018 Supreme Court ruling in Murphy v. NCAA struck down the federal PASPA law on anti-commandeering grounds. That decision left sports betting authorization and oversight to individual states, producing the current patchwork of rules. A bettor banned in one jurisdiction can currently access wagering in another with different standards.

As reported by Reuters, the leagues’ request aims to create greater consistency without imposing a nationwide federal rule. Implementation remains with state gambling authorities, which would need to amend licensing requirements and exclusion protocols. Operators face potential new compliance obligations, while regulators must weigh athlete safety against uniform enforcement across borders. The outcome will depend on how many states act on the September 15 letter and whether mutual recognition takes hold.

Reporting: Times of Casino

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