Sports Leagues and Players Associations Seek Uniform State Rules to Ban Harassing Bettors
Five major pro leagues and players associations issued a joint letter urging state regulators to adopt uniform lifetime bans on bettors who harass athletes, plus standardized reporting and operator accountability. Several states including Massachusetts, West Virginia, Ohio and Louisiana have already enacted related measures. Sportsbooks such as BetMGM, Fanatics and FanDuel have updated policies and programs to address threats.
SCCG Take — This call for uniformity presses regulators to align exclusion rules across jurisdictions, raising the compliance bar for operators while centralizing athlete protections.
The five major U.S. professional sports leagues and their players associations sent a joint letter to state gaming regulators calling for uniform rules that would permanently ban bettors who threaten or harass athletes, coaches, officials, team personnel or their families. The letter, posted by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, reads: “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 leagues – MLB, MLS, NBA, NFL and NHL – propose mandatory lifetime bans, streamlined reporting mechanisms and operator accountability. “The safety and well-being of players, coaches, officials and their families must always come before a wager,” the letter continued. “As game participants do their utmost to protect integrity, abusive and violent threats should not serve as a deterrence from performing to their fullest.”
Proposals in the Joint Letter
The 10 entities ask states to establish explicit rules requiring state-regulated sportsbooks and mobile betting operators to permanently revoke wagering privileges for any individual verified to have abusively harassed or issued threats of violence. They call for a standardized, cross-operator reporting framework that allows leagues, teams, players and players’ associations to transmit verified evidence to state regulators and law enforcement for placement on statewide exclusion lists, with reciprocity across states. The letter also seeks to require commercial sportsbook partners to proactively monitor, flag and ban accounts linked to abusive behavior as a condition of maintaining state operating licenses.
Measures Already in Place
Multiple states have taken action. The Massachusetts Gaming Commission implemented “Bet on Respect,” a system for leagues, players and citizens to report suspected harassment, backed by BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, Fanatics and FanDuel. West Virginia passed a bill in 2024 banning individuals who exhibit bad behavior, with possible misdemeanor or felony charges. Ohio adopted a similar law in 2023, and Louisiana passed a bill excluding such bettors that went into effect last month.
Operators have responded as well. BetMGM updated its terms of service in February to address harassment of sports officials, coaches and athletes, allowing suspensions or permanent termination. Fanatics teamed with IC360 and Signify Group on the Bad Actor Program, which monitors social media for threats and shares evidence across operators, with law enforcement referrals in serious cases. FanDuel banned a bettor who harassed Olympic gold medalist Gabby Thomas and voiced zero-tolerance for abusive conduct. As reported by Legal Sports Report, these steps show existing efforts that the letter seeks to standardize.
Reporting: Legal Sports Report
Generated by SCCG’s automated editorial system from published source reporting. SCCG Management holds editorial responsibility.
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