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Cases of harassment against athletes by disgruntled gamblers have increased in Massachusetts since the legalization of sports betting. Many athletes now deal with negative, abusive, and even threatening messages from individuals who blame them for their betting losses. In response, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission recently rolled out Bet on Respect, a new initiative designed to protect athletes participating in games being wagered on.
“Good-natured cheering and jeering are acceptable and even expected at sporting events, but sports wagering is an activity for adults, and adults should know better than to cross the line into harassment. Athletes, officials, and others associated with games being wagered on deserve to be free of intimidation during and surrounding competition. While this tool will be impactful, we hope its use will be limited as patrons will know right from wrong,” said Jordan Maynard, Massachusetts Gaming Commission Chair.
Rising cases of athlete harassment
Research by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) reveals that student-athletes experience significant bullying and abuse online, mostly tied to sports betting. Findings show that 51% of Division 1 men’s basketball student-athletes have experienced online abuse trashing their athletic performance. Notably, 46% of those affected reported that the abuse is directly linked to gambling.
Professional athletes aren’t safe, either. Notably, research by ESPN has revealed that betting-related abusive content makes up an increasingly large portion of the hostile messages on social media during major championships.
Total access restriction
Bet on Respect seeks to curb athlete harassment by punishing perpetrators with total access restriction, locking them out of all sports betting and casino platforms in Massachusetts. The initiative will leverage Massachusetts law and Commission regulation (205 CMR 152) to enforce involuntary self-exclusion.
To this end, the Gaming Commission recently launched a new portal where representatives of college athletics programs, leagues, players’ associations, sports venues, and even individual players can report cases of suspected abuse, whether experienced online or in person. The Commission will then investigate the alleged harassment and subject the perpetrators to involuntary self-exclusion.
Besides access restriction, perpetrators will also receive responsible gambling resources, aimed at helping those possibly struggling with problem gambling. The resources will include information about programs and guidance on where to access professional support.
Broad support
Bet on Respect has the support of carious sports teams, sportsbook operators, and casinos, including the Boston Bruins, Boston Celtics, Boston Legacy FC, Boston Red Sox, New England Patriots, New England Revolution, the NCAA, Bally Bet, BetMGM/MGM Springfield, Caesars, DraftKings, Encore Boston Harbor, Fanatics Betting and Gaming, FanDuel, and Penn Entertainment/Plainridge Park Casino. Notably, the Gaming Commission is working on establishing more partnerships to broaden the initiative’s support.
Interestingly, the Commission recently released a video aimed at promoting the Bet on Respect initiative. The video features commissioners and members of the Boston Bruins, Boston Celtics, Boston Red Sox, and New England Revolution urging viewers not to harass athletes in connection with sports betting. Overall, the Gaming Commission and its partners take this issue very seriously and are committed to curbing the harassment.
