NFL, NBA, MLB and Other Leagues Call for Lifetime Betting Bans Over Harassment

The NFL, NHL, MLB, NBA, and MLS, along with their player associations, have sent a joint letter to state gaming regulators calling for rules that would ban bettors who threaten or harass coaches, officials, or athletes. 

“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 note read, in part, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Schefter said the letter was sent to gaming regulators in 35 states, as well as Washington, D.C. 

The leagues are not only looking for short-term bans or suspensions, but rather lifetime bans. They also want streamlined reporting and operators to be accountable to curb harassment in sports. 

Sports Leagues Propose Lifetime Bans and Cross-State Reporting

Here's the proposed regulatory action: 

• Mandatory Lifetime Ban: 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 against any professional or amateur athlete, coach, official, team personnel, or their respective families.
• Streamlined Reporting Mechanisms: Create a standardized, cross-operator reporting framework allowing sports leagues, teams, players, and Players’ Associations to securely transmit verified evidence of threats to state regulators and law enforcement for possible placement on statewide exclusion lists. Exclusion in one state should be reciprocated in other states.
• Operator Accountability: Require commercial sportsbook partners to proactively monitor, flag, and ban accounts linked to abusive behavior toward athletes as a condition of maintaining their state operating licenses.

The letter finishes by saying, "The safety and well-being of players, coaches, officials and their families must always come before a wager. As game participants do their utmost to protect integrity, abusive and violent threats should not serve as a deterrence from performing to their fullest. We ask for your support in establishing policies that ensure those who threaten athletes or coaches lose their privilege to participate in sports betting forever."

Some States Already Target Sports Betting Harassment

While the notice was sent to three dozen jurisdictions, some states, such as Massachusetts, West Virginia, Louisiana, and Ohio, have implemented efforts similar to what the leagues are looking for. 

In Massachusetts, there's the "Bet on Respect" system that allows players to report harassment; West Virginia passed a bill in 2024 that could result in misdemeanor or felony charges for bad behavior in this regard; Ohio had a similar law introduced in 2023; and Louisiana passed a bill this month to exclude such bettors.