Sports Leagues Request Increased Penalties for Harassing Bettors

League and union representatives have joined together to deliver an important message.

On Tuesday, leaders from the MLS, MLB, NBA, NFL, and NHL penned a letter to sports betting regulators in 35 states. In it, they asked that bettors found to have harassed athletes, coaches, officials, or other staff be given a lifetime ban from the industry. This would also cover bettors who harass the family or friends of people in those groups.

The letter brings the country’s largest pro leagues in line with the NCAA, which has been sounding the alarm over harassment.

Letter Highlights Growing Problem

In the letter sent to regulators, the leagues make it clear that harassment remains a serious issue. While some states and sportsbook operators have begun to implement changes to curb it, the problem continues.

In a copy of the letter shared with ESPN, the league highlighted harassment's impact. 

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.

States, Sportsbooks Take Action

Over the summer, DraftKings and Fanatics partnered with Integrity Compliance 360 to curb athlete harassment. The deal lets them use the ProhiBet AI tool, which can help detect and investigate harassment using shared sportsbook data. This would also make it easier to enforce bans. 

Earlier this month, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission announced a new tool that would allow athletes, coaches, and officials a place to file harassment complaints. This would allow the regulator to follow up and allow the complainant to follow their case. 

However, only four legal betting states currently enforce a lifetime ban for bettors found guilty of harassment.

Problem Spreads Beyond the US

Efforts to crack down on athlete harassment have been promising, but their scope is limited to the US. 

In June 2025, the Houston Police Department announced it had identified the person responsible for threats towards Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. The harassment came through social media and contained threats toward him as well as his children. 

While the Police declined to share who it was, they confirmed the guilty party lived outside of the US. The person apologized directly to the MLB pitcher, but officials are still considering charges.

This shows law enforcement's impressive ability to locate the bettor. Unfortunately, the ability to enforce punishment may be limited. Since the bettor doesn’t use US sportsbooks, the industry and states can’t implement bans. 

The Police can file charges, but they don’t have the authority to force the accused to travel to the US and stand trial.

This may not be a loophole the industry and its allies can address, but the domestic crackdown could still have a significant impact.