Five major U.S. professional sports leagues and their players’ associations are asking regulators to impose lifetime betting bans on people who threaten or harass athletes, coaches, officials or their families.
The NFL, MLB, MLS, NBA and NHL said legalized sports betting has brought a rise in abuse tied to losing wagers, especially bets connected to individual player performance. Their joint letter calls for permanent exclusion from legal sportsbooks for verified offenders and a standardized reporting system that would allow incidents to follow bettors across jurisdictions.
Some states already have mechanisms to bar abusive gamblers, but the leagues want a more consistent national approach. The proposal would also put greater responsibility on sportsbooks to identify threatening behavior and act on it.
The initiative has also drawn criticism because major women’s leagues were not included in the original effort, despite female athletes reporting similar betting-related abuse.
Reporting based on Reuters, WBUR and league statements. Featured image: Ashton Clark via Unsplash.
