A new report from The Denver Gazette highlights growing concerns among Colorado professional athletes over harassment related to sports betting. Several players describe an increase in abusive messages since sports betting became legal in the state. This report is the latest example of how fan interactions have changed dramatically with sports betting, even becoming problematic at times.
Colorado Rockies outfielder Mickey Moniak said the volume of abusive messages has grown to the point where he no longer uses social media, leaving his wife to sift through the messages instead. According to Moniak, he receives roughly 10 death threats each week, many tied to wagers that did not go as bettors expected.
Denver Broncos kicker Wil Lutz and Colorado Avalanche forward Logan O’Connor also described how sports betting has changed the athlete experience. Lutz said the combination of gambling and social media has become a significant distraction. O’Connor noted that betting has become nearly impossible to avoid due to its widespread presence across sports and advertising. Moniak added that athletes are frequently blamed for losing bets, with some bettors sending violent messages after an individual performance affects the outcome of a wager.
Together, their comments underscore growing concerns about how the expansion of legal sports betting has affected athletes off the field, especially with gambling-related abuse becoming a growing problem.
The concerns raised by Colorado athletes reflect a broader trend across professional sports. Earlier this season, several Cleveland Guardians players, including Nolan Jones, Tanner Bibee, Austin Hedges, and Steven Kwan, spoke publicly about the gambling-related abuse they receive from bettors after games. The players described a steady stream of hostile messages, including death threats and racist comments, while stressing that online harassment has become an increasingly common part of playing professional sports.
The issue has also gained attention in the WNBA. Veteran guard Natasha Cloud recently urged league officials, including WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, to take stronger action against gambling-related harassment after Chelsea Gray shared racist messages she received from a bettor. Cloud argued that abusive messages tied to player prop bets and game outcomes should be treated as a player safety issue, adding to growing calls across multiple leagues for stronger protections.
But the question becomes: how can professional leagues and sportsbooks work collaboratively to address this growing issue?
One example of the industry responding to gambling-related abuse is Fanatics Sportsbook’s Bad Actors program, which is designed to identify and penalize customers who harass athletes, coaches, officials, or other participants over wagers. Rather than treating abusive behavior as an unavoidable part of sports, the initiative gives the sportsbook a mechanism to investigate reports and take action against offending accounts.
Potential penalties can include account restrictions, suspension, or permanent bans from the platform for users found to have engaged in threatening or abusive conduct.
While no single policy is likely to eliminate gambling-related harassment, programs such as Bad Actors represent one approach sportsbooks and professional leagues can build upon as they look to reduce abuse directed at athletes.
Given how athletes continue to speak out about abuse from bettors, more programs like Bad Actors need to be put in place to address this issue.
