Los Angeles Dodgers’ relief pitcher Tanner Scott faced death threats from users online after he allowed three runs against the Philadelphia Phillies in the eighth inning, blowing a lead in a game they ended up losing. The incident reflects the ongoing abuse faced by professional athletes due to sports betting.
Following the game, Tanner Scott’s wife, Maddie Scott, shared a message on social media addressing the online abuse directed at their family. In her post, she questioned how sports fandom and betting culture have escalated to the point where athletes and their loved ones are receiving hateful messages over what happens in a game.
Maddie Scott also shared examples of comments sent to the family, many of which included violent threats and disturbing remarks aimed at both Tanner Scott and their child.
The incident is the latest example of professional athletes facing online harassment connected to sports betting losses, an issue that leagues across North America have increasingly acknowledged in recent years.
We saw this with MLB players earlier this year, when Cleveland Guardians players spoke out about abusive messages they had received from fans. This is an ongoing problem that needs to be addressed, whether in MLB or in other professional leagues.
As incidents involving athlete harassment continue to rise, professional sports leagues and sportsbooks are facing growing pressure to take stronger action against abusive behavior tied to sports betting.
MLB teams have already emphasized stricter enforcement policies at stadiums. For example, the San Diego Padres publicly reinforced their zero-tolerance approach toward fan harassment related to sports betting. Teams and leagues are increasingly recognizing that abuse is no longer limited to social media messages, but can also extend into live sporting environments.
In Louisiana, legislation aimed at prohibiting sports bettors from harassing athletes, coaches, and officials has moved forward. The proposal would create penalties for individuals who threaten or intimidate players over betting results.
Sportsbooks could also play a larger role in reducing abuse. Operators already monitor betting activity for fraud and suspicious wagering patterns. Similar systems could be used to identify users who repeatedly engage in abusive conduct online. Operators could put in a zero-tolerance policy here as well, where bettors who engage in such behavior are banned from the site.
While leagues and lawmakers have acknowledged the issue more openly in recent years, the Tanner Scott incident highlights how common betting-related abuse has become for professional athletes and their families in the social media era.
While leagues and sportsbooks can enforce stricter behavior policies inside stadiums, monitoring online abuse is more complicated. Social media platforms allow users to create anonymous accounts, making it difficult to identify those responsible for threatening messages directed at athletes and their families.
Many users also attempt to evade automated moderation systems by intentionally misspelling words or adding spaces between letters. As a result, abusive comments can spread quickly before platforms are able to remove them.
Sportsbooks may have the ability to identify some bettors through verified account information, but linking social media activity to betting accounts is often difficult unless threats are made directly through sportsbook platforms or connected applications. Privacy concerns and jurisdictional limitations can also complicate enforcement efforts.
The biggest key is collaboration, as was seen with the Scott incident. Reporting online abusive messages immediately, it can help address this issue.
