Sports Leagues, Unions Call for Crackdown on Gambling Harassment

_{Negative interactions between fans and players of MLB teams like the Los Angeles Angels could result in the permanent revocation of sports wagering privileges. (Photo: Peter Griffin / Alamy)}

Five of the largest sports leagues in North America and their associated players’ unions signed a joint letter sent to gaming regulators in 35 states and the District of Columbia on Tuesday, calling for stronger action against sports bettors who threaten or harass athletes.

The letter was signed by the NFL, the NFLPA, MLB, the MLBPA, Major League Soccer, the MLSPA, the NBA, the NBAPA, the NHL, and the NHLPA.

Leagues Want Lifetime Ban for Violent Threats

In the letter, the leagues and unions discuss the increasing frequency of incidents in which individuals who have lost bets take out their frustrations on players and coaches. For example, former Houston Astros pitcher Lance McCullers said in May 2025 that he received threats on social media telling him to "find my kids and murder them" after a rough performance against the Cincinnati Reds. A Houston police investigation later traced the threats to an intoxicated bettor overseas.

“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 letter reads. “It is critical that state and local leaders safeguard the participants of sports at all levels.”

The letter notes that some states, including Ohio, West Virginia, Louisiana, Massachusetts, and Wyoming already ban bad actors from both live and online sportsbooks. However, the signatories are calling for uniform punishments nationwide, including a mandatory lifetime ban for those who have threatened athletes.

“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,” the letter reads, outlining the proposed regulatory action backed by the leagues.

The signatories also call for regulators to create streamlined reporting mechanisms to share information on individuals who may qualify for such exclusion lists, reciprocity between states to ensure a bettor banned in one jurisdiction is banned throughout the United States, and a requirement for commercial sportsbooks to monitor and flag accounts related to abusive behavior if they wish to maintain their licenses.

“The safety and well-being of players, coaches, officials and their families must always come before a wager,” the letter reads. “As game participants do their utmost to protect integrity, abusive and violent threats should not serve as a deterrence from performing to their fullest.”

WNBA Left Out Despite Player Harassment

There was at least one notable exclusion from the letter: the WNBA and the WNBPA. In a statement, WNBPA Executive Director Terri Carmichael Jackson said that members of her union were facing the same issues.

“It is deeply disappointing that, given the very public and troubling incidents of betting-related harassment experienced by our members over the past several seasons, the NBA determined that WNBA players did not warrant inclusion in a joint position statement intended to address this very issue,” Jackson wrote.

The letter comes at a time when sports leagues are under more scrutiny for their own partnerships with sportsbooks, casinos, and prediction markets.

 In April 2026, Sen. Richard Blumenthal sent a letter to the same five leagues that signed on to Tuesday’s message – as well as the NCAA – asking them to reveal the full extent of their gambling partnerships along with the steps they are taking to maintain game integrity and conform with state gaming laws.

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