In short, in today’s world, sports betting is all the rage. Athletes now face scary new problems from overzealous fans and blitzed gamblers. Recent scandals revealed a darker trend of gambling influence in sports. This, sadly, casts a frequent shadow on the thrill of betting.
The alleged sender was an overseas bettor who was apparently drunk. For a few fans, their disappointment went to an extreme. They sent death threats to McCullers’ family, showcasing just how far the gambling underbelly will go when their bets don’t break their way. This shocking event serves as a reminder of the threats athletes encounter in today’s digital era.
Earlier this summer, Olympic gold medalist Gabby Thomas handled a sexist heckler during a Grand Slam Track event in Philadelphia. She approached the podium with poise and authority. The man later boasted about his harassment, saying that it was instrumental to her defeat in the primary election. Coincidentally, that outcome made possible his own big winning parlay bet. This conduct raises important questions about the impact of gambling on the integrity of sports. It’s challenging enough to gauge the mental health of a regular athlete.
Professional golfer Max Homa is a notable example of someone who has chosen to get off social media entirely. He’s mostly driven by the toxic experiences he encountered away from the course. Homa said he would get a few Venmo requests a week from those fans, which frequently included stinging critiques about how he was playing. Carl-Watkins-5’s request for an impressive $1,900 stood out. So he posted the photo with this caption, “Bc you can’t putt under pressure.”
Both of these experiences have left Homa ruminating on the surrealism of online harassment. “It is quite absurd how comfortable people feel writing awful things,” he remarked.
“Gamble like a big boy Carl and take ur lumps like the rest of us.”
In the meantime, other athlete Payton Thorne was trying to not laugh about things by admitting he’s gotten a lot of Venmo requests. He quipped,
As sports betting continues to expand across the U.S., more athletes are sounding the alarm. A recent anonymous poll revealed that 78.2% of Major League Baseball (MLB) players believe that legalized sports betting has changed how fans interact with them and their teammates.
“It’s funny. When they lose money, they want their money back. But when they win money on a parlay, no one’s ever sent me any of the money.”
Pro golfer Scottie Scheffler was on the receiving end of some pretty ugly Venmo harassment. In protest, he chose to delete his account forever. Likewise, Brady Tkachuk opened up about his encounters with the “dollars on Venmo” requests from fans, saying,
Tkachuk mentioned how absurd it is for the fans to demand payment for losses wagered in gambling. “Honestly, I think it’s funny,” he added. “Like, people really think I’m going to send them money for not making the shots?”
“Oh, I’m No. 1 on that list right now. I had so many [fans] at one point that were requesting money. It wasn’t even for winning or scoring — it was for my shots or my hits.”
Additionally, in-person incidents serve as a reminder to the impact gambling has on fan behavior specifically at events. At the 2023 American Century Championship, a fan yelled as Stephen Curry was taking his backswing. The objection sent the future NBA Hall of Famer shooting one well off the mark. The heckler would go on to allege he’d bet $15,000 on Curry winning. This further illustrates how gambling’s presence can result in hostile environments toward athletes.
A recent study found that at least 12% of all publicly posted social media abuse originates from out-of-control sports gamblers. This alarming statistic shines a light on a growing practice among gamblers. They are getting louder about their frustrations online, constantly directing their anger at athletes that don’t have control over the results of their bets.
As these incidents continue to happen, the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) is doing its part. Instead, they’re showing that they are committed to player safety. An MLBPA spokesperson stated,
Athletes are no doubt concerned about the emotional impact of increased gambling exposure on fans. This discomfort continues despite long-standing efforts to increase player safety and limit harassment. Professional golfer Max Homa recently tweeted his concerns about the severity of online criticism directed at athletes. He asked if the gambling world feeds into this negativity. I’m happy they can do it because it seems fun as hell in golf, but people say some bad, bad things. Then you have people saying you should kill yourself on the internet.
“The Players Association takes player safety very seriously and because of that we employ a director of security who is a former FBI agent with law enforcement contacts across the U.S. and internationally.”
Brady Tkachuk went on record about how he felt about fans being upset over their gambling losses. “It’s pretty funny that people get so emotional and mad,” he said, referring to the reactions he receives from bettors.
Brady Tkachuk also shared his thoughts on fan emotions regarding gambling outcomes. “It’s pretty funny that people get so emotional and mad,” he said, referring to the reactions he receives from bettors.
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