It is a rare occurrence these days, but five major sports leagues and their player associations have reached a consensus on an important issue.
That concern is the increasing abuse and threats against professional athletes and other members of the sports community by segments of the betting public.
The five leagues and respective player associations (including the NFL and NFLPA) sent a letter late last month to gambling regulators in 35 states and the District of Columbia. They urged the regulators to establish rules to permanently revoke the betting privileges for anyone found to have threatened or “abusively harassed” any professional or amateur athlete, coach, official, or team personnel. In addition to the NFL, the other leagues are MLB, MLS, NHL, and NBA.
During our own playing days, many of us heard complaints from fans who claimed they had lost their bets because of our team or individual failures on the field. However, those complaints often were muted because sports gambling still was illegal, except in Las Vegas.
With the U.S. Supreme Court decision in 2018 that allowed states to authorize online or in-person betting, the increase in such abusive actions has dramatically escalated.
“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 leagues wrote in the letter. “It is critical that state and local leaders safeguard the participants of sports at all levels.”
Several states, including West Virginia, Louisiana, and Wyoming, already exclude “bad actors “ from licensed sports books and mobile applications.
Proponents of legalized betting often respond that the increase in sports gambling is the result of the leagues and teams themselves embracing sponsorships with commercial gambling interests on TV ads and in-stadium signage. Also, they note that former athletes, including a few of our own NFL brothers, are spokesmen for these legal companies.
The sports betting business is a profitable one. However, the leagues and player associations want to protect today’s players, coaches and game officials from unwarranted abuse.
We at NFL Alumni will keep you updated on this very critical topic.
