In a recent publication by the NCAA, it has been revealed that one out of every three high-profile athletes is subject to abuse from individuals with a vested interest in betting. Shockingly, over 540 men’s and women’s college basketball players were subjected to similar mistreatment, including death threats, during the championship tournaments in March.
The NCAA’s investigation specifically targeted athletes involved in sports that garner significant betting interest, particularly football and basketball. The distressing findings disclosed that online abuse is prevalent within the realm of sports betting. Signify, an AI company and proud partner of the NCAA, closely monitored more than a thousand Division I men’s and women’s college basketball players, 64 teams, over 200 coaches, and 120 NCAA game officials during the March Madness tournament. The analysis, performed as part of an NCAA initiative to combat online abuse and harassment, uncovered a staggering 4,000 posts or comments that were confirmed to be abusive or threatening during March Madness.
Female basketball players bore the brunt of the abuse, with approximately three times more threats directed at them compared to their male counterparts. Additionally, it was revealed that 15-25% of the abuse suffered by players, coaches, and officials involved in the most popular college sports was linked to betting.
Joe Maloney, the senior vice president of strategic communications for the American Gaming Association, expressed his disdain for the harassment faced by athletes over sporting bets. He emphasized the importance of not tolerating such behavior and highlighted the role of the legal sports wagering market in providing transparency to address these issues. Maloney also expressed the Association’s eagerness to engage in ongoing discussions with the NCAA, professional leagues, and other stakeholders to collectively work towards reducing athlete harassment.
Remarkably, Armando Bacot, a forward on the North Carolina men’s basketball team, disclosed receiving numerous direct messages via social media berating him for his performance in a game. Bacot lamented the ordeal, stating, “It’s terrible…I got like over 100 messages from people telling me I sucked and stuff like that because I didn’t get enough rebounds.”
The alarming data released by the NCAA coincides with their efforts to prohibit sportsbooks from offering prop betting on college players. Prop betting involves wagers on elements such as the over/under on a player’s points or rebounds. States such as Ohio, Louisiana, Maryland, and Vermont have recently passed legislation banning prop betting on college players, with more states contemplating the issue.
Joe Brennan, an esteemed internet gaming consultant and the executive director for online sportsbook Prime Sports, offered a different perspective on the matter. He opined that the NCAA’s focus on banning college player props is misguided, identifying social media as the primary source of the issue. Brennan stressed that abusive speech towards teams and players is a sad reality in competitive sports and lamented the unfortunate entanglement of sports betting in this issue.
The revelations regarding the harassment of high-profile athletes due to sports betting underline the urgent need for measures to protect players from such abuse. The NCAA’s comprehensive analysis shines a light on a pervasive issue that requires immediate attention and action from all stakeholders involved.