As the CEO of Birches Health, the largest national treatment provider specialized in gambling and other behavioral addictions, I spend my time at the intersection of sports, betting and human behavior. That vantage point makes one trend impossible to ignore: as sports betting continues to expand and become normalized, athletes are increasingly exposed to threats and harassment from angry bettors – and not enough has been done to protect them.  

When a missed free throw, dropped pass or controversial call swings the outcome of a wager, frustration doesn’t always stay confined to a betting app or group chat. For a small but dangerous subset of bettors, including those experiencing gambling-related problems, losses can trigger rage, entitlement and a misplaced belief that an athlete or referee “owes” them for having made a mistake. The result has been a rise in direct messages, doxxing attempts, death threats, and intimidation aimed at players and officials, including amateurs and college athletes who lack professional security or media training. 

Importance should not be underplayed

This is not merely a fringe issue. It is a public safety and mental health issue: one that reflects the darker side of an industry built on emotional engagement and financial risk. From an addiction science perspective, this behavior is not surprising. Gambling disorder is associated with impulsivity, distorted thinking and difficulty regulating emotions. Betting products are increasingly frictionless, heavily promoted and socially validated, so those distortions intensify. Athletes become convenient scapegoats for losses that are, in reality, part of the inherent risk of gambling.  

There is both a moral and commercial obligation to address. Protecting athletes is not anti-betting; it is pro-sustainability. First, betting operators must take the strongest possible stance on bettor conduct. As leagues penalize players for misconduct, all sportsbooks need to enforce zero-tolerance policies for threats and harassment. This includes permanent account bans, coordinated data-sharing among operators, and proactive monitoring of abusive behavior tied to betting outcomes.  

Second, there must be formal reporting and escalation channels between leagues, law enforcement, and operators. Athletes should not be left to screenshot Instagram messages and hope someone takes them seriously. A standardized, well-funded system for reporting betting-related threats would dramatically improve response times and deterrence.  

Third, education matters on both sides of the bet. Athletes should receive training on digital safety, privacy protection, and how betting-related abuse differs significantly from general fan criticism (and therefore needs to be treated differently). Bettors, meanwhile, should be consistently reminded – within apps and advertising – that outcomes are uncertain, losses are expected, and harassment of athletes is unacceptable and punishable. Maybe some scare tactics around the severe potential penalties for offenders would help as well.  

Investment to protect 

Finally, and most critically, the industry must invest more aggressively in problem gambling identification and treatment access. Threats against athletes are often a downstream symptom of untreated addiction. Robust limits-setting tools and seamless referrals to treatment are not just responsible gaming features; they are harm prevention tools.  

Sports betting is here to stay. The question is whether it will mature fast enough to protect the very individuals whose performances make it possible. Athletes should never have to fear for their (or their family’s) safety because someone lost a bet. If we fail to act, we risk normalizing a behavior that no healthy industry should tolerate – and that is a gamble none of us should take.