Study Finds Increase in Online Gambling Abuse of Athletes
Date: 2024-10-09 Author: Leon Pierce Categories: SPORTS BETTING
Sports betting leads to threats against athletes
The sharp rise in sports betting in the United States, as well as the popularity of betting on the outcome of individual events, is creating fertile ground for abuse against athletes. A new study shows that disgruntled gamblers are increasingly threatening athletes, especially on social media.
A study conducted by Signify Group in collaboration with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has found a disturbing trend: an increase in threatening messages against college athletes. ESPN data released ahead of the report’s official release suggests that the hateful comments are coming mostly from gamblers whose bets have gone badly wrong.
The report analyzed the social media accounts of 3,000 college athletes, 500 coaches, and nearly 400 other officials. The study focused on major sporting events like the College Football Playoffs and basketball tournaments, including the NCAA women’s and men’s competitions.
Female athletes are subject to more abuse
The study found 743 messages containing threats and references to possible match-fixing. Unsurprisingly, 73% of them were recorded during March Madness, a popular tournament among American sports fans and bettors.
Especially alarming is that female athletes were subject to 59% more abuse than men. The study only included public threats on social media, and the NCAA says the situation may be even more serious if you include private messages with threats.
The NCAA also cited one instance during March Madness in which a basketball player received a text message that read, “It’s nothing personal, but if you don’t score 22 points and get 12 rebounds, everyone you know and love is going to be dead.”
In other cases, players have taunted athletes, insulted them, demanded money, or engaged in other forms of aggressive behavior. In situations where the threats were serious enough, law enforcement has been called in.
