From Bets to Threats

1 day ago

3 min read

By Andrew Xie Nov. 4, 2026

A missed field goal may cost a team a game, but for New York Giants kicker Graham Gano, it brought death

threats from bettors who lost money on his performance. In November 2025, Gano revealed that he regularly receivedmessages from angry sports bettors, with some telling him to kill himself. Whether he made a kick or missed one,someone, somewhere could lose a bet and target him with their blame.

On Sept. 15, the National Football League (NFL), National Basketball Association (NBA), Major League

Baseball (MLB), Major League Soccer (MLS) and National Hockey League (NHL), alongside their players’

associations, sent a joint letter urging gambling regulators in 35 states and Washington, D.C. to adopt lifetime bans for bettors who threaten or harass athletes, coaches, officials or their families. The proposal also outlined a shared system to report verified threats to law enforcement and regulators; however, state regulators would need to adopt the provisions individually, as the request does not create a nationwide ban.

Since the Supreme Court overturned the federal ban on sports betting in 2018, gambling has cemented itself as a large part of American sports culture. Mobile apps such as DraftKings and FanDuel have allowed users to place bets from the comfort of their phones, wagering not only on which team will win but also on individual player statistics. The recent widespread use of prediction-market platforms such as Polymarket and Kalshi, which operate as federally regulated financial exchanges instead of state-licensed sportsbooks, has also added to the question of how sports-related wagers should be regulated.

A bet might be placed on whether a player scores a certain number of points, grabs a rebound or makes a field goal. When a wager misses by a small amount, an angry bettor may blame their lost money on the athlete. Some carry this frustration onto social media, where messages can include extreme threats and harassment not just towards the player, but extending to their families.

This affects college athletes as well. A 2025 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) study found that up to 51% of Division I men’s basketball players reported social media harassment about their match performances, and 46% reported receiving negative or threatening messages from people who bet on their games. A separate NCAA survey found that one in three men’s basketball players said fans directly blamed them for betting losses, and one in four players reported verbal or physical abuse in person.

“I find it ridiculous that players get death threats just because someone lost a bet. People make a choice when they gamble, so they should not blame an athlete for losing their money. They only have themselves to blame," George Gass '28 said.

Athletes must also follow strict rules about their own gambling. Professional and collegiate leagues prohibit

players from betting on games in their sport or sharing private information that could give bettors an unfair advantage. These rules protect the integrity of the sport, as fans need to trust that players are playing to the best of their abilities and trying to win, rather than changing their performance to influence a wager.

In 2024, the NBA handed former Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter a lifetime ban from the league after finding that he disclosed confidential health information to bettors. The league also found that Porter bet on NBA games, including bets on the Raptors to lose.

“If players are betting on their own games, it leads viewers to wonder whether the winning team is really the better one. Sport auhtorities should amek sure players are playing to the best of their abilities to win instead of trying to make money off of a bet," David Oh '29 said.

As sports betting expands nationwide, leagues face two challenges: protecting the integrity of the game and

protecting athletes.

About the Contributors

Andrew Xie

Opinions and Last Word Page Editor

Andrew Xie is a junior at Leland High School and the Opinions and Last Word Page Editor for The Charger Account. When not sleeping, he can be found working out, playing video games, and hanging out with friends.