Study Reveals Gamblers Behind Surge in NCAA Athlete Abuse

The expansion of sports betting across the United States, combined with the popularity of prop bets and the nature of wagering, which is above all a gambling activity, created the perfect conditions for harassment against athletes. A new report points to the growing abuse by “angry sports bettors,” who harass athletes, particularly via social media.

New Research Focuses on Online Abuse Against Athletes

Sadly, while athletes have to undergo intense physical training to ensure their peak performance, they must also protect themselves from online abuse and in some cases even go through counseling due to harassment.

Over the last couple of years, there have been many cases of athletes speaking out against online abuse and abuse by bettors. To make matters worse, not only are professional athletes subjected to such disgusting treatment, but some disgruntled gamblers also threaten and harass college athletes.

A soon-to-be-released research conducted by Signify Group, a data science company, in collaboration with the NCAA, highlighted a concerning trend of angry bettors who posted abusive messages on social media, targeting collegiate athletes, ESPN reports.

The report is expected to emerge Thursday, but ESPN gained insight ahead of the publication. The new research involved the analysis of social media accounts belonging to 3,000 college athletes, as well as 500 coaches, as well as nearly 400 other officials. The focus of the research was interactions during basketball tournaments such as the men’s and women’s 2024 College Football Playoff, as well as the College World Series.

Women Athletes, Subject to a Greater Number of Abusive Messages

Per the research, a total of 743 messages containing threats or signaling abuse related to match-fixing or betting were recorded. Not unexpectedly, an overwhelming majority, or 73% were recorded during March Madness. This wasn’t a surprise considering the popularity of the tournament among sports bettors in the country.

Concerningly, per the report, women athletes were subjected to 59% more abuse in messages when compared to male athletes. Even more worrying was the fact that the aforementioned research focused only on publicly posted threats on social media. According to the NCAA, the results may be much more dire if private messages with abuse and threats by disgruntled gamblers are added to the equation.

The NCAA released details regarding one particularly alarming case involving a male basketball player during March Madness. The player, whose name was not disclosed, received the following message: “Yo no big deal but if you don’t get 22 points and 12 boards everyone you know and love will Be dead.”

In other cases, gamblers would mock the athletes, insult them, ask for money or engage in other abusive behavior. Not unexpectedly, in cases of death threats or messages demonstrating serious enough behavior of potential harm, law enforcement is involved.