Tennis Orgs Lobby to Close Accounts of Gamblers Abusing Female Players

Tennis organizations such as the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) and International Tennis Federation (ITF) are urging gambling companies to shut down the betting accounts of individuals who send abusive messages to female players. 

Report Shows Concerning Statistics about Harassment in Women’s Tennis by Frustrated Gamblers

According to a report from the WTA and the ITF, 458 female tennis players were direct targets of abuse last year. The report was created using an AI-driven detection system developed by the Signify Group. It revealed that 40% of social media abuse originated from frustrated gamblers who bet and lost on losing athletes. 

This figure rose to 77% when focusing on direct abuse aimed at players’ personal accounts. Over 8,000 abusive posts were traced to 4,200 accounts, with 26% of the offensive messages targeting just five female players. Players who have been victims of online harassment have often received unwanted explicit pictures and even death threats.

Who Is Lobbying?

Discussions between the WTA, ITF, and gambling companies have intensified since the report’s release last week, with some operators expressing a willingness to suspend the accounts of individuals who abuse athletes on social media. Alongside betting bans, authorities are also calling for gambling firms to help fund industry-wide educational initiatives to combat online hate.

The Gambling Commission is also reportedly involved in the ongoing discussions aimed at encouraging more betting companies to ban abusive individuals. One proposal under consideration is to use the commission’s self-exclusion database to also include individuals who have sent abusive messages to players. This database was originally created to prevent operators from targeting problem gamblers. 

Popular US-based gambling operator FanDuel is also involved in debates on the matter. It was reported that the operator has updated its terms and conditions earlier this week, granting itself the authority to suspend users who harass athletes and expanding its definition of harassment. In an email sent to its user base on 24 June, FanDuel highlighted a new clause in its terms and conditions stating that the company may, at its sole discretion, suspend or terminate user accounts and/or exclude individuals from its services if it determines they pose a threat to the safety of participants in a sporting event. Accounts will also be suspended if users have harassed a sports official, coach, or any event participant.

FanDuel serves as the WTA’s official gaming partner in the United States. As part of this partnership, the WTA provides FanDuel with access to its official scoring data, which grants a potential timing advantage over competitors. In addition, the company receives rights to use video highlights across its digital platforms.