BetMGM explicitly bans harassment of athletes in policy update

BetMGM said on Monday it has revised its terms of service to explicitly ban customers from harassing athletes, coaches, and other sports personnel, and will suspend accounts of those who engage in abusive behaviour.

The U.S. sports betting operator said the change is part of its broader efforts to protect players and maintain sports integrity. While its previous policies already allowed account suspensions for harassment, BetMGM said the new language is meant to set clearer standards for customers.

"Any confirmed instance of harassment will result in decisive measures, including account suspension," Rhea Loney, BetMGM's Chief Compliance Officer, said in a statement.

Former NFL star and Pro Football Hall of Famer Barry Sanders, a BetMGM ambassador, said the changes send a signal that harassment “has no place in sports or sports betting.”

BetMGM also tied the policy update to its wider responsible gambling initiatives, which include educational campaigns at 10 football stadiums across the United States.

The announcement comes amidst growing scrutiny of abuse directed at athletes by bettors. American sprinter and three-time Olympic gold medallist Gabby Thomas said last year that she was verbally abused by a gambler at a Grand Slam Track event.

In 2024, major tennis governing bodies stepped up efforts to curb online harassment after publishing a report that attributed nearly half of abusive social-media posts aimed at players to angry gamblers.

Former world number three Elina Svitolina has also spoken out about the issue, saying she received a wave of online abuse, including death threats, following her loss at the Canadian Open in August and blaming the “shameful” behaviour on disgruntled bettors.