FanDuel Prepared to Ban Bettors Who Abuse Athletes

• FanDuel could ban users who abuse athletes online.
• AI detects gambler-driven harassment on social media.
• WTA pushes for more gambling industry accountability.
  

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FanDuel has become the first major gambling operator to take a stand against the online abuse of athletes. The sports betting giant has warned its customers they could be banned from the platform for harassing sports stars.

The move comes after a report by the Women’s Tennis Association and International Tennis Federation (ITF) found widespread abuse directed especially toward female players, much of it from angry gamblers.

Using an AI-led detection system developed by the Signify Group, the report identified more than 8,000 abusive posts from 4,200 accounts in 2023. Some 40% of this abuse came from gamblers, rising to 77% when it involved direct messages to players’ personal accounts, according to the study.

Right to Terminate

FanDuel, which is the official betting partner of the WTA, altered its terms and conditions last week to give itself the right to suspend or terminate customer accounts for abusive behavior. The sportsbook highlighted the new clause in an email sent to users on June 24.

We may, in our sole discretion, suspend or terminate your Account and/or exclude you from our services if we determine that you pose a threat to the safety of participants in a sporting event, or discover that you engaged in the harassment of a sports official, coach or any participant in a sporting event.”

Also last week, British women’s tennis number two Katie Boulter told the BBC she had been sent death threats by disgruntled gamblers.

During the French Open, one social media user said: “Hope you get cancer,” according to Boulter. Another advised her to buy “candles and a coffin for your entire family” and threatened to damage her grandmother’s grave if she’s “not dead by tomorrow.”

Industry Receptive

The Guardian reports that the WTA and ITF are holding talks with the gambling industry to follow FanDuel’s lead, and many operators have responded positively to the idea.

“The report has brought about a constructive conversation with the betting industry,” a spokesperson for the WTA and ITF told The Guardian. “We will continue to push for the industry to do more as part of a collective effort to rid tennis of betting-related abuse. We hope the gambling industry responds constructively to our call for more action on their part.”

Tournament organizers have already taken steps to combat the abuse, reporting some of the worst offenders to police and banning them from buying tickets to Grand Slam, WTA, and ATP events.

But tennis officials want gambling companies to take greater responsibility, including helping to fund education campaigns about online hate and sportsmanship.