Massachusetts Gaming Commission Launches ‘Bet on Respect’ to Ban Abusive Bettors

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) has launched a new anti-harassment initiative that can ban abusive bettors from every licensed sportsbook and casino in the state.

Individual sportsbooks like BetMGM and DraftKings already have the contractual authority to suspend or close customers’ accounts if those individuals are found to be abusive toward athletes or coaches associated with the teams and sports they wager on. 

The MGC program, called Bet on Respect, makes the punishment regulator-backed, enforceable across the entire Massachusetts betting market, and subject to a formal investigation and appeal process.

The bettor cannot simply open an account with another sportsbook. Once someone is placed on the exclusion list, every regulated Massachusetts operator must enforce it.

“Good-natured cheering and jeering are acceptable and even expected at sporting events, but sports wagering is an activity for adults, and adults should know better than to cross the line into harassment,” said Jordan Maynard, Massachusetts Gaming Commission chair.

“Athletes, officials, and others associated with games being wagered on deserve to be free of intimidation during and surrounding competition. While this tool will be impactful, we hope its use will be limited, as patrons will know right from wrong,” Maynard added.

New Harassment Reporting Portal Opens

MGC has set up a portal where representatives of leagues, players’ associations, college athletics programs, sports venues, or players themselves can report abuse. The commission will then investigate, and the gamblers at the center of it might find themselves excluded.

There’s also an email address – reportathleteharassment@massgaming.gov.

College Athletes Face Widespread Abuse

According to National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) data, student-athletes face significant online abuse and bullying. Among Division I men’s basketball players, 51% reported experiencing performance-related abuse online, with 46% stating the harassment was directly linked to sports gambling.

The “Bet on Respect” initiative has already secured widespread backing across Massachusetts sports and gaming. Coalition members include major professional franchises—the Boston Bruins, Boston Celtics, Boston Legacy FC, Boston Red Sox, New England Patriots, and New England Revolution—alongside the NCAA.

The state’s licensed commercial operators and land-based casinos have also signed on, including Bally Bet, BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, Fanatics, FanDuel, Encore Boston Harbor, MGM Springfield, and Plainridge Park Casino.

Recent Incidents Highlight the Problem

A few of the more recent instances of abuse of athletes by gamblers include Fred VanVleet of the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA), who said last February that a gambler confronted him at church, claiming VanVleet lost him a $3,000 parlay. 

In June 2025, in one of the more publicized examples, a gambler followed Olympic champion Gabby Thomas around a track meet, heckling her before a race and claiming the abuse disrupted Thomas and helped him win his parlay. FanDuel subsequently banned him.