Brady Tkachuk is Latest Pro Athlete to Reference Gambler Harassment
Posted on: August 14, 2025, 10:28h.
Last updated on: August 14, 2025, 10:59h.
- Ottawa Senators’ forward Brady Tkachuk says he had to change his Venmo account after heckling
- Micro-market betting is gaining in popularity
- More pro athletes are referencing gambler harassment
Ottawa Senators’ star forward Brady Tkachuk is the latest pro athlete to talk about abuse from gamblers, according to a report in ESPN.
Tkachuk is a 6-foot-4, 225-pound power forward, and isn’t someone you want to mess with. He’s known almost as much for his ability to hit and fight as he is for his scoring deftness – 29 goals last season, 37 goals in 2023-24, 35 in 2022-23.
However, social media sniping, often anonymously, is a whole other beast. In a chat with ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski, Brady said he had to change his Venmo account because fans were bugging him, asking him for refunds after betting on Tkachuk’s game performances.
Asking for Refunds
A Venmo account is a digital wallet that lets a person send, receive, and store money through a mobile app or website. If your account is set to “public,” people can see your full name, your username, profile photo, names and usernames of the sender and recipient, and transaction notes. The payment amount is never public, however.
Micro markets are more popular with bettors now, with bettors looking for the more instant gratification that smaller stakes micro-market bets offer. In-game shots on goal, hits, saves – that kind of thing.
Micro-Market Betting
Tkachuk touched on that in his chat with Wyshynski.
It’s not even like winning or scoring. It was like my shots or my hits,” Tkachuk said. “I eventually had to change my name, because my Venmo, I had it in college. There’s a selfie of me and my name. People got a hold of that. So I had to change my name on it, and I had to take down my profile picture. So now, when I Venmo people, people are probably like, who the hell is Venmoing me?”
When asked if actually compensated fans who allegedly lost money betting on him, Tkachuck said “absolutely not,” adding that doing so wouldn’t be feasible and would break a number of NHL rules.” Honestly, I think it’s funny, because it’s like people are really thinking I’m going to send them money for not making shots [on goal],” he added. “I’m more pissed that we didn’t win the game or score, or whatever it may be. I could care less about not hitting the four, four and a half, or whatever the cover is, for the bet.
Pro Athlete Harassment
Tkachuk said he understands that fans can get emotional about games, especially when they have money on the line, but those aren’t factors that he considers while playing.
Do you really think I care about your parlay?” he said. “I just think it’s pretty funny that people get so emotional and mad about this, and that’s not even our [athletes’] thought process.”
Pro athletes have been more vocal about bettor harassment, though. In July, Boston Red Sox pitcher Lucas Giolito talked about threats made to him and his girlfriend by angry gamblers after he had a rough outing in a game against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Last Comment ( 1 )
Individual player props should be banned. It’s a chance for players to sell out to gamblers and this case players get threatened or harassed. Out of control!