Major US leagues demand permanent bans for bettors who harass sports personnel

The NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB and MLS, alongside their respective players’ associations, issued a collective appeal for stricter penalties against bettors who cross the line into harassment. Their proposal calls for permanent exclusion from all sports betting platforms for anyone confirmed to have threatened a player, coach, official or family member, and for a streamlined system that routes complaints and evidence straight to state gambling commissions.

They point to existing statutes in Ohio, West Virginia, Louisiana and Wyoming that already enforce such bans, urging other states to follow suit. The statement highlighted recent incidents, such as Cleveland Cavaliers coach JB Bickerstaff receiving threatening messages, NFL kicker Graham Gano being told to kill himself, and Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton noting his role as a prop bet target. The leagues argue that protecting participants’ safety must take precedence over wagering interests, and they expect betting operators to proactively identify and block abusive individuals.