NHL, NHLPA among sports leagues, unions cracking down on betting-related harassment
The NHL and the NHL Players’ Association are joining other major U.S. men’s sports leagues to crack down on betting-related harassment of players, coaches, and their families, as well as others involved in the sport who face harassment over sports betting from fans.
In a joint statement with the NFL, NBA, MLS and MLB, as well as the respective leagues’ player unions, they called for punishments for those who harass because of betting and urged sportsbooks and mobile betting operators to take the lead in policing the space.
The group wrote to gaming regulators in 35 states and D.C., leaving out 15 states, any Canadian provinces and the federal government.
“Threatening the safety of an athlete or their family members over a sports bet crosses a bright ethical and criminal line, and it is entirely unacceptable,” the letter reads.
The letter suggests that sportsbooks and mobile betting operators should approach this by outlining accountability plans to monitor, flag and ban accounts linked to abusive behavior and create a clear way to report evidence to the proper authorities.
According to a 2024 survey of 157 NHL players by The Athletic, 66.9% received fan messages about betting, with some even demanding electronic transfer requests.
“You get Venmo requests from fans,” one player said. “They’re demands, not requests. ‘You owe me $200 because you were on the ice when …’ and it’s insane. It’s really bad when you play against Toronto because it seems like everybody is betting on Leafs games. But that’s Toronto for you.”
Each league that signed off on the letter alongside its player unions has engaged in betting in some way, with the NHL currently holding official deals with BetMGM, FanDuel, Bet99, and government-supported gambling platforms, including OLG and ProLine. At the same time, the league has embraced the prediction market space, announcing multi-year deals with Kalshi and PolyMarket in the fall of 2025. NHL, NHLPA among sports unions cracking down on betting-related harassment