In a recent podcast appearance, Fred VanVleet told a story about a fan confronting him at church over a losing parlay.
The Houston Rockets star shared the interaction after the Club 520 podcast hosts asked whether fans had slid into his DMs over gambling losses. VanVleet said online comments are one thing, but in-person confrontations are something else.
Club 520: “Has any fans got on your nerves about you messing up their parlays? Man, they hit your DMs?”
VanVleet: “The internet don’t bother me, it’s the ‘in person’ one [fan interaction] you’ve got to be careful for. I had somebody run down on me in church.”
Club 520: “Wow. In the Lord’s House!”
VanVleet: “‘N***a, you f***ed up my parlay.’ In church! I said, ‘Damn.’ $3,000. It was some youngin’. I couldn’t believe it. It’s real out here.”
Amid the rapid growth of US sports betting, VanVleet’s reveal is just the latest example of one of gambling’s downsides. The anecdote also offers a clear view of why the industry must work to curb these problematic behaviors.
Athlete Abuse a Growing Problem
Unfortunately, VanVleet’s encounter isn’t the first time a fan overreacted over a lost bet.
Last year, a courtside fan urged Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero to score two more points to secure a gambling win. In a spicy response, Banchero roasted the fan for betting on a preseason game. In another incident, a fan confronted the Golden State Warriors ‘ Jimmy Butler on the street for not scoring enough to satisfy a bet.
Certainly, it’s not just basketball players at risk of such behavior.
Last year, three-time Olympic gold medalist Gabby Thomas was harassed at a Grand Slam Track event. Thomas said a “grown man” followed her around the meet shouting “personal insults” as she took pictures and signed autographs.
As reported by CNN Sports, Thomas’ comment was in response to a now-deleted X post showing her being heckled at the starting line. The original poster also bragged that his actions benefited his gambling outcome, alongside a screenshot of two multi-leg bets made on FanDuel.
“I made Gabby lose by heckling her. And it made my parlay win.”
The good news is that operators, regulators, and lawmakers are drawing firmer boundaries and no longer brushing harassment under the rug. Now, bettors who act up risk losing their accounts.
In a statement to CNN Sports, FanDuel said it strongly condemns abusive behavior directed toward athletes. In this case, it removed the party responsible for targeting Thomas from its platform.
“Threatening or harassing athletes is unacceptable and has no place in sports. This customer is no longer able to wager with FanDuel.”
NCAA Reiterates Prop-Ban Request
In March 2025, the NCAA launched an effort against “the alarming prevalence of abuse and harassment student-athletes face from angry fans who lost a bet.”
An analysis by Signify Group examined abusive social media messages sent to college athletes, coaches, and officials during seven NCAA championships and the College Football Playoff National Championship. About 12% – 740 messages – were related to betting.
During March Madness, student athletes and game officials received more than 540 abusive gambling-related messages – including death threats. One user even threatened the family and friends of a college athlete.
“Yo no big deal but if you don’t get 22 points and 12 boards everyone you know and love will Be dead.”
The NCAA is seeking a ban on proposition or “prop” bets on college athletes. Prop bets are wagers on outcomes beyond the final score, often targeting individual player performance, which the organization calls a “mental health nightmare.”
In January, NCAA President Charlie Baker once again called on state gambling commissions to eliminate individual and certain other prop bets involving student athletes.
In his letter to the commissions, Baker reiterated the NCAA’s 2023 request that laws and regulations “be amended to better protect student-athletes, game officials, and the integrity of NCAA competitions.”
Specifically, we propose that state laws and regulations be amended to include stricter accountability for bettors found to have harassed student-athletes and to provide mechanisms for the NCAA and other leagues to have a formal ‘seat at the table’ with gaming regulators and operators before certain types of bets are offered.”
In an accompanying statement, Baker said the NCAA will continue to “aggressively pursue” sports betting violations in college athletics. He further called on regulators to “eliminate threats to integrity to better protect athletes and leagues from integrity risks and predatory bettors.”
Lawmakers, Operators Get on Board
Lawmakers have begun to step in.
A proposed bill in New York would ban bettors who issue threats from all regulated sportsbooks. The legislation defines abuse as behavior causing severe emotional distress or fear for personal safety. It covers electronic, verbal, and written threats.
Backers of the New York bill argue that the legislation would give regulators greater authority to flag and block abusive customers from all licensed operators.
On Jan. 20, the Assembly version (A07903) passed the Racing and Wagering Committee by a unanimous 10-0 vote. It advanced to third reading in the General Assembly on Jan. 22.
Previously, Ohio, West Virginia, and Wyoming passed similar laws to protect athletes.
More recently, BetMGM introduced its own athlete anti-harassment policy.
On Feb. 2, BetMGM said it was strengthening its approach to bettorw harassment.
Now, any person targeting athletes, coaches, or officials with abusive language risks an immediate account suspension. The rule applies across BetMGM’s North American operations.
With the announcement, BetMGM chief compliance officer Rhea Loney said the company is “unwavering” in its commitment to sports integrity.
“We are unwavering in our commitment to sports integrity — and that commitment extends to safeguarding athletes, coaches and league personnel. Our legal, regulated environment enables us to identify misconduct, investigate reports, and take action when necessary. Any confirmed instance of harassment will result in decisive measures, including account suspension.”
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Robyn has worked across industries, including food, music, film, tech, nfp, and journalism. She brings over 20 years of writing, editing, and reporting experience to Gambling Insider, five of those years focused on gambling news. She’s particularly interested in covering news that affects people—legal and legislative issues, business and culture, and anything related to problem or responsible gambling.
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