How widespread sports betting affects NFL players: ‘People have said they’d kill me’

This piece is part of The Athletic’s annual NFL anonymous player survey, covering a range of topics around the league.

Anyone who absorbed even a single minute of NFL content this year knows: Sports betting and fantasy football are a ubiquitous part of the game, whether you’re at the stadium or watching on TV. It turns out that is true for many players, even after they’ve stepped off the field.

Respondents to our anonymous player poll made clear: Few of them participate in fantasy football or sports betting themselves. But the majority have had fans reach out or confront them — often on social media, and often in a belligerent way — about lost wagers and fantasy-league defeats.

“Oh yeah, all the time,” said an AFC offensive player. “I could probably pull up my Instagram DMs right now.”

“Oh my gosh, since that has been a thing, all the time,” said an AFC offensive player. “You can’t respond to it. Since betting and fantasy has become more relevant, it’s crazy. Like, I’m talking about threats. But if we did something to a fan, it would be a big story.”

Or, as an AFC offensive player summed it up: “Five times a season, and I’m just an offensive lineman.”

The vast majority of players say they typically hear from disgruntled bettors and fantasy managers via social media.

“On DMs all the time,” said an NFC offensive player. “People use slurs. People have said they’d kill me. I hadn’t seen the ball thrown my way, and I remember someone said they’d kill me. But I know it’s anonymous, and it’s just people saying stuff. It’s the internet.”

And an NFC defensive player: “There was a time when a fan thought I had cost them the game. Another teammate got a personal foul, and our (jersey) numbers were close, but people thought it was my number. So I was getting DMs, ‘You messed up my bet!’ But it wasn’t me. I responded to a few of them.”

An NFC offensive player had this anecdote from a late-season game a few years ago: “We rip a zone off to the left. I end up getting a great block on the linebacker — finish him, bury him, we score a touchdown to take the lead. The back judge launches a flag from 30, 40 yards deep, calls holding on me. No touchdown, we lose the game.

“The (league) comes back on Tuesday, and says, ‘Hey, we got that call wrong. That wasn’t a holding.’ Yeah, I know that, great, but we lost the game.”

He said his inbox was flooded. Not because his team lost the game, but because the running back missed out on a touchdown. “Because in Week 14, fantasy football playoffs is going on.”

Along with Instagram and Twitter, a few players said they heard from fans in a more surprising spot: Venmo.

“In college, after the national championship game, I got a lot of Venmo requests,” said an AFC offensive player, “because a lot of people bet on that game and we lost.”

And an NFC offensive player: “I got a couple of Venmo requests from fans who said they lost money. They thought they were funny.”

Most respondents said they never respond to betting and fantasy football messages, but a few made exceptions.

“The one time someone actually (threatened me with violence),” said an NFC defensive player. “My response was, ‘If we was face to face, you wouldn’t say that.’”

Though the best comeback might have been from one NFC defensive player: “I sent Paragraph 5 of our contract that says our salary as a response.”

One year ago, we asked players if the NFL had done enough to educate its players on sports betting and prevent gambling from impacting games. (83.3 percent of respondents said the league had.) This year, we went a different route and asked players if they dabbled in betting on other sports.

“I think the league, by now, has scared most players away,” said an AFC offensive player.

Under the NFL’s gambling policy, players are allowed to bet on other sports — in states where it is legal — though they are prohibited from gambling while in team or league facilities (such as practice facilities, stadiums and offices) or while traveling with their teams (such as on a team plane or in a team hotel) to participate in an NFL game or in-season team activity. NFL players are also prohibited from entering physical sportsbooks during the season, and of course, from participating in any betting activities for NFL events.

Of the few respondents who said they do place bets, basketball — specifically March Madness — was the sport of choice.

“You do little fun things, March Madness, golf majors,” said an NFC offensive player. “You’re with your buddies, you watch it together. I’m not just sweating out a random handball match in Europe.

An NFC defensive player: “I bet on baseball a little bit. I bet a lot on UFC and boxing. If I’m going to the event, usually I like to bet just to have, like, a purpose for why I’m there. See if I can win something.”

And an AFC offensive player: “I enjoy some fun wagers. NBA. Grew up a big basketball fan.”

An NFC offensive player said he doesn’t bet on sports, but does bet on his Madden games (for the purposes of this survey, we counted him among the no’s).

A different NFC offensive player, who apparently has not yet been affected by the barrage of sportsbook advertising, added: “Never downloaded an app, DraftKings or anything like that. But maybe I should start thinking about it.”

Though an AFC offensive player suggested a little more fiscal responsibility: “No, I like my money where it is.”

As with sports betting, we didn’t find many fantasy-football participants in NFL locker rooms. This was the most lopsided result of this year’s 12 poll questions:

“I have a league with all of my friends from middle school,” said an AFC offensive player, “and the only reason I still play is because we’ve been doing this since middle school.”

That was a common thread among the few players who are also fantasy footballers: The leagues they participate in have been together since well before their NFL careers started.

“I’ve had the same league for like 15 years,” said another AFC offensive player. “(It’s) with my high school buddies, so yeah, that’s still going strong.”

And a third AFC offensive player: “I’ve had a fantasy football league since ninth grade. Same guys. Same league. Never saw it as a conflict of interest or anything.”

One NFC offensive player said he doesn’t play solely because he’s worried about running afoul of NFL restrictions.

“I do not (play fantasy football), just because the betting rules and all that stuff are pretty difficult to understand. I look forward to doing it when I’m done, though.”

An NFC defensive player added, “I did my first couple of years in the league. But I felt like it was too conflicting. So I don’t do it anymore.”

The NFL does not prohibit players from participating in season-long fantasy leagues — though, according to reports, there is a $250 cap on winnings. Players are prohibited from playing daily fantasy football.

The NFL is not full of fantasy-haters, though. Several players said they don’t play now but used to — and they’d like to again.

“I remember growing up, I did it with my dad,” said an NFC offensive player. “Our team name was ‘Lights Out’ because we liked Shawn Merriman. That’s the only time. Now I’m so locked into the season, so I don’t have time.”

An AFC offensive player: “I played it in middle school and always lost, so I gave it up. It just pissed me off.”

And an NFC offensive player who, for a moment, wished this wasn’t an anonymous survey: “I used to — three-time champion! But that was before (became an NFL player).”

A few respondents admitted they’re not cut out for it: “It’s funny,” said an NFC defensive player, “I really don’t even like watching football other than just playing it.”

And one player just needs a little bit of love that only a fantasy football league can provide.

“I don’t (play fantasy football),” said an AFC offensive player, “just because no one invites me to be in their league. I would. I told my boys that next year, I want to do it.”