The NCAA’s full report on online abuse faced by student-athletes shows the effects of harassment from sports bettors on college sports, particularly the harm inflicted on athletes’ mental health.
The preliminary report from May highlighted the harassment North Carolina basketball player Armando Bacot suffered during this year’s March Madness.
The findings from a pilot study detail a surge in abusive online messages targeting student-athletes, coaches, officials, and NCAA committee members.
The NCAA continues to call for policy changes to address the issue, especially in states where online sports betting is flourishing and prop bets on college sports are legal.
Report references abuse against Bacot
The online harassment against Bacot began less than two weeks after North Carolina sports betting became legal on March 11.
Bettors turned their frustrations into abusive messages directed at Bacot, especially when prop bets on his performance failed to pay off. Other championships where sports betting abuse was detected included softball and football.
The NCAA released its preliminary findings of its study conducted with Signify Group in May, in the aftermath of March Madness and while some Division I championships were still in progress.
The NCAA report illustrates the need for increased protections in states where sports betting is on the rise, as local athletes are often the first to suffer the backlash from angry gamblers.
Female student-athletes most harassed, study finds
The NCAA pilot study found that 12% of all detected harassment was related to sports betting, a higher percentage than racist abuses. Fans lashed out at student-athletes when results did not align with their wagers. In high-profile events like March Madness, the abuse was particularly intense, with more than 743 incidents of harassment driven by sports betting recorded.
The study monitored:
- 3,164 athletes
- 489 coaches
- 197 event officials
- 165 team accounts
- 12 NCAA official social channels
The platforms included in the study were X/Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.
The study indicated the issue is not confined to a single sport or gender, although it disproportionately targets female athletes. The NCAA included screenshots of some of the profane messages students received, underscoring the disturbing and horrific nature of social media posts that often included racist, sexist, homophobic, and transphobic language as well.
Female athletes, particularly those competing in March Madness, faced nearly three times as much abuse compared to male athletes.
According to the study, the imbalance suggests that female athletes are especially vulnerable to abuse driven by sports betting, receiving intense scrutiny and blame from disappointed bettors. Sexual abuse also represented the largest category of harassment, accounting for 18% of all abuse detected, with female athletes particularly subjected to this form of mistreatment.
NC bills banning prop bets failed
Prop bets, increasingly prominent revenue sources for sportsbooks, play a significant role in sports betting-related harassment, according to the NCAA. The potential dangers to student-athletes have led some states to ban prop bets, including Ohio, Maryland, and Virginia.
The NCAA has urged states to implement anti-harassment measures, which would include a reporting system to blacklist bettors who harass student-athletes.
Keith Whyte, executive director of the National Council on Problem Gambling, recently pointed out that harassment tied to betting is not a new issue but has intensified with social media. In an interview with NCSharp, he noted that regulatory challenges arise because harassment often crosses state boundaries, making it difficult for state-level agencies to address the problem effectively.
Federal intervention, including FBI involvement, has led to the prosecution of high-profile cases of bettors harassing athletes.
Although a ban on prop bets in North Carolina seems unlikely for now, some lawmakers are pushing for it. Rep. Marcia Morey and Sen. Julie Mayfield introduced identical bills prohibiting prop bets in college and amateur sports in May. The bills also sought to ban retail sports betting at sports facilities for eight hours before college games, a move explicitly targeting PNC Arena, home to NC State men’s basketball. PNC Arena is one of eight venues in the state permitted to operate a retail sportsbook.
The bills did not make it out of committee.
Those close to student-athletes also suffer
The NCAA’s study noted that in a two-week span, one athlete received more than 1,400 abusive messages, illustrating the sheer volume of harassment some students are forced to endure. The emotional toll includes increased anxiety, depression, and even suicidal thoughts, conditions exacerbated by the pressures of public scrutiny and sports betting.
The abuse not only affects athletes’ personal well-being but also has real-world consequences for their families, coaches, and teammates.
To combat these issues, the NCAA has introduced initiatives such as educational programs on responsible gambling and providing mental health support for affected athletes. In North Carolina, the state’s lottery commission rolled out a program to bring responsible gambling training to four universities.
In addition, the NCAA has called on social media platforms to step up their actions in removing abusive content. The organization’s partnership with Signify Group, whose Threat Matrix service provides real-time monitoring of social media channels to identify abusive content, aims to help the NCAA respond promptly to abuse and threats. The service flags egregious content for removal and, when necessary, escalates cases to law enforcement.
Image Credit: Aaron Doster / AP Images
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