As Mass. nears legal sports betting, pro players want protection from angry bettors

 As the Gambling Commission prepares to launch sports betting in Massachusetts next week, the Gambling Commission has issued a statement to address concerns the gaming association has about the safety of professional athletes, their families, and other stakeholders. , plans to take a closer look at where it might tighten regulations. Field, the commissioner said Monday.

The Players Association, a federation of representatives of the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL and the Major League Soccer Players Association, has issued a letter to the Gambling Commission to provide player, family and other safety measures. requested to be included in the regulations. outlining and penalties for fans and bettors who pose threats against them.The group now shuts down all betting on certain games and sports from banning people to blackmail betting in Massachusetts

“I think there’s a special reason why we should be serious about what we want. It’s because this industry, the sports betting industry, is on the players’ backs.” Because it consists of Our revenue is literally generated entirely from the performance of our players,” said Steve Fehr, special adviser to the National Hockey League Players Association. “Still, we are not here for money today. What we are looking for in this process today is some things that make things safer and make sports betting better and fairer.

The group, written into Massachusetts regulations, knows that the players they represent can lose sports bettors and, most importantly, their families will also be targeted. These incidents have already occurred in various parts of the United States and other countries, requiring them and their families to be protected under Massachusetts regulations. There was an incident in which a fan threw a beer at Tyreek Hill during a game, and several other incidents that occurred at events across the country.

Massachusetts Attorney S. Babson, a 23-year-old ex-Babson from California, posted death threats on the Instagram accounts of at least 45 professional and college athletes between late July 2017 and early December 2017. announced an indictment against the college football player. The man pleaded guilty in 2019 and was sentenced to 18 months in prison.

I think they’re uniquely positioned to explain that they often don’t and need a mild or firm push from government agencies,” said the National Basketball Players Association, said David Foster, deputy general counsel for He added: “More betting means more tension, more anxiety, more anger. Often times, teams and leagues struggle a bit when it comes to imposing discipline on their fans. Gambling commissions rarely have to intervene and the mere possibility of a commission intervening can itself be a deterrent, they say.

The gardens are very minimal. But like sportsbooks, especially mobile sportsbooks, teams, player associations and venues are working to ensure that players are safe and secure. Continued dialogue is needed among arena owners. Ordinances allowing bans on betting in Massachusetts would “encourage players to report” if they were directed to stadiums or social media, he said.

Members of the Gambling Commission appeared receptive on Monday, but asked if they had the power to do what was asked of them or if they were the best at dealing with the matter. Todd Grossman, the Commission’s legal adviser, said the issue needed to be “taken a closer look”. said he did not know if there was any language prohibiting

“Of course I don’t know of such a language, but it certainly could exist.

Originally published at https://businessdor.com on January 24, 2023.