BetMGM moves to explicitly prohibit customers from harassing athletes

BetMGM said on Monday it is updating its terms of service to explicitly prohibit customers from harassing athletes, a move the U.S. sports-betting operator ​framed as part of a broader push on sports integrity and player safety.

Under the revised terms, BetMGM said it will suspend a customer's account if the customer is found to have ​used any harassing or abusive language toward athletes, coaches and other team or league personnel.

The company said its ⁠previous terms already allowed it to suspend accounts ‍for any lawful ⁠reason, including harassment, but ​that the new language is intended to provide clearer standards.

"Any confirmed instance of harassment will result in decisive measures, including account suspension," Rhea Loney, BetMGM's chief ⁠compliance officer, said in a statement.

BetMGM is among the brands operating in Ontario's regulated igaming market and a spokesperson for the company confirmed to CBC News that the updated terms of service apply to its customers in the Canadian province.

Barry Sanders, a Pro Football Hall of Fame running back and BetMGM ambassador, said the update ‍sends a message that harassment "has no place in sports or sports betting."

BetMGM linked the policy update to its wider "responsible gambling initiatives," which include educational messaging at 10 ⁠football stadiums nationwide.

American three-time Olympic gold medallist Gabby Thomas said last year that ​she was verbally abused by a bettor at a Grand ​Slam Track event.

In 2024, major tennis governing bodies moved to ‍combat online abuse after publishing a report that attributed nearly half of abusive social media ‍posts to angry ⁠gamblers.

Former world number three Elina Svitolina said she was flooded with online abuse,