- 12% of all online threats found by a recent study were related to sports betting, with over 740 instances recorded.
- Venmo announced its collaboration with the NCAA to protect student athletes from unwanted online harassment.
NEW YORK – In response to the growing student-athlete cyber harassment, Venmo and the NCAA have announced a partnership that may combat the issue.
The partnership was established because college athletes are facing more cyber harassment than ever. A recent NCAA study found that increasing volumes of abusive content directed at student athletes were tied to sports betting, with nearly 1,000 flagged instances last year alone.
The enhanced preventative measures come just in time for football season. That’s important because college football betting sites are extremely popular and are often where gamblers place their bets, which often leads to cyber abuse following losses.
New Tools on Venmo to Protect Student Athletes
Some of the new protocols that the Venmo and NCAA announcement outline include:
- Athlete Account Support: Venmo will continue to review student accounts to mitigate unwanted harassment.
- Student-Athlete Resources: Student-athletes will be informed of new procedures through NCAA channels, such as email and newsletter.
- A reporting Hotline for student-athletes and the NCAA to report cases of abuse.
- Athletes are commonly harassed through E-wallet payment apps, like Venmo or Zelle, with most instances addressing player props.
New Reforms are Likely to Come for Sports Betting
Industry leaders are speaking out against the issue. They are pushing social media and other online outlets to follow suit.
In a recent statement regarding the Venmo sports betting partnership, NCAA President Charlie Baker said,
“The harassment we are seeing across various online platforms is unacceptable, and we need fans to do better. We applaud Venmo for taking action, and we need more social media companies and online platforms to do the same. Several states have passed laws to crack down on this behavior ….”
More states are moving to reform legal sports betting practices to protect both athletes and gamblers.
