- Harassment related to sports betting has been a recurring theme since the broad legalization of sports betting.
- Multiple Cleveland Guardians players have come out with stories of being harassed on social media.
CLEVELAND – Sports betting related harassment has been at the forefront of issues discussed in terms of the recent rise of legal sports betting.
Bettors may send threatening messages through social media or leaked phone numbers.
The Cleveland Guardians are no stranger to these kinds of messages, with multiple players reporting having been harassed through some form of message from anonymous fans.
Nolan Jones, Tanner Bibee, Slade Cecconi, Gavin Williams, Austin Hedges, and Steven Kwan all attested to this, commenting on belittling, violent, and racist remarks that they have received related to sports betting.
Jones received messages threatening to kill him and his family, as well as suggesting that he should kill himself.
Steven Kwan refers to it as a “cesspool,” saying that he has received numerous racist messages from bettors.
Tanner Bibee says that he feels it has been normalized far past the point it ever should have been, and although some can deal with it, others may have a harder time coping with these messages.
Cecconi and Williams both have a more lax view of the issue, with Cecconi attributing to people being “in a bad spot in their life,” while Williams refers to such fans as “keyboard warriors.”
Sports betting has been legal in Ohio since 2023 and recorded its biggest year yet in 2025 with a total handle of $10.23 billion.
It is critical for all involved to crack down on sports betting related harassment as the market continues to grow.
