The introduction of legal sports betting in almost 40 states across the US has led to some unsavory incidents involving bettors berating athletes. Oftentimes it’s irate bettors who feel like they’re entitled to abuse individuals and blame them for lost wagers.
One person took things to another level when he heckled Olympic gold medallist Gabby Thomas during a 100m Grand Slam Track event at the weekend.The event took place in Philadelphia, where the bettor attempted to throw her off her game so his bets would be successful.
posted a screenshot of one of the betslips with a $827.11 win
This person even went as far as boasting on social media about his actions, saying: “I made Gabby lose by heckling her. And it made my parlay win.” He posted a screenshot of one of the betslips with a $827.11 win:
FanDuel has now taken matters into its own hands, with the Flutter Entertainment-owned brand banning the user’s account due to his actions. In a statement, it said it condemns “in the strongest terms abusive behavior directed towards athletes” and that threats have no place in sport.
However, the X user reposted the ESPN article detailing the ban and said that he doesn’t have a FanDuel account, explaining that he sells picks to other bettors in return for a percentage of profits:
