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The WNBA Players Association (WNBPA) is questioning why WNBA players were left out of a joint effort by five major professional sports leagues to crack down on betting-related harassment.
The NFL, MLB, MLS, NBA and NHL, along with their respective players’ unions, sent a memo Tuesday (September 15) to gaming regulators in 35 states and the District of Columbia calling for stronger protections against bettors who threaten or harass athletes, coaches, officials and their families, according to Front Office Sports.
“Threatening the safety of an athlete or their family members over a sports bet crosses a bright ethical and criminal line, and it is entirely unacceptable,” the groups wrote.
The leagues are asking state regulators to permanently ban anyone verified to have threatened or abusively harassed sports personnel from legal betting platforms. They also want a standardized system for reporting verified threats to regulators and law enforcement, with betting exclusions recognized across states.
The memo noted that Ohio, West Virginia, Louisiana and Wyoming already maintain exclusionary lists that can prevent people from using licensed sportsbooks and mobile betting apps.
But the WNBA and WNBPA were not part of the effort, despite WNBA players experiencing public incidents of betting-related harassment in recent seasons.
“It is deeply disappointing that, given the very public and troubling incidents of betting-related harassment experienced by our members over the past several seasons, the NBA determined that WNBA players did not warrant inclusion in this effort,” WNBPA Executive Director Terri Carmichael Jackson said in a statement, according to Front Office Sports.
Jackson said the WNBPA has previously raised concerns about betting-related harassment with the league, as players have increasingly faced abuse from bettors.
In July, Minnesota Lynx guard Courtney Williams publicly responded to an abusive message from a bettor who had lost a parlay tied to her performance, Reuters reported.
The WNBPA said it supports stronger protections for athletes but will continue pressing for safeguards that specifically protect its players.
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