Press Release: 9/1/2026
Massachusetts Gaming Commission announces new initiative to curb athlete harassment
- August 31, 2026
For most, sports wagering is entertainment but since the legalization of sports wagering instances of athlete harassment have increased. Today, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (Commission) announced a new initiative called Bet on Respect to ensure that athletes participating in games being wagered on are protected.
Athlete harassment is unacceptable, and the Bet on Respect initiative will utilize Massachusetts law and Commission regulation (205 CMR 152) to exclude those who harass athletes, either online or in person, from accessing sports wagering and casinos in the Commonwealth.
“Good-natured cheering and jeering are acceptable and even expected at sporting events, but sports wagering is an activity for adults, and adults should know better than to cross the line into harassment,” said Jordan Maynard, Massachusetts Gaming Commission Chair. “Athletes, officials, and others associated with games being wagered on deserve to be free of intimidation during and surrounding competition. While this tool will be impactful, we hope its use will be limited as patrons will know right from wrong.”
The Commission has established a new portal for representatives of leagues, players’ associations, college athletics programs, sports venues, or players themselves to report suspected abuse. The Commission will investigate alleged athlete harassment, and patrons found to have committed such acts may be subject to involuntary exclusion.
To promote the initiative, the Commission has today released a videofeaturing commissioners and members of the Boston Bruins, Boston Celtics, Boston Red Sox and New England Revolution discouraging viewers from harassing an athlete in connection with sports wagering.
The NCAA has been monitoring and studying this issue and found that student-athletes face significant abuse and bullying online. This research has noted that 51% of Division 1 men’s basketball student athletes have faced online abuse regarding their athletic performance – 46% of those student-athletes reported that abuse as directly tied to gambling.
Those identified for exclusion due to harassment of athletes will also be provided with information about programs and where support can be accessed to help those facing gambling harms.
Everyone involved in sports wagering deserves to be protected, whether they are placing a bet or part of the game. The Commission and its partners take these issues seriously and encourage the public to view sports wagering as entertainment and treat those participating in the games with respect.
The Bet on Respect initiative has the support of the Boston Bruins, Boston Celtics, Boston Legacy FC, Boston Red Sox, New England Patriots, New England Revolution, the NCAA, Bally Bet, BetMGM/MGM Springfield, Caesars, DraftKings, Encore Boston Harbor, Fanatics Betting and Gaming, FanDuel, Penn Entertainment/Plainridge Park Casino. The Commission is eager to build support for and add more partners of Bet on Respect.