Colorado’s Division of Gaming is preparing a rule change that would allow the state to place people who threaten athletes and other protected people on its Involuntary Exclusion List. The division confirmed the initiative Nov. 12 after a rulemaking workshop on Rule 29, Section 30-2907, which governs exclusion and ejection from gaming establishments.
The proposed measures are intended to reinforce responsible gambling protections and address harassment tied to betting losses, FocusGN reported. Athletes and team staff across amateur and professional sports have received abusive social-media messages, including threats against players and their families.
Under the proposal described by Casino.org, a threat to Colorado’s interests would include threatened physical harm against athletes, coaches, team personnel, officials, sportsbook employees and Division of Gaming staff. Threats against the immediate family members of players and coaches would also qualify. People convicted of crimes against those groups, or who manipulate or compromise a sporting event’s integrity, could likewise be deemed a threat.
The change would add those grounds to Rule 29, Colorado’s responsible-gaming and self-restriction framework. The existing rule covers licensee duties, responsible advertising and promotions, self-restriction and involuntary exclusion. Colorado’s Exclusion List applies to gaming and sports betting: listed individuals cannot gamble, collect winnings or redeem points, bonuses, comps or free play. Those who enter a retail gaming establishment and gamble despite being excluded can be removed and may face prosecution.
Exclusion would be one possible response alongside referrals to law enforcement. Some stakeholders have also suggested that people who harass or threaten athletes should be barred from attending sporting events. The NCAA, IC360 and Signify Group have separately established a Bad Actor Program intended to identify online harassment of college athletes, support bans from legal betting and live events, and refer appropriate cases to law enforcement.
The issue has drawn attention from sports organisations. The NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL and MLS asked gambling regulators in September to adopt protections for players, coaches and officials, saying bettors who lose wagers too often send threats and harassment through social media and in person.
College athletes have reported substantial exposure to betting-related abuse. An NCAA survey of nearly 6,800 students at 153 Division I schools found that 36% of Division I men’s basketball athletes had experienced sports-betting-related social-media abuse during the previous year. Sixteen percent of Football Bowl Subdivision football athletes reported negative or threatening betting-related messages, while 7% of Division I men’s sports athletes overall reported such contact from fans who bet on their games.
The Colorado Limited Gaming Control Commission must adopt the Division of Gaming’s recommendation before the proposed exclusion authority takes effect.
