Colorado goes after sports bettors who harass athletes

Colorado has become the latest state to join a push against harassers who abuse sports athletes and sports staff over failed wagers. Sports bettors who end up harassing athletes will be added to the state’s involuntary exclusion list. Colorado to Do More to Go After Bettors Who Harass Sports Staff, Athletes The Colorado Division of Gaming confirmed the news on Thursday morning, November 12, and said that it will move forward with the measure in a bid to strengthen responsibility and help shield sports from harassment. Overall, the world of amateur and athlete sports has been paying closer attention to the ongoing issue of sports bettors who vent their frustration on social media by specifically singling out athletes – or staff – and issuing abusive messages or/and threats. From “I know where you and your family live” to “kill yourself,” these vituperations have been taken for granted as par for the course in the life of pro or even amateur athletes, but no more, as more stakeholders are stepping up to push back. Among the measures floated around the United States are not just follow-up with legal authorities but further restrictions – such as involuntary exclusion from gambling, banning from all regulated websites in the country, and even denying access to such people to sports venues. From Joining the Bad Actor Program to Targeting Individuals The NCAA recently joined the “Bad Actor” program that is designed to specifically seek instances of abuse and also identify the people who commit the abuse. Colorado’s gambling watchdog has now clearly delineated the new abuse: “Whether the individual has threatened physical harm to an athlete or immediate family member thereof, a sports governing body or employee thereof, a sports team staff member, a sports team coaching staff member or immediate family member thereof, any staff member or patron of a licensed gaming or sports betting establishment, or any staff member of the Division; or, Whether the individual has been convicted of a crime in which any of the persons listed in subsection (c)(i)(A)(1) are identified as victims; or, Whether the individual has engaged in sports betting in contravention of section 44-30-1502, C.R.S.” The Colorado Division of Gaming Enforcement has also been working on developing a new harassment reporting tool designed to help flag instances of harm and quickly refer them to the relevant parties, including the regulator.