By Rory Carroll
Feb 2 (Reuters) - BetMGM said on Monday it is updating its terms of service to explicitly prohibit customers from harassing athletes, a move the U.S. sports-betting operator framed as part of a broader push on sports integrity and player safety.
Under the revised terms, BetMGM said it will suspend a customer's account if the customer is found to have used harassing or abusive language toward athletes, coaches and other team or league personnel.
The company said its previous terms already
allowed it to suspend accounts for any lawful reason, including harassment, but that the new language is intended to provide clearer standards.
"Any confirmed instance of harassment will result in decisive measures, including account suspension," Rhea Loney, BetMGM's chief compliance officer, said in a statement.
Barry Sanders, a Pro Football Hall of Fame running back and BetMGM ambassador, said the update sends a message that harassment "has no place in sports or sports betting."
BetMGM linked the policy update to its wider "responsible gambling initiatives," which include educational messaging at 10 football stadiums nationwide.
American three-time Olympic gold medallist Gabby Thomas said last year that she was verbally abused by a bettor at a Grand Slam Track event.
In 2024, major tennis governing bodies moved to combat online abuse after publishing a report that attributed nearly half of abusive social media posts to angry gamblers.
Former world number three Elina Svitolina said she was flooded with online abuse, including death threats, after her Canadian Open defeat in August and blamed the "shameful" behaviour on disgruntled bettors.
(Reporting by Rory Carroll; additional reporting by Amy TenneryEditing by Christian Radnedge)
