• Two governing tennis bodies have flagged issues with the abuse of female tennis players
• ITF and WTA have engaged with gambling companies, urging them to do more to stop online hate
• Gambling operators are answering the call to action and have said they will suspend abusers

The global betting market is firing on all cylinders with little to suggest that appetite for flutters would lessen any time soon.

From college betting, to esports, to betting on mainstream sports competitions, a lot has been happening, and fans have had the opportunity to share in the victories of their favorite teams or players, commiserate with their losses, and, on occasion, earn a pretty penny on the side.

Female tennis players are particularly likely to be abused

With the fun that has come from legalizing sports betting at a scale never seen before, there have been several developments that now need to be addressed, say the bosses at the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) and International Tennis Federation (ITF). According to the two governing bodies, a recent report conducted internally has shown that 458 players had received abusive messages and threats in 2024 alone.

Katie Boulter, one of the leading tennis players in Britain, and worldwide, has also been threatened with messages that were shocking and suggested that the player should "arrange candles" for herself and her family.

According to Signify Group, which helped generate the report, at least 40% of these messages come from social media users who are frustrated with losing a bet on a player. This could be because the player lost, but also – as Boulter pointed out – because they had won.

Either way, people would send threats and obscenities to the players. Some of this is beginning to change. According to the report, at least 15 abusers who have been identified online have been referred to the authorities, and more events are now looking to outright ban people who either heckle players or are known to have threatened them before.

The WTA and ITF are also doing their bit, having engaged in discussions with companies from the gambling sector with one simple goal: if you are going to heap abuse on tennis players, you are going to have your gambling account suspended, plain and simple.

Proportionate measures are taken to respond to abusers

While this is a good way to start addressing the issue, the WTA and ITF believe that much of the current abuse is rooted in ignorance of what these people’s actions mean for the players. This is why the two bodies have asked gambling firms to also launch and promote campaigns directed at explaining online hate and educating customers about the issue.

FanDuel is already rolling with this and has updated its terms and conditions to expel players from its platform on those instances where the platform has established that the people involved have also been harassing sports figures, including the players, but also extending to coaches, officials, and any participant.

The NCAA has complained about the same issue, with female players especially targeted by irate bettors. The NCAA has proposed to ban prop bets on college sports, which is just one part of the solution, and similarly, to bring those threatening athletes to justice by involving law enforcement.

Legalizing sports betting at today’s scale has revealed some unflattering realities about some gamblers, but the industry’s response has been adamant – abuse will simply not fly. You can bet on it.

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