FanDuel Initiates Anti-Harassment Policy
David Genge Published 14/09/2026
Just in time for the start of the NFL season, FanDuel Sportsbook has initiated a new anti harassment policy to deal with irate gamblers. The No. 1 online sports betting site in the U.S. legal and regulated market, FanDuel, is instituting a zero-tolerance policy against bettors who harass or threaten any athletes, officials, or coaches. FanDuel will ban any user identified as engaging in abusive, threatening, or harassing behavior toward competitors or team staff.
This policy covers both online and in-person harassment. It is believed that FanDuel is the first U.S. sports betting operator to implement such a policy to deal with these incidents.
FanDuel is prepared to crack down on bettors who cross the line
FanDuel spells out the company's new policy toward irate gamblers in the terms of use on the sportsbook's website.
“We may, in our sole discretion, suspend or terminate your Account and/or exclude you from the Services if we determine that you pose a threat to the safety of participants in a sporting event or discover that you engaged in the harassment of a sports official, coach, or any participant in a sporting event,” the terms of use read. The company added that at its sole discretion, it may suspend or terminate the account of any customer who is found to have posed a threat to the safety of any participant in a sporting event.
Commending FanDuel for this move was the American Gaming Association. "AGA member FanDuel recently strengthened their terms and conditions to address athlete harassment," the AGA posted on their LinkedIn page. "They now pledge to ban bettors who harass athletes and coaches.
"This is great leadership by FanDuel, which is continuing to raise the bar on anti-harassment policies."
The Gabby Thomas incident likely led to this policy
A much-publicized incident from 2025 in which American track and field star Gabby Thomas was the victim of a heckling bettor at a meet in Pennsylvania may be playing a role in this new policy.
Thomas posted on X that an unnamed man "followed me around the track as I took pictures and signed autographs for fans (mostly children) shouting personal insults," according to reporting by ESPN.
The bettor posted on his social media account that he was heckling Thomas to throw he off her game so that she would lose and he'd cash a parlay bet. He even posted a video of himself heckling Thomas ahead of the 100-meter race. Alongside that video, he posted a screenshot of a $1,000 parlay bet on FanDuel.
"I made Gabby lose by heckling her. And it made my parlay win," the man wrote in a post on X.
FanDuel banned the bettor from its site.
"FanDuel condemns in the strongest terms abusive behavior directed towards athletes," a FanDuel spokesperson said in a statement to ESPN. "Threatening or harassing athletes is unacceptable and has no place in sports. This customer is no longer able to wager with FanDuel."
FanDuel is supportive of the Massachusetts initiative
This FanDuel move comes on the heels of the announcement by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission of a similar anti-harassment policy. The state regulator recently unveiled its "Bet on Respect" platform.
"Sports betting is about celebrating the sport and the competition," FanDuel posted on X. "Athletes deserve respect; fans deserve great entertainment.
"FanDuel is proud to support the Massachusetts Gaming Commission's Bet on Respect initiative and its efforts to address athlete harassment. We maintain a zero-tolerance policy toward abusive conduct and will continue working with regulators, leagues, and teams to help foster a safe and respectful environment for everyone involved in sports."
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