Fanatics Issues Groundbreaking Bad Actor Program
Jesse M. Cox Published 26/06/2026
At a time when hostility from bettors toward athletes is a hot-button issue in the sports betting industry, Fanatics Sportsbook is entering into a partnership with Integrity Compliance 360, Inc. (IC360) and Signify Group to establish the Bad Actor Program. Beginning at the start of the 2026 football season, IC360 will collaborate with Signify Group’s Threat Matrix service to monitor for targeted abusive and threatening content across multiple social media platforms.
Fanatics Sportsbook, as the first legal sports betting member of the Bad Actor Program, will suspend or permanently terminate a customer’s account if it is determined that they have engaged in abusive, threatening, defamatory, or harassing conduct of any kind toward sports officials, coaches, or athletes.
Fanatics Sportsbook won't tolerate online harassment of athletes
Fanatics Sportsbook is taking a zero-tolerance policy toward bettors who engage in threatening conduct toward sports figures. IC360's ProhiBet Bad Actor program will be taking it a step further by providing evidence-based reports and the sharing of a list of names with other like-minded legal sports betting operators. This measure will ensure that those who overstep the mark online can be identified and held accountable.
Fanatics is hopeful that other online sports betting sites in the U.S. market will come on board with this new program.
The Bad Actor Program will also be sharing vital intelligence and evidence with sports leagues and teams with athletes facing abuse. This will enable stakeholders to implement their own mitigation measures and enforcement actions with support from the Threat Matrix team.
“This groundbreaking program will hold bettors accountable for threats made against players, coaches, and officials," Matt King, CEO of Fanatics Betting and Gaming, said in a statement. "It falls in line with our core values at Fanatics - respect and tolerance for the athletes and coaches that play the games that we love.
"We encourage other operators to join the initiative because there is no sports betting potential loss that should embolden a sports betting customer to threaten or harass an athlete online.”
The amount of online harassment of athletes by bettors is alarming
Harassment of athletes by frustrated bettors is a growing problem in the USA. It's especially prevalent at the college level. According to a 2026 NCAA survey, 46% of men's basketball players received negative or threatening messages from individuals who bet on their games.
"It's just an infuriating issue," King told ESPN. "It reached a point where I felt like it was our responsibility to do everything that we could, just even if we're one operator, to start hopefully the ball in motion to make this the industry standard."
An industry source told ESPN that ProhiBet is in discussions with other sportsbooks about adding the bad actors system to their platforms.
If necessary, law enforcement will take part in investigations of harassment
Signify Group, an A.I.-driven data science firm, will monitor public social media posts for abuse through its Threat Matrix technology. When necessary, investigating the account and the account holder will be taking place, and there may be a notification to law enforcement. Signify Group is also encouraging athletes, coaches, and officials to report any abusive private messages so they can launch an investigation.
"Threats of violence and harassment in sports at arenas and on social media are increasing at an alarming rate, undermining the integrity of the sports betting industry," Scott Sadin, Co-CEO of IC360, said in a release. "Addressing the individuals with ProhiBet BA and Threat Matrix is crucial to protecting athletes and other stakeholders from serious, long-term harm."
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