[NY Post] Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff reveals he was threatened by sports bettors: ‘Dangerous game'

more on the problems with sports betting

New scene at NBA games: Fans screaming at players about their losing bets

https://theathletic.com/5381978/2024/04/02/nba-gambling-players-fans-interactions/

excerpt:

NBA players have always gotten an earful from fans, whether at home or on the road. It comes with the job.

But this season, it’s getting darker.

The recent surge in legalized gambling in every pro league, and throughout college athletics, has impacted American sports in ways thought unimaginable just a few years ago. But along with the potential good that hundreds of millions of dollars in new revenues bring to the NBA and other leagues, something new and ominous has arrived: verbal abuse directed at players and coaches based solely on fans’ wagers.

Fans can now bet in real-time on their smartphones, on all aspects of the game, including minutiae such as how many rebounds one player might get in the first half, and how many points will be scored by a team in the fourth quarter. And if their bets don’t deliver, they’re taking it out on the players.

“It’s getting outrageous,” LA Clippers forward P.J. Tucker said recently. “It’s getting kind of crazy. Even in the arenas, hearing fans yelling at guys about their bets. It’s unreal. It’s a problem. I think it’s something that’s got to be addressed.”

Teams have yet to make drastic changes to their security details, and the NBA has not recommended increased security near the court. But at least one team has added an extra security guard to its bench this season, in response to increased gambling-infused belligerence. Another team has beefed up its cybersecurity staff to detect especially odious vitriol sent by fans to its players online.

“It’s all over the place,” said Ochai Agbaji, a guard for the Toronto Raptors. “It’s the wild, wild west right now.”

​

more at the link

​