'It is real:' Sports betting leads to increased threats against athletes and coaches

TAMPA - With sports betting now legal in the majority of the United States, there's been a huge spike in gambling. It's up 45% from 2022 to 2023. More than $23 billion was bet on this year's Super Bowl alone, but the problem is not everyone is a winner.

The NCAA issued a report noting one-third of high profile athletes have received abusive messages from gamblers.

"It is real," USF head football coach Alex Golesh told FOX 13 Sports. "It was real when it wasn't legalized everywhere. You watch a live sporting event and I feel like every commercial is for Draft Kings or whatever else."

Cleveland Cavaliers head coach J.T. Bickerstaff revealed during a pregame press conference before the Cavs game against the Miami Heat on March 20th that it's happening in professional sports as well. He's been threatened by sports bettors and says something has to be done.

"There’s no doubt about it that it’s crossed the line," he said. "The amount of times where I’m standing up there, and we may have a 10-point lead, and the spread is 11, and people are yelling at me to leave the guys in so that we can cover the spread — it’s ridiculous. But again, I understand the business side of it and the nature of the business of it. But I mean, it is something that I believe has gone too far."

Until recently, both college and professional sports leagues wanted nothing to do with gambling. Now they embrace and promote it. It's causing more than threats. The NFL has suspended 15 players in the last 60 years, with 10 coming last year. The Bucs are keeping an eye on it with their players, knowing what effect gambling could have on their team.

"I'm sure it could," Bucs head coach Todd Bowles said. "If you listen to the wrong person. I'm sure it could. We've seen all the movies with the Chicago Black Sox and all that stuff that can happen. You try to tune it out as best you can as a coach. You try to make sure you're on top of it."

"I've gotten death threats for taking a Florida State or a Florida player, but nothing involving gambling," Bucs GM Jason Licht joked.

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Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter is under investigation by the NBA for betting irregularities after a lot of money was bet on him to go under on his stats in a game in which he left after four minutes. Both Major League Baseball and the NHL have had their issues as well. Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani is involved in a gambling scandal and the NHL suspended Ottawa Senator Shane Pinto for half the season for violating their gambling policies.

"There's been a case this year," Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman said. "It's been resolved, you move forward and hope that can be an example for other players in the league."

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