The sports betting industry is taking a significant step forward in addressing the growing issue of online abuse directed at athletes, coaches, and officials. Fanatics Sportsbook, in partnership with Integrity Compliance 360 (IC360) and Signify Group, has launched a new initiative aimed at identifying and punishing individuals who engage in threatening or harassing behavior online.
The initiative, known as the Bad Actor Program, is designed to monitor public activity across various social media platforms, including X, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube. Investigators will review abusive or threatening posts, replies, and other public content involving athletes, teams, and sports organizations. When behavior meets the program's standards, individuals may be added to IC360's ProhiBet Bad Actor platform, potentially leading to account suspensions or permanent bans.
The program builds on IC360's existing ProhiBet technology, which helps sportsbooks block prohibited wagers by athletes, coaches, and trainers. Under the expanded version, participating operators can take action against users who direct threats or harassment at sports figures. Signify Group's Threat Matrix service is also being utilized to track online abuse across global sporting events and encourage athletes and officials to report abusive direct messages.
Fanatics Sportsbook will become the first legal sportsbook to join the program, with customers found engaging in abusive, threatening, defamatory, or harassing conduct toward athletes, coaches, or officials facing account suspensions or permanent bans. Evidence can also be shared with other participating operators to identify repeat offenders.
The announcement comes as research continues to highlight the scale of betting-related abuse. A recent NCAA study found that 36% of Division I men's basketball student-athletes experienced sports betting-related social media abuse during the previous year, while 16% of Football Bowl Subdivision football players reported receiving negative or threatening messages.
Industry leaders are praising the initiative, with IC360 Co-CEO Scott Sadin stating that threats of violence and harassment in sports are increasing at an alarming rate, undermining the integrity of the sports betting industry. Signify Group's CEO, Jonathan Hirshler, commended Fanatics Sportsbook for taking a leadership position on the issue, saying it is a clear message to anyone who believes threatening, harassing, or abusing athletes online is simply part of being a fan.
The Bad Actor Program is designed to discourage abusive online behavior and reassure athletes and coaches that credible threats can be identified, investigated, and acted upon. By working together, Fanatics Sportsbook, IC360, and Signify Group aim to protect athletes and other stakeholders from serious, long-term harm.
