The NCAA has introduced a new video campaign aimed at addressing harassment issues linked to sports betting during March Madness. As the 2025 NCAA Tournament begins with the initial "First Four" games, both teams and bettors are eager for success. However, the NCAA is highlighting a growing concern: the harassment of players and teams by disgruntled bettors.
The campaign, titled "Don’t Be a Loser," encourages fans not to take out their betting frustrations on athletes. The video emphasizes that harassing college athletes over lost bets is unacceptable, yet it remains a frequent occurrence.
Recent data from the American Gaming Association indicates that legal wagers on the NCAA Tournaments are expected to reach $3.1 billion, marking a 12% increase from the previous year and more than double the amount bet on the recent Super Bowl.
Since the 2018 repeal of the federal sports betting ban, there has been a rise in incidents where athletes receive abusive messages from bettors. The NCAA reports that one in three prominent athletes faces such harassment, with 90% of these incidents occurring online or via social media. A study from October 2024 revealed that 80% of online abuse during March Madness targets tournament players, with female athletes receiving nearly three times as many threats as their male counterparts.
NCAA President Charlie Baker has called for fans to improve their behavior, stressing that abusive messages and threats over lost bets pose a significant risk to the mental health and well-being of student-athletes and damage the college sports environment.