Nearly Half Of NBA Players View Gambling Partnerships As Bad For League
A significant percentage of NBA players expressed strong opposition to the league's gambling partnerships in an anonymous poll conducted by The Athletic, with 46% of respondents stating these relationships are bad for the league.
The Athletic surveyed nearly one-third of the entire NBA with 150 of 158 approached players participating, revealing serious concerns about how sports betting has affected their experiences both during games and in their personal lives.
The NBA has expanded its gambling presence since the Supreme Court opened the door to legalized sports betting almost seven years ago, formalizing partnerships with FanDuel and DraftKings in 2021, while numerous teams have established separate deals with casino operators.
Players expressing negative views predominantly cited harassment from bettors, with many reporting they regularly receive abusive messages, threats, and racial slurs from fans who lost money on their performances. The growing hostility has led some players to fear potential physical threats.
"Terrible. Hate them. Every game, no matter if it's a good game or bad game, you've got motherf—— sending death threats, saying racist s—... I hope it doesn't happen, but it's going to come to a point where players are going to be targeted because people have lost so much money on them," said one player.
Many players expressed frustration over what they perceive as a shift in fan engagement from appreciation of the game to purely financial interest.
"I don't think gambling ever is a good thing in sports. People stop watching us for what we do and only to make money for themselves. It takes a hit on the integrity of what we do out there," one player commented.
Some players pointed to an apparent contradiction in the league's approach, noting that the NBA severely punished Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter for betting activities while simultaneously promoting gambling to fans. Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier has also been under federal investigation, though the league has cleared him of wrongdoing.
Players with favorable views of the partnerships primarily cited increased revenue and viewership.
"I think it brings more eyes to the game, especially in the regular season. Obviously, you have die-hard fans, but you need more people just watching to watch NBA basketball," one player noted, acknowledging that higher viewership potentially leads to increased player salaries.
A smaller percentage of players took a neutral stance, recognizing both business benefits and negative social impacts.
"Business-wise, and money-wise, it's good. But player-fan relationship (wise), it's horrible," summarized one player.
"I personally hate gambling. Hate everyone talking about parlays this, parlays that. I hate getting DMs in my Instagram talking about, 'You f—– up my parlay.' I hate people sending me threats because I messed up their parlay," added another player, illustrating the direct personal impact of the league's gambling relationships.