Olympic gold medalist Gabby Thomas was targeted by a bettor who heckled her during a recent track event in Philadelphia. The man, known as “mr100kaday” online, posted a video of himself shouting insults at Thomas before her 100-meter race, alongside a screenshot of his $1,000 parlay bet on FanDuel.
Thomas took to social media platform X to condemn the behavior, stating that she had been followed around the track and signed autographs for fans while being heckled. The Grand Slam Track event organizers have launched an investigation into the incident and plan to take action against the perpetrator.
FanDuel has also banned the bettor from its platform, condemning “abusive behavior directed towards athletes” as unacceptable. This incident highlights a growing trend of online harassment of athletes in the US sports betting market. A study by the NCAA found that abuse by angry sports bettors is a common form of harassment for college athletes.
The incident follows another recent case involving Houston Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr., who received threats on social media towards his family after a game. The trend raises concerns about the safety and well-being of athletes in a market where online betting has become increasingly popular.
Source: https://www.espn.com/espn/betting/story/_/id/45449723/fanduel-bans-bettor-heckling-gabby-thomas-track-event