Imagine you’re a school athlete who’s playing hard until the final whistle. You score at the very end of the game, but it does not affect the outcome. However, your score does impact the sports betting world. Your basket or touchdown or goal allowed your team to cover the spread when it looked like that wouldn’t happen just seconds earlier.
Bettors with large sums of money on the line were going to hit it big, only to see your late score turn their potential windfall into a huge loss. Before long, your social media accounts are blowing up… and not in a good way. Gamblers are furious, and they’re taking out their frustration on you. Threats, slurs, the whole nine yards.
So far, in Colorado, your only defense was to delete your social media accounts or try to ignore the abuse.
On April 27, the Colorado Department of Revenue approved $215,000 in grant funding for the Kindbridge Research Institute to establish the Colorado Athlete Wellness Program. This program takes a proactive approach to combatting online abuse that student-athletes have increasingly faced as sports betting’s popularity grows nationwide.
System provides sports athletes with many resources in order to combat on-line abuse
Colorado online gambling is currently well-established. Since its launch in May 2020, Colorado has become one of the hottest gambling markets in the United States. In fact, per capita gambling in the Centennial State ranks third in the country.
The growth of sports betting in Colorado and across the country, however, has a cost. Unfortunately, student-athletes are often bearing the brunt of the expanding sports betting industry. Social media provides gamblers direct access to athletes, and sometimes these gamblers take out their frustrations on college players who they believe cost them a winning bet.
Now, college athletes in Colorado have the tools to combat this issue. The Colorado Athlete Wellness Program offers a range of strategies for college athletes to address mental health issues.
One notable aspect is the Colorado Athlete Wellbeing app, developed in partnership with sports technology leader Sportradar. Through the app, athletes can report abuse and contribute to a network of global researchers who can identify the source and report the offense to the appropriate authorities. It will be the first app of its kind in the US and is set to officially launch later this year.
The program also includes additional components in the “Path to Therapy.” Athletes will have access to educational resources and an initial mental health assessment. Additionally, the state will utilize specialized intelligence and research-supported methods to take a proactive, tiered approach to ensure proper legal action is taken against abusers.
On-line abuse associated with student-athletes is actually a new however prevalent problem
Numerous college athletes across the country have experienced the exact situation described at the beginning of this article.
Recently, a Round 2 matchup between Texas Christian University and Gonzaga University in this year’s NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament resulted in a half-court buzzer-beater that turned the six-point game into a final score of 84-81.
The spread was four points, meaning the basket allowed TCU to cover. Damion Baugh, the TCU player who sank the three-pointer, found his Instagram inbox filled with angry messages from Gonzaga bettors.
Players from the University of Dayton received similar heat after losing to Virginia Commonwealth in the Atlantic 10 Conference Final. Coach Anthony Grant said it sickened him to see people attacking his kids and making it about themselves. Baylor’s Adam Flagler also spoke out, saying he constantly receives direct messages containing racial slurs on social media.
An FBI agent told ESPN recently that athletes receiving threats on social media has become a “growing problem,” one that has increased since gambling started becoming legal in states across the US.
Kindbridge focuses on just about all aspects of betting
To deal with this issue head-on, the Colorado Department of Revenue selected Kindbridge, an institute that specializes in mental health research. The organization utilizes evidence-based approaches to gaming, gambling, and other behavioral health disorders. Its mission is to inform public health policy and legislation focused around gambling disorders.
By partnering with Sportradar for the new app, Kindbridge immediately adds more expertise to the equation. The two already worked together this year when Colorado guard Connor McCaffery faced similar abuse.
Kindbridge and Sportradar also echoed a need for athletes to have strong support systems and be able to speak out when encountering abuse. Now, they are leading the charge in finding solutions to ensure athletes’ safety and mental well-being.
Kindbridge’s mission in Colorado, however, also includes veterans. The institute will receive an additional $362,700 from the Colorado Military Problem Gaming Research, Education, and Recovery Program. It will focus on two critical areas:
- Assisting veterans experiencing gambling dependency
- Creating a fellowship program to get veterans who wish to pursue professions in psychological health and guidance
Co is not exclusively in the battle
Colorado would be the first to get the ball rolling, but it isn’t the only entity taking initiative on harassment and abuse of student-athletes. Two months ago, around 125 college sports authorities, sportsbook professionals, and state regulators convened to discuss the issue. U.S. Integrity President Matt Holt organized the meeting, stating that the issue unites everyone in the sports and gambling industries. Casey Clark, senior vice president of the American Gaming Association, also spoke on the issue, emphasizing the need for a comprehensive approach to address abusive gambling behaviors. “Anyone who is harassing student-athletes based on gambling, it’s a clear sign that they have a gambling problem and should be seeking help and not continue to actively participate in any legal gambling sites.” According to Holt, local coalitions will eventually form to encourage more states to create legislation on abuse and athletes’ mental health. When other states’ lawmakers take notice, Colorado will have a blueprint ready for them to follow.
Hill Kerby is an advocate for safe, lawful betting, and is grateful to contribute to growing the industry. He has a background in poker, sports, and psychology, all of which he incorporates into his writing.
