Death Threats

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Welcome back to the Bandit Betting Newsletter, where we deliver the top stories in sports and gambling directly to your inbox, every Sunday.

In today's email we take a deep dive:

• MLB players: starting to fear for their safety after rise in death threats from sports betting fans.

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DEATH THREATS FROM AGGRIEVED GAMBLERS

Editor’s Note: The following story contains graphic threats of violence.

MLB players receive death threats.

They are followed home by strangers.

They are abused and ridiculed.

These are threats that have been inflicted upon their lives since MLB and gambling companies got in bed together.

Arizona Diamondbacks closer Paul Sewald described the abuse: "You blow a save, you don’t come through, you get it all.

“F*ck you. You suck. You cost me all of this money. F*ck you. F*ck your family. I’m going to kill you and then kill your family. It gets ugly really quickly. It’s scary, and it’s sad. It used to be fans who were upset because you blew the game for the team, but now it’s gambling.”

“These people don’t really care about the Diamondbacks. They just care about their bets, and we’re talking about money they don’t have that they are losing. So, it’s a very scary spot."

One MLB general manager, according to USA TODAY Sports, received death threats delivered directly to his house, requiring police protection.

Diamondbacks reliever Logan Allen shared his experience: "I remember being followed home one time when I was playing for Cleveland.

I had a really bad game, and this guy follows me home, and starts cussing at me, telling me I cost him all of this money."

People have their phones out as the game happens now. It’s not a situation anymore where you place a bet before the game, and then you’re at the mercy of the bet the whole game.

It’s real-time as innings are unfolding and they make little prop bets. “I can show you my DMs that are full with people talking smack, saying how you cost them money. That’s part of it. It shouldn’t be part of it. But it is part of professional sports now."

The situation has escalated to the point where fans request payment from players for their lost wagers.

I had to change my Venmo." Giants veteran reliever Tyler Rogers said, "I had to make my Venmo private because I’d blow a game or something, and people would find me on Venmo, and they’d send me requests.”

“Hey, you cost me $1,500. You better pay me back.”

Chicago White Sox outfielder Tommy Pham, who spends time at Las Vegas casinos in the offseason, noted the change in fan behavior:

"It’s getting completely out of hand. As a Blackjack gambler myself, you shouldn’t bet on anything you’re not prepared to lose, but we know that doesn’t happen, and it brings out all of these keyboard warriors. It’s getting worse and worse."

The severity of the threats is highlighted by the case of Benjamin Tucker Patz, a 24-year-old sports gambler who pled guilty in 2021 to sending a string of social media messages threatening players.

His messages included:

• "I will sever your neck open you pathetic loser."

• "I will kill your entire family."

Despite these severe threats, Patz received three years of probation and six months of home confinement, with no jail time.

MLB continues to heavily promote gambling websites, despite the inherent dangers to players and the potential threat to the game's integrity.

You cannot watch one set of commercials between innings without a gambling commercial, FanDuel. DraftKings. MGM. Caesars.

Gambling is now deeply integrated into baseball, and despite the associated risks, it is unlikely to be curtailed.

It’s too late to stop baseball’s affair with gambling. Gambling is far too lucrative to owners to halt all of the promotions, sponsorships and advertisements from gambling sites.

AROUND THE MLB

- White Sox: No immediate plans to dismiss manager Pedro Grifol. Open to trade offers for all players, including Luis Robert and Garrett Crochet.

- Trade Market: Limited action expected unless teams improve; possible big moves by Blue Jays, Cubs, and Mariners.

- Notable Players: Strong seasons from Yankees' Juan Soto and Padres' Jurickson Profar.

- Prospects and Performances: Royals praised for their farm system; Chris Sale excels with Atlanta after injury troubles.

- Olympics: Bryce Harper advocates for MLB participation in the 2028 Olympics.

- Dodgers and Phillies: Tyler Glasnow’s lack of run support and plans for MLB games in Paris next year.