Guardians Players Receive Extreme Threats from Bettors

Outfielder Nolan Jones describes a 'cesspool' of vulgar messages targeting players and their families.

Apr. 2, 2026 at 11:13am

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In early 2024, Colorado Rockies outfielder Nolan Jones faced a barrage of extreme, threatening messages from bettors after a rough start to the season. Jones and other players have described the growing problem of sports bettors sending vicious threats, especially on social media, targeting players and their families when teams or individual players underperform.

Why it matters

The rise of legalized sports betting has led to an increase in players receiving abusive, threatening messages from angry bettors, creating a hostile environment and impacting player mental health and safety. Teams and leagues are struggling to address this issue as it becomes more widespread.

The details

After committing four errors in the first five games of the 2024 season, Jones said he received a flood of vulgar, threatening messages, including some that targeted his family. 'When you fail at the biggest stage, at the Major League level, you can't expect not to hear about it, but I think sports betting has made it worse as far as social media, letters in the mail, threatening families and such,' Jones said.

  • In early April 2024, Jones was in a Chicago hotel room after a rough start to the season.

The players

Nolan Jones

A former outfielder with the Colorado Rockies who faced extreme threats from bettors after a poor start to the 2024 season.

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What they’re saying

“When you fail at the biggest stage, at the Major League level, you can't expect not to hear about it, but I think sports betting has made it worse as far as social media, letters in the mail, threatening families and such.”

— Nolan Jones, Former Colorado Rockies Outfielder

The takeaway

The rise of legalized sports betting has created a new avenue for fans to harass and threaten players, leading to concerns about player safety and mental health. Teams and leagues will likely need to implement stronger measures to protect their athletes from this growing problem.