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On Tuesday, several major men’s sports leagues sent a memo to state gaming regulators raising concerns about the harassment their athletes are facing due to sports betting. But the memo did not include any women’s sports leagues.
The WNBA’s union is questioning why the NBA did not include them.
“It is deeply disappointing that, given the very public and troubling incidents of betting-related harassment experienced by our members over the past several seasons, the NBA determined that WNBA players did not warrant inclusion in a joint position statement intended to address this very issue,” WNBPA executive director Terri Carmichael Jackson said in a statement to Front Office Sports.
The NBA owns about 42% of the WNBA, while several other NBA owners have additional separate equity stakes in the women’s basketball league. The leagues are based in the same New York offices.
The memo, reported by ESPN, was sent by the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, and MLS along with their respective player unions to State Gaming Commissions and Regulatory Authorities. The group referred to themselves in the memos as the “five largest professional sports leagues and players associations.”
The group is requesting additional regulations that would ban fans who threaten athletes because of sports betting.
“Threatening the safety of an athlete or their family members over a sports bet crosses a bright ethical and criminal line, and it is entirely unacceptable,” the group wrote.
Abuse from bettors has been an issue in the WNBA for several years.
In July, Las Vegas Aces star Chelsea Gray posted a screenshot on her Instagram Story that showed a user calling her a racial slur. While it was not clear if it was a betting-related comment, the user’s Instagram bio included “sports betting.”
Days later, Chicago Sky guard Natasha Cloud told FOS that she’s asked both NBA commissioner Adam Silver and WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert to help address player safety around sports betting.
“So for both Adam and Cathy, there still has to be dialogue around this as our leagues continue to expand and as we continue to navigate what this betting world is,” Cloud said. “Cause we want to be in it; it’s great for our league, but also within it, we have to be protected as human beings when we take these jerseys off.”
In late July, Engelbert and league security met with several WNBA player committees to discuss how to improve player security. Engelbert has since announced that she will retire at the end of the year.
“Overall, there are steps that are being taken, which is encouraging. But we just want to see a little more consistency,” WNBPA secretary Elizabeth Williams said after the meeting.
“The NWSLPA learned of this memo and call to action by the men’s pro sports leagues and unions via inbound media inquiries,” NWSL union director Meghann Burke told FOS.
“Yes, the NWSLPA supports efforts to protect professional athletes in both men’s and women’s sports from harassment and violent threats of all kinds for all reasons, including those of the kind driven by sports betting.”
The NBA and NWSL did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The WNBA declined to comment.
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