The increasing issue of athlete abuse – and how we can reduce it
Athlete abuse in sport, via social media, is becoming a bigger and bigger issue, writes EPIC CEO Paul Buck.
In the last 24 hours, we have seen the English Lionesses, English tennis star Katie Boulter, and World number 2 tennis player Carlos Alcaraz, all highlight the increased abuse they face on almost a daily basis, heightened during big tournaments.
This ranges from sexual harassment to stalking, insults and vitriol to death threats or threats of harm to family and loved ones.
High-profile players speaking out is a crucial step to highlighting these issues, and reducing stigma, as is a multi-facet approach to tackling this.
Education and awareness is crucial in any ecosystem, and it works. Working as the education partner of the NCAA for the past three years, we have seen the results highlighted in their latest report, with a 23% reduction in sports betting-related abuse… athletes know how to deal with, react and report it.
We are working hard with our other proactive partners on this including Major League Baseball, NFL Players Association PAF, MLS Players Association, EFL, and many others.
We are also proud to partner with Jonathan Hirshler, Jake Marsh and the team at Signify, who are leading the way in data monitoring and evaluation in this space.
The intersection with gambling is clear. The gambler who has lost money, the match-fixer who is looking to corrupt an event or an individual (and the integrity of the game) or the black market operator looking to maximize an event without regulation.
The multi-agency approach to combatting the growing threat of athlete abuse is clear to see, and this is highlighted by the reporting of the last 24 hours.
After receiving hateful messages during March Madness, Chandler Prater of @HailStateWBK found support through our partnership with @signify.
— NCAA (@NCAA) June 10, 2025
