FanDuel banned a customer for “abusive behavior” directed against Olympic champion Gabby Thomas during a recent track and field event in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Key takeaways
- The heckler won $2,500 on a parlay bet at FanDuel, but won’t be betting there anymore.
- The self-described “Track and Field Bully” followed Thomas around and heckled her.
- This latest incident follows recent death threats an intoxicated overseas bettor made on Houston Astros' pitcher Lance McCullers Jr.’s family.
A FanDuel spokesperson told ESPN the bettor is no longer allowed to place wagers at the online sportsbook and said in a statement that it “condemns in the strongest terms abusive behavior towards athletes. Threatening or harassing is unacceptable and has no place in sports.”
Known as “Mr. 100k A Day” on X, the man posted, “I made Gabby lose by heckling her. And it made my parlay win.” The bettor, self-described as the “Track and Field Bully,” also released a screenshot of a $1,000 parlay bet and a video heckling Thomas before the Grand Slam Track race.
The bettor won $2,500 from the parlay bets after Thomas lost to Melissa Jefferson-Wooden.
Implementing safeguards
Thomas posted on X that a man followed her around “shouting insults” while she signed autographs and greeted young fans last weekend in Philadelphia. The man was heard on the video calling Thomas a “choke artist” and telling her she was “going down.”
He also said he was rooting for Jefferson-Wooden because she married a black man. Thomas is engaged to a white man.
“Anybody who enables him online is gross,” Thomas said in a video.
Grand Slam Track told ESPN it launched an investigation into the “reprehensible behavior caught on camera.” Officials said they will identify the individual, take necessary action, and implement additional safeguards.
Other incidents
Thomas said earlier this year that a group of men stalked her in an airport and tried to get her to autograph pictures. The latest harassment against Thomas comes weeks after Houston Astros' pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. reported death threats toward his family to the team and MLB officials.
An intoxicated overseas bettor lost a wager on a game McCullers played in against the Cincinnati Reds. The hurler said the man told McCullers he would “find my kids and murder them.” Charges against the individual who lives outside the U.S. haven't been filed.
Several MLB players spoke about the increase in online abuse tied to sports betting and want to raise awareness of the issue.
NCAA president Charlie Baker asked state lawmakers and regulators in 2024 to ban sportsbooks from offering player props on college athletes because of a rise in online harassment.
