The recent surge in sports betting has taken a toll on many Giants players, with some sharing the negative messages they receive from angry gamblers when their bets don’t pan out. Relief pitcher Tyler Rogers revealed in an interview with USA Today that he had to change his Venmo settings to private after fans would request money from him following a poor performance resulting in a lost bet.
Rogers is not the only player on the San Francisco team who has experienced this type of harassment. Third baseman Matt Chapman also noted that fans have become more aggressive with their comments since the rise in sports betting. He mentioned that fans would even send him Venmo requests for money after a bad game, prompting him to change his Venmo settings as well.
Pitcher Logan Webb, who has been in the league for six years, shared that he has also noticed a significant increase in negative messages from fans after introducing money into the equation. He explained that in his earlier years, the criticism was focused on his performance, but now fans are directly linking it to how it affects their bets.
With more players speaking out about the harassment they face, there is hope that this behavior will diminish in the future. By shedding light on these issues, players are bringing attention to the negative consequences of the rise in sports betting on player welfare.