NBA Referees Expose Sports Betting Abuse Following Steve Kerr Meltdown

Posted on: December 13, 2024, 08:34h. 

Last updated on: December 13, 2024, 09:13h.

Devin O'Connor Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Commercial Gaming, Legislation, Politics.

NBA players and coaches aren’t the only ones who regularly receive threats and harassment from angry sports bettors and fans. Those in the black and white stripes say they too have faced a slew of intimidation both on the court and off.

NBA refs sports betting abuse harassment Steve Kerr
Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr reacts to what he thought was a bad call during his team’s game against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2024, in Houston. The NBA Referees Association says complaining coaches and players have led to increased abuse of its officials. (Image: Getty)

The National Basketball Referees Association (NBRA) represents professional basketball officials in the NBA, WNBA, and G League. The labor union fights for fair contracts through collective bargaining for its members.

With legal sports betting continuing to grow across the US — Missouri became the 39th state to authorize gambling on sports last month — the NBRA reports that its officials and umpires are seeing elevated instances of abuse.

On Thursday, the NBRA shared an example on its X account. A presumably disgruntled bettor or fan enraged about seeing his team suffer a loss wrote the wife of an NBA official. In the direct message, the man named Robert Regan threatened:

NBA refs sports betting abuse harassment Steve Kerr
(Image: X)

Refs Not Immune

Responsible gaming advocates, sports league commissioners, and NCAA President Charlie Baker have stressed that state lawmakers, gaming regulators, sportsbooks, and the gaming industry must do more to limit online abuse from angry bettors. But the focus has largely been on players and coaches, who naturally have more ability to impact the outcome of a game.

Baker has urged lawmakers and regulators to ban player props, or odds based solely on a single player’s performance. The NCAA boss says such wagers are “one of the parts I worry about the most” regarding sports betting.

NBA refs say they too endure an abundance of “despicable messages” and issued a public service announcement in hopes of squashing it.

No one should ever have to read a message like this. Yet, family members of NBA referees have been subjected to hateful and despicable messages like this far too often. This behavior is unacceptable, and we refuse to allow the anonymity of direct messages to shield those responsible,” the NBRA wrote.

“Threats of violence — whether against referees or their family members — are intolerable,” the statement continued. “Amid a troubling rise in aggression and hostility towards referees both on the court and across social media, we must emphasize one simple truth: referees and their families are human beings.”

Coaches, Players Partly Responsible?

The NBRA statement followed Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr going off on the refs following his team’s one-point loss to the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night.

I’m pissed off. I’ve never seen a loose ball foul on a jump ball situation 80 feet from the basket with the game on the line,” Kerr complained. “Never seen it in the NBA. Unconscionable.”

The NBRA said such rhetoric from coaches and players only elevates referee abuse. The NBA’s Last Two Minute Report confirmed that the foul against Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga was indeed correct.

“We recognize that players and coaches in our league also endure this level of hatred online, but we urge these groups to recognize the power of their words when speaking publicly, and their actions on the court. Public statements that go beyond constructive criticism, or overt aggression on the court, can embolden individuals to threaten and commit acts of harm against us and our families,” the NBRA statement concluded.