Birches Health CEO Pens OpEd on Athlete Protection

Birches Health CEO Elliott Rapaport has written an OpEd for Global Gaming Insider, in which he calls for increased systems of protection for athletes at all levels. As sports betting accessibility has increased across the United States, so too has the harassment of players, coaches and referees by bettors.

Some notable excerpts from the piece:

When a missed free throw, dropped pass or controversial call swings the outcome of a wager, frustration doesn’t always stay confined to a betting app or group chat. For a small but dangerous subset of bettors, including those experiencing gambling-related problems, losses can trigger rage, entitlement and a misplaced belief that an athlete or referee “owes” them for having made a mistake. The result has been a rise in direct messages, doxxing attempts, death threats, and intimidation aimed at players and officials, including amateurs and college athletes who lack professional security or media training. 

This is not merely a fringe issue. It is a public safety and mental health issue: one that reflects the darker side of an industry built on emotional engagement and financial risk. From an addiction science perspective, this behavior is not surprising. Gambling disorder is associated with impulsivity, distorted thinking and difficulty regulating emotions. Betting products are increasingly frictionless, heavily promoted and socially validated, so those distortions intensify. Athletes become convenient scapegoats for losses that are, in reality, part of the inherent risk of gambling.  

Sports betting is here to stay. The question is whether it will mature fast enough to protect the very individuals whose performances make it possible. Athletes should never have to fear for their (or their family’s) safety because someone lost a bet. If we fail to act, we risk normalizing a behavior that no healthy industry should tolerate – and that is a gamble none of us should take.   

Read the full article HERE