With the rise of sports gambling across the United States in recent years, betting has become an increasingly present part of American sports fans’ lives.
Few sports figures have pushed back as strongly against gambling’s incursion as Dayton men’s basketball coach Anthony Grant did Tuesday night, days after the Flyers dropped a 63-62 heartbreaker to VCU after leading by 14.
Speaking to reporters, Grant specifically took aim at fans who have targeted his players with hateful messages about their performances.
“I have to say something because I think it’s just necessary at this point,” Grant told reporters. “There’s some laws that have recently been enacted, that really to me—it could really change the landscape of what college sports is all about. And when we have people that make it about themselves and attack kids because of their own agenda, it sickens me.”
Grant reminded fans his players have families and deal with significant strain on their mental health.
“If you’re a Flyer fan, I ask you just to understand what you’re dealing with, with young people. All right?” Grant said. “Take a step back, and re-evaluate your priorities. And if you can’t, we don’t need you. We don’t need you.”
Sports gambling became legal in Ohio on Jan. 1 when Ohio House Bill 29 went into effect after being passed on Dec. 8, 2021.
Dayton is 13-6 and 5-1 in the Atlantic 10 this season, tied for first in the conference standings with VCU.
Meantime, it’s possible that bettors who make threats or send abusive messages to athletes could lose their right to wager in Ohio. Geoff Zochodne of Covers.com reports the executive director of the Ohio Casino Control Commission suggested Wednesday that bettors who threaten college athletes over social media could be barred from gambling in the state.
