Fanatics Launches Bad Actor Program to Tackle Abuse of Athletes, Coaches, and Officials Online

Fanatics Sportsbook is rolling out one of the most aggressive integrity initiatives yet from a major US sports betting operator. Starting with the 2026 NFL season, it will work with IC360 and Signify Group to monitor public online abuse and restrict accounts tied to harassment or threats.

1. Fanatics says the program is designed to stop abusive and threatening behavior aimed at athletes, coaches, and officials, with monitoring across X, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube. Athletes will also be able to submit abusive direct messages for review.
2. The initiative is called the Bad Actor Program. Individuals identified as engaging in harassment or threats will be added to a shared database, and participating sportsbooks will be able to suspend or restrict those users’ accounts.
3. Fanatics Sportsbook is the first licensed betting operator in the US to join the initiative. The setup combines Signify Group’s Threat Matrix monitoring technology with IC360’s ProhiBet integrity system, both of which already work with sports organizations and betting operators on compliance and integrity matters.
4. Matt King, chief executive officer of Fanatics Betting and Gaming, said the program reflects the company’s commitment to respect and tolerance in sport, and that no betting outcome justifies harassment or threats toward players or officials.
5. Signify Group chief executive officer Jonathan Hirshler said the program responds to growing pressure from sports organizations to address online abuse linked to betting activity. IC360 co-chief executive officer Scott Sadin said threats and harassment in sports arenas and on social media are increasing at an alarming rate and argued that using ProhiBet BA and Threat Matrix is crucial to protecting athletes and other stakeholders from serious, long-term harm.

The program is also expected to expand to sports leagues and teams, with shared intelligence used to identify repeat offenders. In more serious cases involving credible threats, information may be escalated to law enforcement authorities.