A West Virginia bill (House Bill 4700) aimed at protecting athletes, coaches, and officials from angry sports bettors passed through the House on Wednesday, the state's crossover deadline.
The bill, which mirrors Ohio legislation that passed in 2023, would prohibit someone from participating in West Virginia's sports betting market if they harass players, coaches, or officials. The harassment could be at in-person events or through online sources.
Professional and college athletes have faced increased harassment from bettors following the 2018 repeal of PASPA. The topic of athlete harassment became a popular discussion point about a year ago, when Dayton head men's basketball coach Anthony Grant used a postgame press conference to share his displeasure with the social media vitriol directed at his players when they don't cover a spread.
Inspired by the Dayton incident, Ohio enacted legislation to ban bettors who harass athletes. West Virginia had a similar legislative effort last session that fell short, but bill sponsor Del. Shawn Fluharty told in late 2023 that he was optimistic about the legislation's chances of becoming law in 2024.