Fanatics Sportsbook to Suspend Bettors Identified by New AI Monitoring System

Fanatics Sportsbook announced Thursday that it will partner with ProhiBet Bad Actors to identify and suspend bettors who harass athletes, coaches and officials, ESPN reported. The company will become the first U.S. bookmaker to adopt the system, which relies on artificial intelligence and investigative tools to detect social media abuse.

Fanatics plans to launch the platform during football season. Bettors found to have sent negative or threatening messages will face suspension or permanent bans from the sportsbook. The move follows a 2026 NCAA survey showing 46 percent of men's basketball players received such messages from individuals who bet on their games.

Signify Group will monitor public social media posts using its Threat Matrix technology and investigate accounts behind abusive content when warranted. Athletes, coaches and officials are encouraged to report abusive private messages for review. Verified bad actors enter the ProhiBet Bad Actors database.

Fanatics and any future participating sportsbooks will receive anonymized information on violators from Integrity Compliance 360. They can then match and terminate accounts without exchanging personal data between operators. The information will also reach sports leagues and, in some cases, law enforcement.

Matt King, CEO of Fanatics Betting and Gaming, said the issue had become infuriating and that the company felt a responsibility to act even as one operator. Scott Sadin, Co-CEO of IC360, stated that threats and harassment are increasing at an alarming rate and that addressing them through ProhiBet BA and Threat Matrix is crucial to protecting athletes.