There doesn’t have to be a breakthrough moment or a viral play to get a ton of notifications on NHL players’ phones after the game. Maybe there’s a text message from a parent, a reminder from a partner, a few messages of congratulations or condolences. Not to mention the plethora of emails and push notifications that inevitably accumulate when you’re away from your phone for several hours.
But these days, as sports betting becomes more and more popular in the hockey world, new apps have emerged vying for space on players’ home screens.
“I’ve been sent Venmo requests before,” one NHL player said in a survey. The AthleticThis is what the player survey says: “‘Hey, I bet you guys would win, and you won with a bang, so give me my $50 back.'”
The player said he found it “ridiculous.”
“I think I paid one guy back once,” he said with a laugh. “I sent him about $20.”
Of course, the Internet isn’t always very interesting. Of the 161 players surveyed, nearly one-third said they have received more harassing messages from fans since sports betting became legal in more states.
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“Yeah, almost every day,” one goaltender said. “Honestly, I think 75 percent of them are upset about something. “How did we allow that late goal?” I had an under. Thank you very much. That’s shit. ‘Those things happen all the time. As goalies, I feel like we’re exposed to that a little bit more. ”
“There were some death threats and other things as well,” another player added.
Perhaps the biggest revelation is The Athletic‘s anonymous player poll looked at how common Venmo requests are.
“Those are demands, not demands,” one player clarified. “‘You owe me $200 because you were on the ice at that time,’ and that’s insane. Because it seems like everyone’s betting on the Leafs game when they play Toronto. , it really sucks. But that’s Toronto for you.”
Apparently, NHL players need to do a better job of hiding their identities on the Cash app.
“Oh, that’s true,” said another player. “When I messed up their parlay or something? 100 percent, that’s true. Last game, a guy bet on my shot count or something, and then he DM’d me and said, “You lost my parlay!” he said, sorry for the language. ”
“Yeah, 100 percent,” said another player. “I’ve had a lot of messages pop up in my inbox, like I’m not going to let them hit a parlay or something, or I’m like, ‘This is my Venmo.’ Please send me $100. ”
“Oh, yeah,” one of the players said. “People on social media are even crazier now because they have more skin in the game. I think that’s true for all sports.”
“I get messages all the time from people betting maybe $1.50,” said another.
Some of these requests are obvious gags. But other messages have a more sinister tone.
One player said: “Not here, but mainly in Russia, to be honest.” “It’s like things are going crazy. If you’re 2-0 up and you lose, you get messages like, ‘I’m going to kill you son of a bitch.'”
One player said he receives at least one or two such messages from gamblers every day. However, two-thirds of the players who responded said they would get nothing. It may depend on how well known the player is. Not many fans are betting on Fort Liner or third-pair defense. One player joked, “I don’t think I’m the betting favorite.”
Naturally, many players did their best to pull the plug completely. This may also explain why two-thirds said they had not received such messages.
One player said, “I knew I was receiving harassing messages.” “I don’t get it now. Who would read this nonsense? Not anymore.”
“That’s why I turned everything off,” said another. “I’m getting a scary message.”
Another is, “I’m glad I’m not on social media.”
Another: “I don’t know because no one can find me.”
Aside from death threats and profane abuse, players can feel the pain of bettors.
“Sometimes they’re betting that I’ll score and I don’t, so they want to give me money,” said one player. “I feel like, ‘I want to score too!'”
(Graphic: Meech Robinson / The Athleticwith photos by Gary A. Vasquez, Katherine Gawlik, and Andre Ringuette/Getty Images)
