Some athletes, like pro golfer Max Homa and Brady Tkachuk, have said that they were harassed on social media and even sent money requests for Venmo. Many users can easily find athletes' account handles on Venmo, and other athletes, such as tennis pro Mardy Fish, were also harassed. It's in a whole different league nowadays because of how easy it is to pester athletes - and even send them death threats.

When PGA Tour professional Max Homa sat down in July's John Deere Classic, he wasn't just reflecting on a challenging season - he was speaking out about a disturbing trend off the course. The 34-year-old golfer said he had stepped back from social media because of the increasingly vile messages from anonymous accounts.

"It is quite absurd how comfortable people feel writing awful things," Homa said, suggesting the sports betting boom may be fueling the behavior. "You get people telling you you should die on the internet. I love connecting with people, but I try to do it in person because I have yet to meet somebody in person who has said something even remotely mean."

Homa would go on to finish tied for fifth at the John Deere - his best showing of the year - but the result triggered more online harassment. One Instagram user sent him a profanity-laced rant. Another found him on Venmo, requesting $1,900 with the caption: "Bc you can't putt under pressure." Homa responded publicly: "Gamble like a big boy Carl and take ur lumps like the rest of us."

Venmo: from payment app to harassment tool

Homa is far from the only athlete targeted this way. The Washington Post reported he received multiple Venmo requests a week around the 2024 US Open. A year later, world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler said he deleted the app entirely after constant requests from fans.

Venmo, originally designed for casual reimbursements between friends, has a social feed and searchable user base, making it easy - if you know a name - to find and message public figures. While the company says harassment is prohibited and offenders can be banned, there's no way for a user to be completely unfindable. Brady Tkachuk, captain for the Ottawa Senators, said he eventually had to change his account name and remove his profile photo to avoid constant requests.

From 'funny' jabs to real threats

Some athletes can laugh off a cheeky Venmo request, but others face more severe abuse. Retired tennis pro Mardy Fish - a friend of Homa's - called what he saw after the John Deere "gross," stressing that online abusers feel empowered by anonymity and rarely face consequences.

Fish has personal experience with in-person betting heckling. At the 2023 American Century Championship, a fan yelled during his backswing, causing a shank. Fish later learned the heckler had money on Stephen Curry, who went on to win. "It was jarring," Fish said.

The incidents aren't limited to golf. Olympic gold medalist Gabby Thomas was heckled during a race by a bettor who later bragged about winning a parlay because of it. MLB pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. received death threats against his family from an overseas bettor, prompting intervention from the MLB Players Association.

Betting boom brings new pressures

Since the 2018 Supreme Court decision overturning the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, legal sports betting has exploded in popularity. While the industry has brought tax revenue and consumer protections, it has also brought an unwelcome surge in athlete harassment.

A 2023 NCAA study found that at least 12% of publicly posted abuse toward athletes comes from angry sports bettors, though that figure has declined slightly in recent years. An anonymous MLB survey found 78% of players believe legalized betting has changed how fans treat them. Even college athletes, like quarterback Payton Thorne, aren't spared. Thorne joked that losing bettors demand refunds via Venmo - but when they win, no one sends him a cut.

Sports betting has given fans a sense of investment in games, but for some, that investment has become entitlement. The modern heckler feels emboldened to demand money back, hurl insults, or even interfere in competition. As Homa, Fish, and countless others have learned, the combination of gambling, social media, and direct-payment apps has created a new form of heckling - one that's harder to ignore and far more personal.