Payton Thorne understands he’s going to receive criticism considering the position he's in.
The Auburn quarterback has heard it in many ways, from social media to face-to-face interactions. But he’s also endured a unique form of harassment that's increasingly prevalent in the sports betting world.
During a recent interview on the “The Next Round” podcast, Thorne revealed that bettors have hit him up on the digital wallet app Venmo, asking him to pay for their lost wagers.
“They're definitely not sending cash," Thorne said. “It's funny. When they lose money, they want their money back. But when they win money on a parlay, no one's ever sent me any of the money.”
Auburn lost at home 21-14 to California in Week 2. Thorne threw four interceptions and couldn’t get a sputtering Tigers offense going, so he expects to hear from other people about it.
“Everyone always says don’t listen to it and all that,” Thorne said. “That’s easier said than done because, in today’s world, they come at you from all different angles.
“You just have to block it out.”
Auburn QB Payton Thorne says he has people ?????????? ????? ???? ??? ?? ????? ????? ?????? ?
— The Next Round (@NextRoundLive) September 10, 2024
Thorne says at the end of the day, “You have to go back to where your foundation is in your life and for me thats my Faith and my Family…” pic.twitter.com/Uh162e4qM6
'Pay me back'
This isn’t the first case of an athlete having bettors request money.
Several MLB players spoke on this issue earlier this year, saying sports betting has led to all kinds of harassment.
“I had to make my Venmo private because I’d blow a game or something,” Giants reliever Tyler Rogers said, “and people would find me on Venmo, and they’d send me requests. 'Hey, you cost me $1,500. You better pay me back.'
“It definitely gets people a lot more upset than it used to.”
Former North Carolina basketball star Armando Bacot echoed similar encounters with sports bettors last season, saying he’s been harassed for not reaching his rebound total.
Baker’s crusade
Those cases are why NCAA president Charlie Baker has repeatedly called for bans on college player prop bets in legal sports betting states.
“Sports betting issues are on the rise across the country with prop bets continuing to threaten the integrity and competition and leading to student-athletes and professional athletes getting harassed,” Baker said in a statement released in March. “The NCAA has been working with states to deal with these threats and many are responding by banning college prop bets.”
So far, only Ohio, Maryland, Vermont, and Louisiana have complied with his request.
Other states, like Wyoming and North Carolina, have looked into potential bans, but nothing changed before the start of the 2024 college athletic season.
