Overseas Bettor Behind Threats to MLB Pitcher Lance McCullers Jr., Houston Police Say

An overseas sports bettor was responsible for threats made last month to Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. and his family, Houston police say.  

Threats Came From Intoxicated Overseas Bettor Who Lost MLB Wager

A spokesperson for the Houston Police Department (HPD) told multiple outlets that the man, whom they declined to identify, admitted he had bet on a Houston Astros game, lost money, and was intoxicated when he angrily sent threats to McCullers.

The man expressed remorse for his actions and asked that investigators relay his apology to McCullers’ family, the spokesperson said.

Police determined the threats were not credible. However, charges are still being considered, and the case remains open.

 McCullers, 31, said threats to “find my kids and murder them” were sent following his start on May 10 against the Cincinnati Reds. He allowed seven runs and retired just one batter in a 13-9 loss.

“I understand people are very passionate and people love the Astros and love sports, but threatening to find my kids and murder them is a little bit tough to deal with,” McCullers told reporters postgame.

The Astros hired 24-hour security for McCullers following the threats.

Threats to Athletes Not Limited to Overseas Bettors

McCullers’ incident follows a concerning trend of athletes receiving abuse from angry sports bettors.

Boston Red Sox pitcher Liam Hendriks revealed recently that he and his wife had also been subjected to death threats.

“Comments telling me to commit suicide and how you wish I died from cancer is disgusting and vile,” Hendriks, who previously battled non-Hodgkin lymphoma, wrote on Instagram. “Maybe you should take a step back and re-evaluate your life’s purpose before hiding behind a screen, attacking players and their families.”

Appearing on the “Baseball Isn’t Boring” podcast, the 36-year-old Hendriks said fan abuse is “rampant” in baseball, and that it has only gotten worse since the expansion of legal sports betting.

“Unfortunately, that tends to be what it ends up being — whether it’s Venmo requests, whether it be people telling you in their comments, ‘Hey, you blew my parlay. Go (expletive) yourself’ kind of (stuff),” he said. 

College Player Props Are Banned in Many States

Legal sports betting is now operational in 38 states, plus Washington, D.C. Several of these states have taken measures to protect athletes by restricting the markets on which bettors can wager.

College player proposition bets, for instance, are prohibited in more than a dozen states. Places like New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania have banned them altogether, adhering to requests by NCAA President Charlie Baker. Others prohibit wagers on in-state schools.

A study released by the NCAA in 2024 found that someone with a betting interest had harassed one in three student-athletes.

“The horrific messages we are seeing across online platforms is absolutely unacceptable,” Baker said. “Angry fans are sending numerous abusive messages and threats to  student-athletes, publicly and privately, because of lost bets placed on the athlete’s performance in a game.”

NCAA Considers Lifting Ban on Pro Sports Betting

Despite its strict stance on gambling, the NCAA is reportedly moving closer to easing rules that ban athletes, coaches, and athletic staff members from gambling on professional sports.

The proposal to “deregulate the prohibition” passed by a 21-1 vote by the Division I Board of Directors in April. It has since been forwarded to the D-I council for further discussion. If approved, NCAA members could be allowed to bet on professional sports by June. 

Those same members would still be prohibited from wagering on college sports.