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The growth of legal online sports betting has made fans feel more connected to the athletes. But sometimes the players can be negatively impacted by the people who are gambling on the games they are playing.
Toronto Raptors forward Chris Boucher is the latest professional athlete to endure the ire of a salty fan.
During an interview with Yahoo Sports Canada, Boucher recalled a time when received a disgusting message after a fan lost a parlay.
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Chris Boucher #25 of the Toronto Raptors warms up ahead of their NBA game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Scotiabank Arena on March 18, 2023 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images)
"The betting is not going to make it better now, with the parlays and all that… Somebody said, ‘I chose the wrong slave today.’ Literally sent me that message… Cause I only had 5 points and he needed me to score 10," Boucher said.
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Boucher or any other player should certainly not be subjected to those types of messages. As more states legalize sports betting, more fans will likely engage in legal online gambling.
Chris Boucher #25 of the Toronto Raptors scores on a first half slam dunk against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena on March 6, 2023 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)
Many bettors use sports gambling to simply have fun, but messages like the one Boucher got certainly have negative impact.
Boucher went on to explain how the hateful message impacted his playing experience.
"The players now they don't really fans as much. We're lucky we in Toronto and we've got the best fans. Imagine if you get messages like this now you don't really…. know if that person is really talking to you. ‘I need you to score 10 today.’ Do I really want to talk to you now?… If I score 8 you're gonna flame my Twitter, my Instagram, my everything," Boucher noted.
Sports betting is becoming a part of daily sports conversation. Virtually every scoreboard is accompanied by some form of betting odds. However, with the access social media provides, some fans seem to be under the impression that they can say almost anything to athletes.
Chris Boucher #25 of the Toronto Raptors looks on during the game against the Philadelphia 76ers on March 31, 2023 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images)
On the court, Boucher and the Raptors are fighting for a playoff spot. Toronto is 38-39 and currently sit in the No. 9 spot in the Eastern Conference standings.
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The Raptors will likely have to compete in the NBA's play-in tournament, which begins on April 11.
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