Sports Bettor Fired After Nasty DM To WNBA Player

A sports bettor who allegedly sent Las Vegas Aces guard Chelsea Gray a highly abusive message on social media has been fired by his employer, Hilton Grand Vacations, the company said Tuesday.

“The person responsible for posting this information is no longer with the company. His behavior was in violation of multiple company policies and does not reflect our company’s values in any way,” HGV stated, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

The man, who lives in Texas, was apparently fully identified online through his LinkedIn account. His Instagram and LinkedIn accounts appeared disabled or deleted at the time of writing.

It’s unclear if the Aces had any involvement in contacting his employer.

The man did not mention gambling or a wager in Gray’s screenshot of his message following the Aces’ loss on Sunday to Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever.

However, his Instagram account contained betting-related content, according to reports.

It’s unclear if he had a wager or bet on the game. Traditional sports betting is illegal in Texas, but prediction markets such as Kalshi are available to Texans.

This incident is part of an apparent growing trend of abusive messages involving gambling. According to a 2025 U.S. News survey, 21% of sports bettors admitted to “verbally abusing” an athlete online or in person. The NCAA has published survey data on student-athlete gambling-related abuse.

In recent weeks, pro golfer Jordan Spieth has spoken out about gambling-related abuse.

In 2025, a former San Diego Padres manager made headlines for retiring in part due to abuse from gamblers.

Verbally abusing an athlete related to gambling can be a sign of a sports gambling problem. According to one recent survey, 60% of online bettors report chasing losses.

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