Athletes Face Threats and Harassment Tied to Sports Betting Outcomes as Super Bowl LX Approaches
LOS ANGELES, Calif. – As Super Bowl LX approaches, and Americans prepare to legally wager a record $1.76 billion on the game, new research from Incogni reveals that NFL players’ personal data is widely exposed online. According to the company’s latest study, 61% of investigated NFL players were found to have personal information available on people search sites (PSS), making them easier to locate and target during one of the most emotionally charged and financially significant sporting events of the year.
The research analyzed a representative sample of 960 active NFL players, with 30 players randomly selected from each team. Incogni researchers scanned more than 250 people search sites and identified 585 players whose personal details met the confidence threshold for exposure. These sites often advertise access to sensitive information such as home addresses, phone numbers, family relationships, property records, and legal histories, much of which is available without payment or behind low-cost trial memberships.
Key findings include:
- 61% of the 960 investigated NFL players were discoverable on at least one people search site
- Nearly 28% of all investigated players were exposed on three or more people search sites
- The two teams competing in Super Bowl LX have exposure levels higher than the league average, with an estimated 53% of Seattle players and 60% of New England players available on people search sites
- The Los Angeles Chargers had the highest team exposure rate, with 80% of investigated players discoverable, followed by the Tennessee Titans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Indianapolis Colts at 73%
- The Kansas City Chiefs had the lowest exposure rate, with 43% of investigated players exposed, followed by the Las Vegas Raiders, Carolina Panthers, and Baltimore Ravens at 47%
The findings arrive at a particularly sensitive moment. The Super Bowl consistently ranks as one of the most watched sporting events in the world and one of the largest legal sports betting events in the United States. In recent years, professional athletes across multiple leagues have reported increased harassment and threats, some tied directly to betting outcomes. In several cases, players have turned to personal security to protect themselves and their families.
“People search sites turn fragments of public data into detailed profiles that can be misused by anyone with an internet connection,” said Darius Belejevas, head of Incogni. “When you combine that with the intensity of the Super Bowl and the scale of legal betting around it, the risk to player safety becomes much more tangible. This is not a theoretical privacy issue. It is a personal security issue.”
While the research found that NFL players are less exposed than some other high-profile groups studied by Incogni, the sheer visibility of professional athletes amplifies the risk. Even limited data can be enough to enable targeted harassment or intimidation, especially during emotionally charged moments tied to gambling outcomes or public scrutiny.
The full research, including detailed methodology and visual analysis, is available for download at: https://blog.incogni.com/nfl-players-exposure/
About Incogni
Incogni helps people take control of their data by removing their personal information from various sources, such as data brokers or people search sites. Incogni provides a simple, user-friendly solution that prevents the data from being sold and reduces the likelihood of cybercrime and spam.
