Auburn Quarterback Makes Claim about Troubling Sports Gambling Fans

Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne shed light on troubling interactions between himself and sports bettors during a recent podcast interview.

While speaking on The Next Round podcast, Thorne revealed that handling the criticism of fans can, at times, be easier said than done. While some fans don’t have any problem publicly posting their criticism online, others use more private methods such as direct messaging.

Thorne said on Tuesday’s episode that some criticism from specific sports bettors even comes with money requests on Venmo, a service that lets people quickly send money back and forth to each other through an app.

“Obviously everyone says just don’t listen to it and all that,” Thorne said about receiving negative comments from fans. “Sometimes that’s easier said than done because in today’s world, they come at you from all different angles. You hear it verbally, that’s probably the least one but just walking down the street you hear it sometimes. And then the social media, they’ll hit you on Venmo, all types of stuff. So you just have to block it out. You have to go back to where your foundation is in your life. For me, that’s my faith and my family. So just doing that but keeping the focus on what’s next.”

The Next Round’s duo of hosts zoned in on Thorne’s comment about Venmo. When asked if Thorne was receiving money from fans, the Auburn quarterback said it was the opposite.

“They’re definitely not sending cash,” Thorne said. “It’s funny, when they lose money they want the money back. But when they win money on a parlay, no one’s ever sent me any of the money.”

According to ESPN in May, the NCAA revealed troubling statistics about collegiate athletes dealing with negative interactions regarding fans and money. The NCAA’s report from the spring stated that one in three high-profile athletes receive “abusive messages from individuals with a betting interest.” During the NCAA Tournament in March, more than 540 messages, “including death threats,” were received by both men’s and women’s college players.

Auburn QB Payton Thorne says he has people 𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗵𝗶𝗺 𝗼𝗻 𝗩𝗲𝗻𝗺𝗼 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 🤣

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

— The Next Round (@NextRoundLive) September 10, 2024

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Tennessee Sports Betting

Some states have taken action to protect their collegiate athletes from verbal and online abuse, as 15 states have specifically banned prop bets on individual collegiate players, according to Forbes before the season.

The state of Tennessee is among the 15 that prohibit prop bets on college players. That means that in the Volunteer State, it is impossible to log on to your legal sportsbook app of choice and bet on, for example, Nico Iamaleava’s passing yards against Kent State this weekend. You can legally bet on winners and losers, spreads, and point-totals, but not on specific players themselves.

The only two other SEC states among the 15 include Louisiana and Mississippi.

“Tennessee doesn’t allow any college player prop markets,” Forbes wrote in the post. “Additionally, bettors aren’t allowed to make live bets on college props, although wagering on in-state universities is allowed.”

Prop bets, according to Forbes, are “a type of side wager on parts of a game or event that may have nothing to do with the final outcome. Examples of popular prop bets range from picking the first player to record a basket in an NBA game to the length of the national anthem at the Super Bowl.”

Auburn blasted Alabama A&M in the season opener, 73-3, with Thorne throwing four touchdowns and 322 yards in the first half. In comparison, Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava set the Vols’ all-time single-half passing record with 314 first-half yards against Chattanooga in Tennessee’s season opener.

But where Iamaleava continued to have success in Week 2, Thorne and the Tigers stumbled. Auburn fell to California 21-14 in Auburn this past Saturday as Thorne went 14-of-27 for 165 yards and one touchdown in the loss. The senior quarterback threw four interceptions in the defeat at home.