Loose lips sink ‘ships: Applying national security lessons to combat insider betting threats to sports
The explosion of legal sports betting has created an unprecedented insider threat: trusted individuals with access to non-public information—injuries, lineup changes, game strategies—exploiting that knowledge for gambling advantage. Traditional compliance approaches are arguably failing. This article examines how sports organizations can learn from the national security community's hard-won experience combating insider threats. Drawing parallels between Edward Snowden's classified leaks and insider betting scandals, it identifies practical frameworks for information classification, behavioral monitoring, and cultural change that sports leagues, teams, and their legal advisors can adapt—proportionately—to protect competitive integrity in an era where betting markets move at the speed of an app:
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- Tags: American Football | Basketball | Betting | Dispute Resolution | Gambling | Governance | Integrity | Regulation | United States
Written by
Michael Bahar
Michael is Co-Head of Global Litigation and Co-Lead of Global Cybersecurity and Data Privacy at Eversheds Sutherland, leveraging his White House, military, and congressional experience to advise on data privacy, cybersecurity, AI, and crisis management.
Baird Fogel
Baird Fogel is a partner at Eversheds Sutherland. He is an experienced transactional lawyer who advises clients on a variety of corporate matters and complex transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, contract negotiations, commercial law and settlements, compliance, corporate governance as well as international project finance, project development, and project construction. He has particular experience with both domestic and international clients in the sports industry.
Jonathan Freimann
Jonathan is a Senior Associate at Eversheds Sutherland who helps sports industry clients navigate AI risk, privacy strategies, and NIL-related challenges while developing data governance policies for emerging technologies.
Kristi Thielen
Kristi is an Associate in Eversheds Sutherland’s Corporate Practice Group and Sports Practice who advises on commercial contracts, M&A, and governance, with a focus on sports franchises, athletes, and operators in betting and fantasy sports.
