The Carolina Panthers made a highly controversial social media post directing its fans to gamble specifically on a game’s over/under on FanDuel Sportsbook.
Fans and observers widely condemned the Nov. 2 post on X/Twitter. In the post, the Panthers listed the over/under line for the game and included a FanDuel sign-up link.
“Hey, this sucks. The literal teams, marketing THEIR game lines? Very clearly wrong,” replied one NFL reporter.
According to the official X account of Reddit’s college football forum, it was the first time an NFL team promoted an over/under line for its own game.
Other observers also said it was a watershed moment in the troubling history of sports gambling promotion in the U.S.
“We’ve officially crossed the Rubicon on sports gambling if teams post odds like this,” another observer said.
Some fans tagged the FBI in their response, suggesting that the Panthers’ post amounted to criminal conduct. There is no evidence of any criminal conduct, but it is clear that some fans have the NBA-related gambling indictments fresh on their minds.
The post was “ratio’d” — internet lingo meaning it received more quote-tweets and comments than “likes.” Only about a third of the post’s engagements were likes. It’s rare to see an NFL team’s official account make such a widely ridiculed post.
For some, the Panthers’ post called into question the integrity of the sport.
“How can you say the NFL isn’t rigged then allow the teams to post their O/Us,” another observer remarked.
Carolina Panthers and FanDuel
In March 2024, the Panthers announced an official gambling partnership with FanDuel.
The partnership came ahead of the March 11, 2024, launch of mobile sports betting in North Carolina.
FanDuel became an “official sports betting partner” of the team.
As part of the partnership, FanDuel received permission to use team marks across its marketing channels and partner with the team on digital and social media content. The deal also included digital signage and events at Bank of America Stadium.
NFL Gambling Addiction
For many football fans, the Panthers’ controversial Nov. 2 social media post raised questions about the corruption of the sport.
That’s just the tip of the iceberg regarding the recklessness and potentially devastating effects of sports betting advertising.
About half of online sports bettors experience harm, according to a recent study in Maryland. More than half of online sports bettors chase losses, and about 40% feel shame after betting.
There’s a growing gambling addiction crisis in the U.S. The Panthers’ post came just a few days after YouTube updated its gambling content policy, partly in response to the crisis of gambling promotion.
Federal lawmakers appear to be growing concerned, with multiple letters circulating after the NBA scandal seeking more answers on the dangerous rise of legal sports betting.
The U.S. sports gambling industry raked in $13.7 billion in 2024, and the market has grown in 2025.
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