Published on: February 18, 2026, at 05:34h.
Updated on: February 18, 2026, at 05:36h.
Texas Gambler Charged with Threatening Louisville Coach and Quarterback Following $80K Loss
Court Documents Reveal Security Measures Enacted due to Threats
States and Sportsbooks Take Steps to Prevent Athlete Abuse Linked to Betting
A resident of Corpus Christi, Texas, has been found guilty of issuing threats toward members of the University of Louisville football team after incurring an $80,000 loss on a wager, according to a report by The Corpus Christi Caller-Times.
In a text directed at Louisville quarterback Miller Moss, Mandel stated, “I’m going to make your life a living hell. You cost me $80,000 last night. You can choose to pay me or face dire consequences. You, your girlfriend, and your family will suffer.”
He also shared similar hostile messages with Louisville’s head coach Jeff Brohm and other individuals shortly after the team’s defeat against the California Golden Bears on November 8.
“I will hunt you down and kill you and your whole [expletive] family, you piece of [expletive]…”
The severity of the messages led to “immediate security measures and round-the-clock protection,” as documented in court proceedings.
Anger Management
On February 17, Mandel pleaded guilty to a single count of second-degree terroristic threatening, classified as a felony. In exchange for his guilty plea, prosecutors agreed to dismiss six additional charges, which included five counts of issuing terrorist threats and one count of attempted theft by extortion exceeding $10,000.
The extortion charge was linked to threats aimed at Moss and individuals related to him, according to court documents.
“While Brian Mandel’s behavior is not entirely unprecedented—making an ill-advised wager on college football games and then directing anger at others rather than himself—the extreme measures he took to seek ‘revenge’ for his poor decisions reveal something considerably more troubling,” Moss noted in a victim impact statement.
Assistant commonwealth attorney Scott Drabenstadt stated in court: “We cannot downplay the fear and distress that persisted for three days in November, affecting multiple individuals, due to the uncertainty surrounding who posed this threat.
Mandel is set to serve a two-year unsupervised sentence, during which he is barred from all forms of gambling, including wagers with peers. Additionally, he is mandated to undergo counseling and make partial restitution of $1,190 to the University of Louisville to cover security and safety costs incurred due to his threats.
Addressing Athlete Abuse
A 2025 NCAA-sponsored study revealed that abuse related to betting constituted 11% of almost 4,000 reported messages targeting college athletes—approximately double the incidents of racial abuse or violent threats. Moreover, over one-third of Division I men’s basketball players reported facing harassment tied to gambling in the previous year.
In response, states such as Ohio, Maryland, and New Jersey have moved to restrict or prohibit college player prop bets. Ohio, in particular, has empowered authorities to disallow bettors who threaten athletes.
Simultaneously, sportsbooks and industry organizations are taking proactive steps. Operators like FanDuel, BetMGM, and DraftKings have stated they are ready to suspend accounts associated with athlete abuse.