Good news: men have stopped disrupting women’s sport with dildos. Bad news: now they’re betting on their periods | Arwa Mahdawi
Women’s basketball has moved from dildo disruptions to a new wave of harassment: gamblers betting on athletes’ menstrual cycles. The practice highlights privacy risks, scientific debate and the growing visibility of women’s sport.
In the summer of 2025 a neon green sex toy was tossed onto the court during a WNBA matchup between the Golden State Valkyries and the Atlanta Dream. The stunt, linked to a cryptocurrency meme group promoting Green Dildo Coin, sparked a wave of similar disruptions that briefly plagued the league. After a handful of arrests and bans, the dildo‑throwing largely subsided, but a more insidious form of harassment has taken its place: bettors attempting to predict a player’s performance based on her menstrual cycle.
From Dildo Tosses to Period Betting
Within weeks of the initial incident, social‑media accounts began posting videos that claimed to know exactly where a star like Caitlin Clark was in her cycle. One influencer, known as @fademebets on Instagram, posted a clip stating, "She is in the late luteal phase, meaning a decrease in cardio, strength and aerobic capacity." The claim was presented as a betting tip, suggesting that odds could be adjusted according to the athlete’s presumed hormonal state.
These predictions are rarely based on any verifiable data. As comedian James McCann recounted on the podcast Stuff Island, a gambler he met used injury reports and vague references to "soreness" to infer a player’s cycle. In many cases, the guesses are pure speculation, yet they are being shared as if they were actionable intelligence for sports‑betting markets.
The Ethics and Legal Landscape
The practice raises immediate privacy concerns. Period‑tracking apps such as Flo collect highly sensitive health data, and a 2024 federal jury already found Meta guilty of violating the California Invasion of Privacy Act for harvesting that information without consent. If bettors were to hack or otherwise obtain data from such apps, the line between legal betting and illegal surveillance would blur dramatically.
Beyond legality, there is a scientific dimension. Researchers at University College London recently published a study indicating that female athletes tend to have faster reaction times during ovulation. While the findings suggest a hormonal influence on performance, they do not justify invasive speculation about an individual athlete's cycle. Moreover, the study emphasizes variability; not every woman experiences the same performance shifts, and training, nutrition and mental factors often outweigh hormonal fluctuations.
Critics argue that period betting is a modern form of misogyny, echoing past harassment such as the 2025 dildo incidents and earlier scandals like Luis Rubiales’s non‑consensual kiss of Spanish forward Jenni Hermoso at the 2023 Women’s World Cup. Data from the UK charity Kick It Out shows a spike in reported abuse during the 2024‑25 English football season, underscoring a pattern of punitive attention whenever women’s sport gains visibility.
Why the Issue Matters Now
Women’s sports are experiencing unprecedented growth. Nielsen Sports projects women’s football to break into the global top five by 2030, and the WNBA is breaking viewership records midway through the 2025 season. The New York Times notes a 130% increase in boys under 18 watching WNBA games over the past four years. With larger audiences comes larger betting markets, and unfortunately, also larger opportunities for harassment.
If the betting community begins to treat menstrual cycles as a marketable statistic, it could pressure leagues and athletes to disclose personal health information, undermining autonomy and privacy. Conversely, heightened attention could spur investment in women’s health research, an area historically underfunded. The dilemma lies in whether the financial incentive will translate into better support for athletes or deeper exploitation.
What the Future Holds
Regulators are only beginning to grapple with the intersection of health data and gambling. In the United States, the Federal Trade Commission has signaled interest in tighter oversight of data‑driven betting practices, while European authorities are evaluating whether existing privacy laws cover menstrual data used for commercial gain.
For now, the WNBA and other leagues are issuing warnings to fans and betting platforms, emphasizing that speculation about an athlete’s cycle is both disrespectful and potentially illegal. Advocacy groups are calling for clear policies that prohibit the use of personal health information in betting odds, and for stronger penalties against those who attempt to harvest such data.
The conversation is still evolving, but one thing is clear: as women’s sport continues to rise, the need for robust protections against gender‑based harassment—whether in the form of a tossed dildo or a whispered guess about a period—has never been more urgent.
Why it matters
Period betting exposes privacy gaps and misogynistic harassment in the rapidly growing market of women's sports, demanding stronger safeguards for athletes.
Key points
- Dildo tosses at WNBA games in 2025 gave way to a new harassment: betting on players' menstrual cycles
- Betting tips are often speculative, relying on injury reports or guesswork rather than actual data
- Scientific research shows hormonal phases can affect performance, but individual variation is high
- Privacy concerns rise as period‑tracking apps have already been misused by tech giants
- The surge in women's sport viewership fuels betting markets, increasing the risk of exploitation
Frequently asked questions
What is period betting in women's sports?
Period betting refers to gamblers trying to predict an athlete's performance based on an assumed stage of her menstrual cycle, often using it to set betting odds.
Is there scientific evidence that menstrual cycles affect performance?
Studies, such as one from University College London, suggest hormonal phases can influence reaction time and stamina, but effects vary widely among individuals.
Can bettors legally obtain menstrual cycle data?
No. Accessing personal health data without consent violates privacy laws like the California Invasion of Privacy Act, and recent court rulings have affirmed that such practices are illegal.
How are leagues responding to period betting?
The WNBA and other organizations are issuing public statements condemning the practice and urging betting platforms to remove any odds based on menstrual cycle speculation.
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