Barstool Sports personality Big Ev disappears from shows after shady gambling accusations
Big Ev could be in big trouble.The Barstool Sports personality, whose real name is Evan McDowell, has been accused of taking advantage of his audience on social media.
McDowell allegedly stiffed bookies by failing to repay followers who placed wagers on his behalf, according to multiple accusations that have surfaced online, including two supposed victims who spoke to Awful Announcing.“@stoolpresidente, @PicksCentral, @BarstoolBigCat, @DoubleVodkaDon big ev is a scumbag who dms stoolies for bookies then robs them and ghosts when he loses,” a since-deleted post earlier this week read on X from a now inactive social media account.McDowell appears to have been pulled from the Barstool gambling show “Picks Central,” along with all other content the media outlet publishes.He has not posted on social media since March 31 when he excitedly posted a video about the “Summer House” drama.Barstool did not respond to The Post’s requests for comment on the accusations related to McDowell.These allegations are surely putting their gambling partner, DraftKings, in a tough situation, as, true or not, sportsbooks are constantly under scrutiny when it comes to problem gambling.For starters, online bookies are not legally regulated betting, so that will upset DraftKings, which is paying Barstool Sports seven figures per year to make advertising content for them.Nearly every ad that you see on television, podcasts or websites comes with a disclaimer about problem gambling, and they are all regulated by state gaming commissions.Any problem gambling at Barstool will be a hot-button topic for betting operators, as we’ve already seen in years past.Company founder Dave Portnoy had run-ins with Massachusetts state regulators over his tactics to bring in new customers.Barstool advertised a “Can’t Lose Parlay” promotion in 2023 and was forced to go to court before regulators for it.Lawyers used a “Crunch Berries” defense by saying it fell under the same legal stan...