The NFL held a video conference Tuesday to explain the dos and don’ts of the league’s gambling policies amid an uptick in player violations. Here’s what you need to know:
- The NFL has six key gambling rules for players: 1) Don’t bet on the NFL, 2) Don’t gamble at your team facility, while traveling for a road game, or staying at a team hotel, 3) Don’t have someone bet for you, 4) Don’t share team “inside information,” 5) Don’t enter a sportsbook during the NFL playing season, 6) Don’t play daily fantasy football.
- All other non-players who are employed by an NFL team, including coaches, are prohibited from all sports betting. They can’t bet on non-NFL games, and they can’t bet away from team facilities.
- A new rule this year requires rookies to attend a “mandatory educational session” regarding the league’s betting policies.
- The NFL is alerted whenever a player uses a mobile gambling app on his phone, per NFL vice president and chief compliance officer Sabrina Perel.
A changing landscape
NFL players have had to abide by gambling policies ever since the league was created over a century ago, but the landscape has changed quite a bit since then, especially in recent years. The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 essentially banned sports betting nationwide, with the exception of Nevada and a few other places, but a Supreme Court ruling in May 2018 overturned that law and allowed states to make their own betting laws.
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As it stands now, 39 states have legalized sports betting, and NFL executive vice president of communications, public affairs and policy Jeff Miller believes more prevalent gambling and advances in technology have made it easier for people — including players — to wager at any time and place.
“A couple of touches and all of a sudden, you can place a bet on many different things,” Miller said. “(That) was not available a few years. … Which means for us, as a sports league where integrity of the game is the highest single principle, then we have to be thoughtful and careful and scrutinize how we share information and educate people around the rules that govern it.”
Education and monitoring
Perel said the NFL meets with teams annually to discuss the league’s gambling policies. There is a slideshow presentation of the rules that lasts about 30 minutes, and attendees are encouraged to ask questions throughout and at the end. Perel said the league has met with 14 teams so far this offseason, and in-person visits have been scheduled with six more teams when training camp begins next month.
One topic that’s covered in these presentations is fantasy football, which the NFL doesn’t consider gambling. Players are prohibited from playing daily fantasy football, but they can participate in season-long fantasy football with a prize limit of $250 per year. Perel said the restriction on daily fantasy football is because players would have more inside information on a week-to-week basis that could sway their lineups and give them the upper hand on a potential outcome.
A few more areas of clarification that have come up during visits, per Perel:
- In addition to games, players can’t bet on any NFL events, including the draft, combine, Pro Bowl, NFL Flag events and NFL Honors.
- NFL players are prohibited from entering a sportsbook during the league-wide season calendar, not just when their team’s season ends. For example, if a player’s team doesn’t make the playoffs or gets knocked out early, a player can’t begin betting on other NFL games. Perel said the NFL playing season, as they describe to players, begins with the Hall of Fame preseason game and ends with the Super Bowl.
- The NFL tracks players’ phones, and although the NFL’s policies don’t extend to family members and associates, the league is made aware of all NFL bets placed at the home of a player. “It may well be that we come back and ask you about it because we’re gonna get a ping on it because of the geolocation technology,” Perel said. “(The player) shouldn’t have any involvement in it, and then equally important that you haven’t shared any inside information as they’re placing that bet.”
Players are being monitored 24/7 by the NFL’s internal resources and “third-party providers,” according to Perel. She added that the league is constantly adapting to keep up with the ever-growing and ever-changing world of sports betting.
Message received?
Calvin Ridley became the poster boy of the NFL gambling policy when the then-Falcons wide receiver placed bets on his team’s games while injured in 2021. He was suspended for the entire 2022 season, forfeiting $11.1 million in salary, before being traded to the Jaguars and reinstated by the league in March 2023.
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However, Ridley’s misstep hasn’t ousted gambling violations among NFL players. The league suspended five players in April, three of whom were suspended indefinitely and will be sidelined for at least the entire 2023 campaign.
The latest player to land in hot water is Colts cornerback Isaiah Rodgers Sr. The 25-year-old is being investigated by the NFL after allegedly betting on his team’s games. After news of the investigation broke, Rodgers, who is entering the final season of his four-year rookie deal, was not present at veteran minicamp after previously attending team gatherings this offseason.
“I made an error in judgment and I am going to work hard to make sure that these mistakes are rectified through this process,” Rodgers wrote in a statement. “It’s an honor to play in the NFL, and I have never taken that lightly. I am very sorry for all of this.”
Miller dismissed the notion that some of the NFL’s gambling policies are confusing, stating that the players know what’s at stake and have seen the NFL come down hard. He declined to speak specifically about Rodgers, but said the league will continue to be straightforward at the conclusion of its investigations.
“There’s real discipline, serious discipline for those decisions,” Miller said, speaking generally about violating the NFL’s betting policies. “Again, because the integrity of the game has to be held at such a high standard that there’s no tolerance for those sorts of behaviors. And hopefully by being transparent and offering some deterrent to others we can ensure that if it were to happen, it doesn’t happen again.”
(Photo: Kirby Lee / USA Today)
