Mike Florio questions NFL teams over gambling-related issues after anonymous player loses over $8M
Gambling is starting to become a problem in professional sports and in particular, the NFL. Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio isn't a fan of the current guidelines for players related to gambling.
In the wake of news that an unnamed NFL player lost $8 million in 2022, many have begun to question exactly what the league is doing to combat it. Not to mention the millions of dollars being created via TV advertisements which are on all day.
Florio was a guest on The Pat McAfee Show and questioned the current rules in place to stop players from gambling and is at a loss for words over the current state of it.
“The real question is, why does the NFL allow players to gamble on anything sports related? If you're a non-player, you can't gamble on any sport. If you're employed by the league or a team, you can't bet on anything, anytime, any place, legal or not. But players, players can, they can bet on non-NFL games or events if they're not at work and I don't think they do a very good job of educating the players where that line is."
"The real question is why does the NFL allow players to gamble on anything sport related..
Players can bet on non NFL games if they're not at work and I don't think they do a very good job of educating the players on that"
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"You can stand outside the facility called facility, you're an employee of the Colts, you can stand outside the front door, you can pull up your phone, you can dial up the DraftKings… It's a threat to the integrity of the game, Make that make sense.”
$8 million is a serious amount of money and many question how this was allowed to happen when there is such a focus on players not doing it.
Should the NFL ban all types of gambling?
In an ideal world, to stop gambling, the league would simply ban it in all forms. No TV ads, no promoting, no nothing, and when it comes to players, coaches, staff members, and anyone involved in an NFL team, it is banned.
Some have stated that rules like this should be in place for the entire league season and once the Super Bowl is finished, then players are free to do as they like.
The problem is there is so much money to be made off advertisements, TV commercials, etc. that the league likely will never get rid of gambling-related things.
Former Atlanta Falcons receiver Calvin Ridley was suspended for the entire 2022 season for betting on NFL games (none of the Falcons'), so there is a steep punishment.
However, for many, until gambling is outlawed from the league, these kinds of issues will continue to pop up.