NFL gambling in the spotlight: Why more athletes could be in trouble amid fresh investigation
Gambling in the NFL is not allowed. Much like any sport, the athletes and personnel involved are forbidden from betting on their own games. With thousands of dollars at stake, it would be very easy for coaches and players to "make mistakes" and cost their team a game while raking in money for it on the side.
The issue has been in the spotlight recently thanks to a few high profile cases. For starters, wide receiver Calvin Ridley was suspended when he was with the Atlanta Falcons for an entire year.
Detroit Lions players Jameson Williams and Stanley Berryhill were suspended six games and subsequently released from the Detroit Lions. Williams was a first-round pick.
Former Lions receiver Quintez Cephus, former Lions safety C.J. Moore and former Washington Commanders defensive end Shaka Toney were suspended in April, too. They each got at least one year for reportedly betting on the league. Former Arizona Cardinals defensive back Josh Shaw in 2019 received the same.
The NFL has gone all-in on tracking bets placed by members and bets placed at prohibitted facilities. They've even begun geolocating to find out if rules are being broken.
Several companies, including the league's partner U.S. Integrity, are coming up with platforms designed solely to track bets placed by prohibited individuals. This includes players and coaches.
Betting on sports is now a much more prominent aspect of the game. It's legal in a majority of United States, so it's becoming even bigger. Even the league has partnered with BetMGM and others for fans to bet on games.
The problem is when those bettors are involved with games, and the NFL has been forced to start truly cracking down on them. It's only going to get worse as betting gets easier.
What is the NFL's policy regarding sports betting? Are NFL players allowed to gamble?
On Tuesday, the NFL discussed the latest gambling policies and education via conference call. In a measure to reduce the number of gambling practices, the league has laid down six rules for players to adhere to.
- Don't bet on the NFL
- Don't gamble at your team facility, while traveling for a road game, or staying at a team hotel
- Don't have someone bet for you
- Don't share team "inside information"
- Don't enter a sportsbook during the NFL playing season
- Don't play daily fantasy football
According to ESPN, the betting policy is pretty rigid:
"NFL personnel, which includes league-office employees, team employees, players, owners, coaches, trainers, officials, security and stadium workers, among others, are prohibited from 'placing, soliciting or facilitating any bet, whether directly or through a third party,' on any agame, practice or other league event, such as the draft or combine."
In 2018, the league made an exemption that allowed personnel to bet on non-league games. They could then bet on an NBA game, an NHL match or even a college football game if they wanted to, with restrictions on where they could place those bets, however.
Fantasy sports are also somewhat restricted by the league since many of them fall under the same category as gambling.
With the number of players violating the rules, the league will work on spotting and handing down severe punishments through the 2023 NFL offseason.