It will be tough for any NFL player who runs afoul of the league’s gambling rules this year to plead ignorance.
The National Football League, like other leagues, has increased education, enforcement, and monitoring efforts to ensure players stay on the right side of sports betting-related policies and procedures.
Seminars have been held, paperwork has been handed out, and watchdogs are standing by to detect anything unusual.
Those activities are in addition to the deterrent of suspensions already handed down for those who broke the rules, such as the 10 NFL players who were disciplined last year. Ignorance may be bliss, but it’s not an excuse.
"I think we have learned an awful lot about how to be extremely proactive, which is the key," said Cathy Lanier, senior vice president of NFL security, in an interview with ESPN last month. "Success for us is not having to do an investigation."
.@NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell emphasizes the need to balance increased engagement due to legalized sports betting while also protecting the integrity of the game, sharing a reminder to league employees: “Don’t bet on the NFL and don’t bet on our facilities.” pic.twitter.com/UsLM31oMBR
— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) November 22, 2023
We are now more than five years past the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision that paved the way for the widespread legalization of sports betting. And while legal sports betting has provided the NFL and other leagues with opportunities to increase their revenues — including business partnerships with online gambling operators — it has also given them headaches.
Those headaches, such as players wagering when they shouldn’t, have prompted leagues to beef up their ability to detect and deter wrongdoing and ensure there is no doubt among fans and bettors about the integrity of games. The NFL is arguably the most popular league for sports bettors, and it is now pulling out all of the stops, and ensuring people know it is pulling out all the stops, to keep its personnel in line.
The NFL’s approach starts with making clear to players its six key rules, the first of which is “NEVER bet on the NFL,” including on awards, the draft, and any other league property.
Read the manual
Other rules players must follow, and that the NFL wants them to know they must follow, are that they can’t have someone else wager for them, no gambling at all while at work, including when traveling, and a prohibition on sharing “inside information.”
Players must also steer clear of brick-and-mortar sportsbooks during the season and are forbidden from playing daily fantasy football contests.
To ensure players are up to speed on the above, the NFL has made in-person education and training on its gambling policy mandatory. That information is presented to players by a member of the league's compliance team, the team's "Head of Player Engagement," which the league says is often a former player, or by other former NFL players.
“The education and training, prepared in collaboration with the NFL Players Association, reviews the rules and reinforces integrity provisions in the policy including the two key rules: Never bet on NFL games, and do not gamble (no sports bets, casino or card games) while with the team in ANY capacity (team facility, stadium, hotel/bus etc.),” the league said last month in a press release.
In addition, the full gambling policy is included in the league's player manual, highlighted in a separate document provided to players, and displayed on signs throughout team facilities. Moreover, the NFL says there is a standard "Integrity of the Game" clause in every player's contract.
But that's not all …
In case the message still isn't getting through, the NFL says there is an "Integrity Representative" assigned to each team, usually a former member of law enforcement.
Those reps are there to keep an eye out for suspicious activity, assist with any investigations, and provide answers if needed about any integrity or sports betting-related questions. The NFL even has its own "Global Security Operations Center" that is looking for any suspicious activity or threats made to personnel.
There are also third-party monitoring services provided by Genius Sports and IC360, the NFL noted, which are watching the oddsboards and for any betting activity that may raise red flags, as well as any insights the league's official sports betting partners can provide. IC360 rolled out its "Alert360" platform in May, allowing players, coaches, and other staff to anonymously report suspicious activity or threats.
“[The] League regularly engages with lawmakers, regulators, and law enforcement to promote the NFL Integrity and Compliance program, including regarding policy, education, investigations, and enforcement to promote information sharing and eliminate betting markets that are contrary to public policy or which present the greatest opportunity for manipulation,” the NFL added in its press release.
The NFL is covering its bases with bettors as well, helping to provide resources for those looking to quit. The league last month announced an extended partnership with the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) to the tune of three years and $6.4 million, which will help fund awareness and treatment efforts.
“Our partnership with NCPG underscores the vital impact of their work and our ongoing commitment to advocate for and support responsible gambling initiatives," said Anna Isaacson, the NFL’s senior vice president of social responsibility, in a press release. "We are proud to leverage our platform and resources with NCPG's expertise to raise awareness, provide education and help prevent problem gambling.”
