Football fans north of the 49th parallel are getting some special attention from the NFL, with the league set to introduce new initiatives to educate athletes across Canadian campuses.
In partnership with the Responsible Gaming Council (RGC), the NFL plans to develop and implement a program set to help university and college-level student athletes by educating them on responsible gaming habits.
“Student-athletes face unique pressures from academics, athletics, and the accessibility of sports betting, making them vulnerable to risky gambling behaviors,” said Sarah McCarthy, chief executive officer of the RGC. “Our partnership with the NFL is a crucial step in supporting this group by providing the education and tools needed to make informed decisions.”
The program, which aims to equip student-athletes with the necessary knowledge and tools related to sports gambling to avoid danger, is set to launch in a pilot phase ahead of the 2025 Spring semester at eight schools across the nation, with a broader roll out to come ahead of the 2025-26 school year.
"We are proud to support the Responsible Gambling Council in this important initiative,” said Anna Isaacson, NFL senior vice president of social responsibility.
“Our shared goal is to equip these student-athletes with the tools and knowledge to navigate gambling risks, fostering a safer and more responsible environment. We also hope to gain insights that will be invaluable in shaping future responsible gambling efforts to benefit all those who play and engage with our game as fans."
Mimicking a similar program already in place in the United States in collaboration with the National Council on Problem Gambling, the program is set to provide specialized sessions that will “feature engaging video, interactive components, and best practices for responsible gaming.”
It also makes specific reference to goals of setting students up to understand the inherent risks associated with gambling, recognizing the specific susceptibility of student-athletes, and identifying the signs that gambling could be affecting the players or those around them.
NFL at the center of Canadian sports betting culture
The NFL has in large part been a major player in the Canadian landscape over the past half-year, with increased scrutiny on the prominence of Canada sports betting advertising, as well as updating their own internal policies towards betting.
Within the organization, changes to the league’s gambling policy education set out to introduce new mandatory in-person learning sessions, while adding integrity representatives across all 32 clubs to monitor suspicious activity.
“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,” the NFL’s release noted ahead of the 2024-25 season.
Externally, in Canada, the NFL has pushed back against a recently introduced bill that aimed to cut back on the prominence of online betting site advertisements.
"The elimination of illegal gambling, especially offshore betting operators, requires not simply a legal alternative, but robust, active monitoring and enforcement backed by significant civil and criminal penalties for violations," Jonathan Nabavi, the NFL's vice president of public policy and government affairs said, arguing that failing to point individuals towards legal sites could see them land elsewhere in legal grey areas.
