Solving the NFL’s Gambling Problem
The days of legalized gambling on sports being restricted to places like Las Vegas are long gone! Since a May 2018 Supreme Court ruling gave individual states the authority to regulate gambling, over 70% of states in the US have legalized at least some form of sports betting. The widespread legalization has taken a large economic driver from the Black Market to Wall Street, shinning a spotlight on activity that was previously hidden from the public eye. The exponential increase in visibility has amplified the discussion around gambling at 345 Park Ave and resulted in a wave a recent suspensions of NFL players for violations of the NFL gambling policy.
The 2023 NFL offseason has included nine player suspensions for gambling violations. Most notable was the six game suspension of Detroit Lions top prospect, Jameson Williams. The three-one-three wide-out’s punishment is the most high-profile gambling penalty levied by the league since former Atlanta Falcon, WR Calvin Ridley, was suspended indefinitely last offseason. Ridley had taken a leave of absence from the team during the 2021 season to focus on his mental health and, in his time away, placed NFL bets over the course of a five day period. Ridley acknowledged that he had placed the bets, which totaled $3,900 according to a report by Brett Smiley of Sports Handle.
In the time since his suspension, Ridley was traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars and reinstated by the league for the 2023 season. While Ridley being away from the team at the time of his violation made his suspension unique, the suspension of Williams has raised many more questions about the NFL’s gambling policy. Unlike Ridley, Williams was not suspended for betting on NFL games…he was suspended for placing bets on OTHER SPORTS while at a team facility.
According to the NFL, “the gambling policy prohibits anyone in the NFL from engaging in any form of gambling in any club or league facility or venue, including the practice facility.” Hold up, WHAT? I’m sorry but, can someone from the league office explain to me how an NFL player placing a bet on an NBA or NHL game has any impact on the integrity of the National Football League? Furthermore, why it’s OK for an NFL player to place a bet on the Toronto Maple Leafs or Los Angeles Lakers from their couch but, doing so from the weight room is problematic???
The NFL has overly complicated its policies to its own detriment. The complexity has given rise to discussion around the hypocrisy of the NFL for partnering with sportsbooks. As a result, the league has been generating negative publicity centered around gambling, the very type of publicity its policies were put in place to prevent. If it wasn’t for the poorly constructed rules, more of the focus would be on the fact that the gambling sponsorships that the NFL has secured are great for both the league and the players.
Sportsbook sponsorships contribute to an increase in revenue that is split between the owners and the players, in accordance with the CBA. The partnerships between the league and the sportsbooks also allow for the organizations to work together to identify violations of the NFL gambling policy, which should help ensure the integrity of the game. Unfortunately, the policies simply don’t make sense, the league needs to get out of its own way and simply the rules for everyone involved.
There is no debate worth having about whether or not the NFL needs to regulate gambling. The NFL ABSOLUTELY must protect the integrity of the game! It is critical that consumers of the product have confidence in the legitimacy of outcomes however, there are much easier and less complicated ways to achieve that goal. The NFL gambling policy should be as simple as, NFL personnel cannot place bets on NFL games, in a season in which, they were employed by any of the 32 NFL teams or the league office.
A policy of this sort would be much easier for NFL personnel and the public to understand. It would also extend the player exception for betting on other sports to all NFL personnel, while removing the restrictions on club and league facilities. Currently, coaches and other league personnel are prohibited from betting on any sporting events.
Taking this approach would also close any loopholes regarding employment during a season, when players are regularly cut from rosters and join other teams days or weeks later. If you collect a check from the league or an NFL team, you can’t bet on NFL games during that season, simple!
The league office, NFL personnel, and the fans would certainly benefit from a clearer policy based on common sense. There’s still time for the NFL to correct the flaws in its gambling policy before the kickoff of the 2023 season. A season which will build towards its Grand Finale on February 11, 2024 when Super Bowl LVIII is played…in Las Vegas!
