The NFL is taking steps to reinforce its gambling policy to its players in light of recent violations. The league is rolling out mandatory education sessions for rookies and in-person visits to team facilities to clarify what activities are prohibited. The NFL’s gambling policy has six “key rules,” which include not betting on the NFL, not gambling at team facilities, not having someone bet for you, not sharing team “inside information,” not entering a sportsbook during the NFL season, and not playing daily fantasy football.
The Changing World of Sports Gambling
Jeff Miller, NFL executive vice president of communications, public affairs and policy, acknowledged that the world of sports gambling has changed over the past few years. He stated that the increased availability of mobile phones and the ease of placing bets with a few touches have made sports gambling more prevalent in people’s lives. As a sports league with integrity as its highest principle, the NFL must be thoughtful and careful in sharing information and educating people about the rules that govern it.
Enforcement Efforts and Monitoring
The NFL is also focusing on intensifying its monitoring and policy enforcement efforts with the help of external monitoring firms and various sportsbooks. The league is hopeful that this will create additional deterrence. The NFL’s monitoring efforts include the use of geolocation technology to trace bets back to a player’s home. The league is also working with sportsbooks to alert them when a player places a bet under their own name. The NFL’s chief compliance officer, Sabrina Perel, believes that the league will continue to develop and mature its monitoring and enforcement efforts in the future.
Miller rejected the argument that the easy access to gambling has created ambiguity in the gambling policy. He stated that the two rules that players should not bet on the NFL and not bet when at work have existed for a long time. The NFL insists that there is no double standard when it comes to owners’ willingness to enter sponsorship relationships with sportsbooks while coaches and staff are prohibited from placing wagers of any kind.
The NFL is taking steps to reinforce its gambling policy to players, including mandatory education sessions for rookies and in-person visits to team facilities. The league is also intensifying its monitoring and policy enforcement efforts with the help of external monitoring firms and sportsbooks. The NFL is hopeful that these efforts will create additional deterrence and protect the integrity of the game.
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