It is clear that players, coaches, and staff of professional sports teams have to be handled differently when it comes to gambling, however, to what extent can they be allowed to partake, if at all? these are just two of the questions that have arisen in the heated debate about betting in sports.

Sean Payton has an issue with the NFL’s stance on gambling

As you probably know, gambling has become more common in professional sports in the wake of an increasing number of states legalizing the practice. Naturally, this has also been seen in the NFL but not without consequence. To put things in perspective, no less than 10 players have been suspended since April for gambling, the latest being Denver Broncos defensive lineman, Eyioma Uwazurike, who was suspended indefinitely by the league on Monday. Now, while that may seem like a natural progression to some, Uwazurike’s new head coach, Sean Payton, doesn’t see it that way and made his thoughts known about the NFL’s recently revamped gambling policy.

Speaking about the issue following his player’s suspension, Payton made it clear that he is not at all pleased, and more over believes that the league itself has some responsibility in the conflict. “When you have a bunch of players getting D’s, you have to start looking at the message,” Payton said. “And we’ve had a lot of D’s in our league this year with this policy.” Payton was then told that the number of players suspended has now reached double digits, to which he responded by saying, “Shame on us. …And we’re going to send them home for a year, where they can’t be around. The idea that you just go away, shame on us.”

So, what does Sean Payton want the NFL to do?

If we get into the details, what Payton would like to see is a change in the way the league approaches gambling, as well as the way in which that approach is communicated to players. To be clear, the Broncos coach agrees that the practice of gambling is an issue and that players should be punished for violations, however, he believes that the league’s messaging about the issue is confusing. Indeed, Payton even claimed that in a spring meeting with league representatives, the criteria could have been simplified.

“You can’t bet on NFL football, ever, ever, ever,” he stated when questioned about what he told players in the spring. “I don’t give a (expletive) what it is. The other thing is, it’s the same as the gun policy. You can’t bet on nothing if you’re at your facility, your hotel, your airplane. So, wherever you can’t carry a gun, you can’t place a bet.” Further to that, Payton also stated that there is hypocrisy in play i.e., the NFL partners with casinos and sportsbooks. “I know this: There’s a handful of owners that are owning these ‘problems,’” he said. “A player can’t have a share of DraftKings or FanDuel. It’s shameful. Embarrassing.” Ultimately, these are the early days of what appears to be a firmer take on the issue of gambling from the NFL. Could it be better? Certainly, but how that happens will likely come down to the participation of people like Payton. Watch this space.