The NFL’s rules and restrictions on gambling may be simpler, but they’ve created quite a bit of confusion.
Gambling suspensions have been the talk of the league this offseason, as players with the Detroit Lions and Washington Commanders will miss the start of or the entire 2023 season for violating the league’s gambling policy. As recently as May, Tennessee Titans players have expressed confusion about how the rules work.
“I’ll be honest, a lot of the guys felt like there just wasn’t a lot of teaching in general about this offense,” Titans offensive lineman Nicholas Petit-Frere told The Tennessean. “I just feel like that’s something the NFL should kind of harbor a little bit more and understand these guys are making mistakes that they didn’t even know was a thing. Not a lot of people talked about it. I just feel like that’s something the NFL should look into that they should have some credence to when it comes to some of the suspensions that they did.”
On Tuesday, NFL executive VP of public policy Jeff Miller and chief compliance officer Sabrina Perel spoke to reporters about what the league’s rules about gambling are and how their efforts to educate players and league personnel on the policy are going.
Here’s a quick rundown of what the league’s gambling rules are, some answers to some frequently asked questions and a few questions that remain unanswered.
What are the NFL’s basic gambling rules?
- Don’t bet on the NFL.
- Don’t gamble on anything while at team facilities, when traveling with the team or staying at a team hotel.
- Don’t have someone else bet for you.
- Don’t share “inside information” about your team.
- Don’t step foot in a sportsbook during the NFL season.
- Don’t play daily fantasy football.
Expanding on Rule No. 1:
Players, coaches, team staff and league personnel are prohibited from betting on outcomes, moneylines, over-under wagers, prop bets and parlays including the NFL. They’re also prohibited from making bets about the the combine, draft or Pro Bowl even if they’re not participating.
These rules apply through the completion of the Super Bowl, even if a player’s team doesn’t make the postseason.
What’s the deal with Rule No. 2?
NFL players are allowed to place bets on sports leagues other than the NFL at their leisure. They’re not allowed to place such bets at stadiums or team practice facilities, on team buses or planes or in team hotels.
Though most of the NFL’s rules on gambling are in an effort to protect the integrity of the game, this rule is more rooted in restricting what players can and can’t do in the workplace.
“They’re at work,” Perel said. “Should they be gambling at all while they’re at work? We’re very clear there to make sure where all that applies to and that it’s no betting of any kind while they’re at work. If you’re going to do it, you can do that on your personal time. It really is just sort of counterintuitive to if our No. 1 mission is to protect integrity, why are we having gambling in the workplace?”
The rules are more complicated for non-players
The NFL’s gambling policy is stricter for coaches and league personnel. Unlike players, coaches and personnel are not allowed to bet on sports. Miller said the distinction is because the players’ rights are agreed upon with the NFLPA while other employees are subject specifically to NFL rules. But Miller also said the players’ gambling rights aren’t specifically written into the collective bargaining agreement.
Miller and Perel both said they were unsure if the league would have the authority to hold players to the same standard as it does coaches and personnel, but Perel said coaches and personnel are held to the standard they are mostly as a way to avoid negative outside perception.
“It’s just, we’re mindful about the gambling in general,” Perel said. “It’s the perception. Are we doing everything to make sure there’s no negative association with those individuals, both on actual betting and with the use of potential inside information?”
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How do fantasy sports factor in?
Players are allowed to participate in season-long fantasy football leagues so long as the reward for winning the league is less than $250. Players are not allowed to participate in daily fantasy leagues.
What don’t we know?
Perel said she intends to educate every team individually and in-person about these rules, but she didn’t give a list of which teams she’s already spoken to or what her timeline is for completing the process.
Miller did not comment on ongoing gambling investigations or confirm reports about players who are expected to be suspended.
Perel said it’s “apples and oranges” to compare the NFL’s crackdown on gambling against league owners and teams partnering with casinos and gambling services, as she views one as an issue of competitive balance and the other a service to the fans.
Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at [email protected]. Follow Nick on Twitter @nicksuss.