By Dianna Russini, Mike Jones, Kalyn Kahler and Colton Pouncy

The NFL is changing its gambling policy, including reducing the penalty for prior violations from a six-game suspension to a four-game suspension, league sources said Friday. Here’s what you need to know:

• Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams and Tennessee Titans offensive tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere will be reinstated effective Monday and available for Week 5 games, league sources said.
• The NFL is also modifying the gambling policy moving forward. Non-NFL betting in the workplace or while working will now carry a two-game suspension, with the second offense being six games.
• The changes come after 10 players, including Williams and Petit-Frere, were suspended during the offseason for violating the NFL’s policies on sports betting.

The updated rules, according to league sources, are as follows:

Updated NFL gambling policy

• Betting on NFL: indefinite suspension, minimum of one year or minimum of two years if player bets on an NFL game involving his team
• Actual or attempted game fixing: permanent banishment from the NFL
• Inside information and tipping: indefinite suspension, minimum of one year
• Third-party or proxy betting: indefinite suspension, minimum of one year
• Betting (other than NFL) in the workplace or while working:
  • First violation: two-game suspension without pay
  • Second violation: six-game suspension without pay
  • Third violation: suspension without pay for at least one year

The Athletic’s instant analysis:

What these changes signal for NFL and players

In getting the punishment for betting on non-NFL sporting events reduced from six to two games, new NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell gets his first win since being elected as DeMaurice Smith’s replacement earlier this summer. Howell worked directly with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to get this punishment modified, according to a person briefed on the discussions, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to comment publicly on the matter.

It’s also a positive that the two leaders are establishing a good working relationship. Remember, this is the NFL’s policy, and it isn’t part of the collective bargaining agreement, so Goodell didn’t have to work with Howell on this, but he saw it as beneficial. It’s still a bit of a head-scratcher that a player is free to bet on non-NFL games at home, but would get punished if he did so on team property — whether in his car, on the sidewalk outside of the facility or while enjoying his lunch. And it’s still hypocritical since owners are making millions of dollars off of legalized sports betting, even housing sports books at their stadiums. But still, getting the punishment here reduced is a positive for players.

The rest of the modifications are pretty straightforward. The punishment for wagering on a player’s own team’s games doubled, which should serve as a deterrent for players. There now also is no excuse for confusion because the NFL has laid this out clearly. — Jones

Why this is a positive step for NFL

This is long overdue. NFL agents had been grumbling since the spring about wanting the NFLPA to step in and do something about the punishment for players who were gambling on non-NFL sports, which many thought were too severe, especially for players who didn’t understand the rules. I spoke to several players this offseason who didn’t fully understand the details of the policy. When Howell was introduced as the NFLPA president at the end of June, I asked NFLPA president J.C. Tretter if he planned to take action with the NFL about the gambling policy, after an offseason that at that point, had seen nine players suspended for violating the policy. Tretter declined to answer the question in order to keep the focus on Howell. Another player was suspended for gambling the next month to make 10 players this offseason.

As Mike Jones pointed out, this isn’t collectively bargained with the NFL, but the fact that staff have a different policy than players proves that the union has had a voice in this conversation in the past, and the league has talked about including the NFLPA in the gambling policy discussions previously. It’s great that both sides went back to the drawing board on this, because the suspensions for things the players could do at home were becoming a major issue. — Kahler

What this means for Lions, Williams

This is obviously huge news for the Lions, who previously didn’t expect Williams back until Week 7 at the earliest. Per the previous policy, Williams was eligble to return to the team facility this past week, but was not allowed to play in games, practice or engage in much else other than team meetings. Now, he’ll be able to return to practice, which will be the first step as the coaching staff determines how ready he is. Williams was dealing with a hamstring injury prior to his suspension. Coach Dan Campbell told reporters this week that Williams’ hamstring is “good” but didn’t elaborate much. We’ll see how much time Williams ultimately needs, but whenever he’s able to return, his game-changing speed will be yet another tool for offensive coordinator Ben Johnson to use, as he orchestrates an offense ranked sixth in yards per game and eighth in scoring. – Pouncy

GO DEEPER

What to expect from Jameson Williams as Lions WR returns from gambling suspension

What they’re saying

“The NFL and NFL Players Association share a longstanding and unwavering commitment to protecting the integrity of the game,” the NFL and NFL Players Association said in a joint statement. “The NFL periodically reviews the gambling policy in consultation with the NFLPA and clubs to ensure it is responsive to changing circumstances and fully addresses this commitment.”

Backstory

The NFL suspended multiple players in April, including Williams and three other players from Detroit, for violating the league’s policy on sports betting.
Williams and receiver Stanley Berryhill (now a free agent) received six-game suspensions for betting on non-NFL games from an NFL facility. Detroit receiver Quintez Cephus and defensive back C.J. Moore, as well as Commanders defensive end Shaka Toney, were suspended indefinitely by the league for betting on NFL games. Cephus and Moore were released by the Lions shortly after the NFL’s announcement.

Those cases were the most high-profile instances of discipline for gambling violations in the league since Jaguars receiver Calvin Ridley was suspended for the 2022 season for betting on NFL games.

In June, the league suspended Colts cornerback Isaiah Rodgers and defensive end Rashod Berry, free agent Demetrius Taylor and Petit-Frere for violating the league gambling policy. The Colts waived Rodgers and Berry following the NFL’s decision. That month, the NFL also held a video conference to go over its policies on sports betting amid an uptick in player violations.

The NFL is alerted whenever a player uses a mobile gambling app on his phone, and players are monitored 24/7 by the NFL’s internal resources and “third-party providers,” NFL vice president and chief compliance officer Sabrina Perel said in June. She added that the league is constantly adapting to keep up with the ever-growing and ever-changing world of sports betting.

Required reading

(Photo: Lon Horwedel / USA Today)