Whether you love or hate sports betting, you can admit that you can’t watch a sports game without seeing something about live odds and futures markets. It’s been a growing trend ever since sports betting began to become legalized in the United States half a decade ago, and the NFL isn’t an exception to the rule.
NFL betting odds are everywhere and it isn’t surprising that it’s resulted in some players getting into trouble. Back in 2023, the league suspended 10 players for various gambling violations, leading to the NFL opting to beef up its gambling education and integrity practices ahead of the 2024 campaign.
So, what does this mean? Fortunately, Senior Vice President of NFL Security Cathy Lanier explained what steps the league is planning to take to protect the sport’s integrity.
NFL Announces On-Site Betting Investigators
In an interview with ESPN‘s David Purdum, Lanier talked about the NFL’s team of on-site investigators who do their best to ensure that players are following the league’s gambling policies. The VP of Security told Purdum that all 32 teams have an “integrity representative” assigned to them who “roam stadiums from the sidelines to the press box during games.”
“[The investigators] are looking for anything that is an anomaly, anything that stands out, anything that might raise concerns,” Lanier described, adding that their main goal is to watch out for “fair competition issues.”
Betting odds can quickly change before and during an NFL game, which is another thing that Lanier’s team looks out for. A dramatic shift in odds after a game has begun could raise some red flags, which is why the league also works with organizations like Genius Sports and U.S. Integrity to determine the causes behind the shifts.
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The NFL will be heavily monitoring any on-site gambling irregularities throughout the 2024 season.
In addition to monitoring for red flags regarding players, Lanier also told Purdum that her team watches out for an increased level of threats from fans. The former Washington, D.C. police chief said that players have received some “pretty horrendous threats” and that more severe words can lead to lifetime bans from games.
“When [threats] rise to a criminal level and we can identify the person that’s making those threats, we now have a process in place to ban that person from ever attending an NFL game or event in the future.”
— Cathy Lanier, Senior Vice President of NFL Security
NFL Betting Guidelines for Players
Even though the NFL hasn’t suspended a player for gambling-related reasons in over a year, that didn’t stop the league from installing mandatory in-person gambling training lessons for its players. According to Purdum, these are the six key roles when it comes to sports betting:
- Don’t bet on anything NFL-related
- Don’t have a friend/family member bet on the NFL for you
- Don’t share insider team information
- Don’t gamble while at a team facility/hotel while traveling
- Don’t use sportsbooks during the season
- Don’t play daily fantasy football
Interestingly enough, it looks like the new training sessions have already paid off.
NFL Head of Compliance Sabrina Perel said that the gambling training has helped players get a better understanding of what they can/can’t do. Rookies have allegedly mostly been asking about fantasy football rules while veterans have been more concerned about what kind of bets their family members can place. Perel added that there isn’t an issue with a player telling their family that they’re hurt as long as they know that information won’t be used to place a bet.
Even former NFL players like Delanie Walker and Will Shields have helped lead these training sessions. Sometimes players react are more receptive to information that comes from someone relatable rather than a big-office suit.
As for the referees, Perel said that officials must adhere to the same guidelines as the rest of the league, however, their gambling training is different than what the players experience.
Interestingly enough, the NFL announced on Aug. 22 that it has made a three-year, $6.4 million commitment to the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG). The new deal comes after the NFL and NCPG agreed to a $6.2 million deal across three years back in 2021.
“We are proud to leverage our platform and resources with NCPG’s expertise to raise awareness, provide education and help prevent problem gambling. We look forward to our continued partnership with NCPG and expanding the reach of their impactful programs.”
— Anna Isaacson, NFL Senior Vice President of Social Responsibility
Together, the NFL and NCPG plan to improve the National Problem Gambling Helpline (1-800-GAMBLER), improve access to care for those dealing with gambling addictions, and work with communities where gambling prevention might be lacking.
We’ll know if the NFL’s plan to tackle questionable is effective once the 2024 season ends. For now, it certainly appears that their efforts are working.
While sports betting can be a lot of fun, always remember to gamble responsibly.
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