(Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images)
After the Supreme Court struck down a federal ban on sports gambling a few years ago, sports betting has become an emerging industry in the states that have decided to legalize the practice.
However, the allure of big bucks means that there is an inherent risk of crime, not to mention irresponsible and immoral betting activities.
The NFL has been cracking down on players that bet on the league, and it has now clarified what types of betting activities are forbidden and will lead to discipline.
The main restrictions seem to be a ban on betting on anything that has to do with the league and not gambling while with teammates or in a team facility, as shared by Ian Rapoport.
Among the tidbits:
— If a player uses his own name on a gambling app, “they will alert us,” said Sabrina Perel, NFL Chief Compliance Officer.
— New rule, rookies must go through a mandatory training about the gambling policy.
— There is no carve-out for Vegas players. https://t.co/SpOsK6L5os
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) June 20, 2023
The biggest casualty of the NFL’s crackdown on what it sees as immoral betting activities has been wide receiver Calvin Ridley, who was suspended for all of last season after betting on games, including games involving his own Atlanta Falcons.
Ridley has been cleared to return this season, and he is now a member of the upstart Jacksonville Jaguars, a team he is hoping to elevate from playoff-caliber to championship-caliber after a surprisingly successful 2022 season.
In 2020, his last full season (he took time off in 2021 due to a mental health challenge), he posted 1,374 receiving yards and nine touchdowns.
Unlike the NBA, which has apparently embraced legalized sports betting, the NFL has had a harsh stance against it, and it will be interesting to see how the league handles certain types of gambling activities moving forward.
The post NFL Insider Reveals League’s Key Gambling Rules For Players appeared first on The Cold Wire.