NFL Prohibits Sports Event Contracts, Eyes Continued Sports Betting Training

• The NFL continues to educate its players and employees on the league’s sports betting and gambling policies ahead of the new season
• NFL legends were brought in to discuss the policy with athletes
• An NFL representative said sports event contracts are prohibited under the league’s gambling policy

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As the NFL gears up for its season to begin next week, league representatives said the NFL continues to place a strong priority on educating its athletes on its sports betting and gambling policy, while also monitoring the sports betting markets to uphold event integrity.

While no changes have been made to the league’s sports betting or gambling policy as it moves into the new season, league spokespersons stressed the importance of continued sports betting education to its players, league employees, and sports betting customers. It also confirmed its stance against sports event contracts, prohibiting athletes and league personnel from trading on prediction market sites.

The NFL continues to take a thoughtful, long-term approach to sports betting, focusing first on the integrity of the game and to protect its outcomes, Jeff Miller, NFL Executive Vice President, Public Affairs and Policy, Player Health and Safety, told reporters.

No Major Changes to NFL Sports Betting, Gambling Policies

Sabrina Perel, Vice President, Chief Compliance Officer, said the league has continued its in-person training sessions for 20,000 league employees, including team athletes, on the NFL’s sports betting and gambling policy.

Of note, the league has stressed these six rules for athletes:

• Never bet on the NFL
• Don’t have someone else bet for you
• Don’t gamble at your team facility or stadium, while traveling for a road game, or staying at a team hotel
• Don’t share inside information, such as player injuries, with anyone outside of the team
• Don’t enter a sportsbook during the NFL season
• Don’t play daily fantasy football

No disciplinary action for improper gambling or sports betting was taken against players or league personnel last season, Perel noted.

This year, Perel said NFL legends were brought in to team facilities to conduct the mandatory in-person training. These former players, and their voices, carry a greater weight with active roster members and their messaging carried a larger impact, she said.

Sports Event Contracts Are Prohibited

The NFL has officially taken a stance against sports prediction contracts as the courts continue to fight over the issue of their regulation.

Perel confirmed today that the league prohibits athletes and employees from participating in the purchase or trading of sports event contracts, as they too closely resemble a sports betting product.

“These platforms mimic sports betting, they are covered as prohibited under our policy,” she said.

The NFL submitted comments against sports event contract markets to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission last year, David Highhill, Vice President, Sports Betting, said during the briefing.

Regulated sports betting markets, he said, feature robust safeguards, integrity monitoring, and prohibitions on certain markets that may be subject to outside influence. Prediction markets do not feature the same safeguards and lack regulatory requirements that regulated sportsbooks must adhere to in each state.

“For us, we’re concerned that if these markets aren’t properly regulated, they could be subject manipulation or price distortion,” Highhill said.

NFL Always Watching For Harrassment

As sports betting expands through the country, the NFL security team is constantly on the lookout for in-person and social media harassment of its athletes, Miller said.

In addition to monitoring for in-person harassment of NFL personnel, the NFL also monitors social media platforms for harassment. If harassment is identified in any of these channels, Miller said NFL security will follow up with specific teams and team security with details of the harassment.

If appropriate, Miller said the NFL will even contact local law enforcement when necessary to report player harassment.