NFL makes in-person gambling policy education mandatory for players

Aiming to maintain the integrity of the game when it comes to legalized sports betting, the NFL this year intensified efforts to educate its players and employees on the importance of adherence to the league gambling policy and the punishment individuals can expect to receive for violations.

The NFL announced Thursday that beginning this year, in-person gambling policy education and training is mandatory for all players. In previous years, in-person gambling education was optional. Now, all players — veterans and rookies — must attend these training sessions, which took place during the spring minicamp window and during training camps.

Coaches, scouts and all other team and league employees, including game officials and referees, also are required to receive the training. In all, more than 17,000 NFL employees (players included) will have received the latest gambling policy education training when the 2024 regular season kicks off.

The points of emphasis of the education on gambling, which was agreed to by the NFL and NFL Players Association, include the reminders of the prohibition of:

• Betting on the NFL — whether games, the draft, combine, Pro Bowl or NFL Honors.
• Having a family member or friend place a bet for an employee.
• Betting on other sports, casino or card games at the team facility, while traveling to a road game or while staying at a team hotel.
• Sharing team “inside information” that hasn’t been previously announced, such as injuries or lineup changes.
• Entering a sportsbook during the NFL playing season.
• Playing daily fantasy football.

Coaches, staff members and other non-player personnel members are prohibited from betting on any sports at all.

The NFL used former players who work in the player engagement department to conduct many of the in-person player education sessions.

The NFL’s gambling policy states that a player will receive an indefinite suspension (a minimum of one year or two years depending on severity) for betting on an NFL game that involves his team. Game fixing draws a permanent banishment from the league. Players would receive indefinite suspensions with a year-long minimum for sharing inside information, or using a third party to bet on games.

A player who bets on a non-NFL sporting event on team property would receive a two-game suspension without pay for a first violation, a six-game suspension for a second violation and a year-long suspension for a third violation.

Referees and non-player team employees found to have violated the gambling policy would be subject to similar disciplinary action.

The NFL in the spring and summer of 2023 suspended 10 players for gambling violations. None of those players were found to have attempted to fix games, the league said. But half of those players had bet on NFL games, including their own teams. Others had violated the policy by betting on other sporting events while on team property.

The NFL punished 25 NFL team or league employees for violating the league gambling policy during the 2023 season.

(Photo: Ian Johnson / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)