Weeks before its regular season opener ignites months of furious sports betting activity, the National Football League set up some safeguards for itself and gamblers.
First, it extended its partnership with the National Council on Problem Gambling to “bolster nationwide problem gambling prevention services and promote responsible gambling initiatives,” according to a release. Then it made in-person gambling education seminars for all players mandatory for the first time.
NFL Donates to Problem Gambling Council
The NFL Foundation pledged $6.4 million over the next three years, bringing its contributions to NCPG to $12.8 million since 2021. The grant is the largest in the NCPG’s 50-year history and comes weeks before the most lucrative period of the year for sportsbooks. NFL betting remains the favored taste of gamblers in the United States, where 40 jurisdictions have legal sports betting markets underway.
“Our partnership with NCPG underscores the vital impact of their work and our ongoing commitment to advocate for and support responsible gambling initiatives,” Anna Isaacson, the NFL senior vice president of social responsibility, said. “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.”
What the NFL Grant to NCPG Supports
- “Modernizing and strengthening” the NCPG Helpline at 1-800-GAMBLER. According to the NCPG, use of the helpline increased by 104% from 2020 to 2023.
- Fostering and launching the Agility Grants program, the first national grant initiative tasked with reaching communities “underserved by problem gambling prevention programs.” The program also focuses on the prevention of gambling among minors. It has provided “nearly $1 million in grants to 26 innovative problem gambling prevention programs across 17 states, reaching over 40,000 individuals,” according to the release.
- Bolster awareness efforts including the ResponsiblePlay.org website, which has logged around 750,000 visits since 2021.
“We are profoundly grateful for the NFL’s renewed investment in NCPG, which will enable us to grow the essential prevention, education and awareness initiatives that were established through their initial grant,” Keith Whyte, the NCPG executive director said. “This partnership has been instrumental in advancing our mission of minimizing gambling-related harm. We look forward to building on the significant progress we’ve made together over the past three years and exploring new avenues for impact.”
NFL Reiterates Player Guidelines
A series of sports betting scandals involving NFL players preceded broader gambling education efforts within the league. No longer are gambling-educations optional. A friendly – and forbidden – bet between two rookies underscored that there is still room for improvement, especially for incoming players.
The NFL’s Jeff Miller says Jayden Daniels and Malik Nabers received “multiple education training sessions” on the league’s gambling policy after Nabers said on a podcast following the NFL draft that they’d bet each other $10,000 on which would win rookie of the year honors.
— MarkMaske (@MarkMaske) August 22, 2024
The NFL on Aug. 22 re-released its “Summary of NFL Gambling Policy Education & Integrity Monitoring Efforts.”
“Six Main Rules for NFL Players”
Forbidden activity includes:
- Betting on NFL games, drafts, or awards.
- Betting through a proxy.
- Gambling at team facilities and stadiums, while traveling for road games, or staying in a team hotel.
- Sharing “insider” information.
- Entering a sportsbook during the NFL playing season.
- Playing daily fantasy football.
“Additional Rule Applicable ONLY to Coaches, Staff, and Personnel”
- Betting on any sport is impermissible.
“NFL Mandated Training for all Players in 2024”
- In-person gambling policy education and training is mandatory for all players.
- The sessions are to be conducted by a member of the NFL’s Compliance team, the team’s Head of Player Engagement, or by other former NFL players.
NFL Integrity Efforts for 2024
According to the NFL, Genius Sports and IC360 will “review and alert odds, line movements, and betting activity that may indicate game manipulation or a leak of non-public information” for every NFL game and events, such as the draft. The alerts are to be issued in real-time.
In addition, NFL Global Security Operations Center will monitor threats made to NFL personnel including players, coaches, officials and others associated with the league or its teams.
Through the NFL Integrity and Compliance program, the league will work with sportsbooks to “promote information sharing and eliminate betting markets that are contrary to public policy or which present the greatest opportunity for manipulation.”
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