The NFL is currently investigating a further wave of violations of its gambling policy, according to ESPN. The NFL forbids its players from betting on its own games, as well as from betting on non-NFL games from within an NFL facility.
These new investigations come almost a month after the suspension of players on both the Washington Commanders and Detroit Lions teams.
Quintez Cephus, C.J. Moore and Shaka Toney were all suspended indefinitely in April 2023 for wagering on NFL games in 2022, while Stanley Berryhill and Jameson Williams have been suspended for six games each for betting from an NFL venue.
The NFL has three official partnerships with sportsbooks, Caesars, DraftKings and FanDuel, and even allows some to operate at football stadiums. Ads for sportsbooks and betting apps are also not only allowed, but often shown during NFL games.
Ned Ehrlich, Associate General Counsel for the NFLPA, said, “During the NFL's investigations we have learned that these apps are highly sensitive and very sophisticated at tracking, among other things, user location to be sure that people using the app are not 'prohibited gamblers' and/or that the person using the apps is in a location where they are allowed to place bets on the app."
The NFL also uses third-party companies and geolocation services to help identify which players may be violating gambling policies or placing bets from locations like team facilities.
Outlining the gambling policy is part of training for over 17,000 NFL employees each year. So far, details have not been provided regarding either the type or amount of violations presently under review.
