With a rash of players (and at least one assistant coach) violating the NFL’s gambling policy over the past two years, a question has arisen regarding the quality of the efforts of the league and its teams to properly educate players on the terms of the policy.
The NFL has forwarded to PFT a document summarizing the NFL’s current efforts to educate players and coaches regarding the requirements of the policy.
The document reviews the NFL-required training for players and coaches in 2023. Rookies watch a training video from NFL Compliance, and the league has “strongly encouraged all teams to have an in-person training presentation from a member of the NFL’s Compliance team.”
Absent in-person training session, a video explaining the policy and its key requirements is shown to all players and coaches.
Also, teams are providing in-person training sessions. The full gambling policy is provided in the player manual given to all players, every year. “Players must sign and acknowledge they have received the manual and its policies,” the NFL’s document explains.
A specific document laying out the gambling policy and relevant points of emphasis is distributed to all 32 teams, for delivery to the players.
The document engages in a bit of overkill, in our view, pointing out that the NFL Players Association “has opportunities to further emphasize the Gambling Policy during visits to Club facilities,” that “agents have the opportunity to participate in Gambling Policy education training led by NFL Compliance officials,” and that every contract signed by every player includes a standard “Integrity of the Game” clause. Those things are fine, but it’s far more important for the league and the teams to send a clear and powerful message.
The comment concludes with the “six main rules” for players:
1. “Don’t bet on the NFL. Period.”
2. “Don’t have someone place a bet for you.”
3. “Don’t gamble at your team facility/stadium, while traveling for a road game, or staying at a team hotel.”
4. “Don’t share team ‘inside information.’”
5. “Don’t enter a sportsbook during the NFL playing season.”
6. “Don’t play daily fantasy football.”
Regardless of the league’s efforts to deliver the message, the message has to stick. It hasn’t fully stuck in past years. The challenge is for the league and its teams to make it happen moving forward.
And then there’s the question of what the league will do to the players who have been or will be suspended based on activities from past years, perhaps when things weren’t as clear as they now are. Multiple cases are pending. There could be more. We’ll post something later about the things that players should consider if/when the NFL contacts them about a possible violation of the gambling policy.
