A recent item on ESPN.com contained an intriguing quote regarding the potentially thorny issue, for gambling purposes, of inside information. On Thursday, we tried to get some clarity about it.
"[We’re] just reminding them to protect non-public inside information that they have,” NFL head of compliance Sabrina Perel told David Purdum of ESPN.com. “And that while it’s OK to tell a family member about your own condition, you still have to trust that those that are close to them won’t gamble or share the information.”
That quote activated my own curiosity regarding the specific rules that apply when a player shares inside information with a family member, given that this becomes an obvious pathway to the misappropriation of inside information. The league had previously scheduled a conference call regarding the gambling policy and related matters for Thursday morning.
During the call, I asked this three-part question: What inside information can players share with family members; which family members can get the information; and what responsibility does the player have if the family member misuses it?
Here’s the response, provided by Sabrina Perels during the call: “So, we don’t quite break it down in the way that you questioned it. So we make clear to the players the rule that they cannot share team inside information. We educate them on what that inside information is top of the list being player health and wellness. So we say to them, ‘Look, at all times, your words matter, right? So whether on social media, talking to friends, always be mindful about not sharing team inside information. About talking with their own health and wellness with a family member, a doctor, or someone who’s similarly close, that is OK for them to do, but best to keep the circle tight, because at the end of the day the policy applies to them. The rule on them is that they cannot share inside information. So, that message is delivered and ensuring that they get the guidance to keep the circle tight.”
The general and broad nature of the response is a little surprising. Clarity and precision seem to be important for something like this. What can and can’t be shared? Who specifically can it be shared with? And what happens if the “trust” Perels mentioned in her quote to Purdum is breached?
Based on Thursday’s response, it sounds like it falls back on the player, if someone he trusts turns out to be not trustworthy. If so, that seems a little unfair. The player is allowed to share certain information with his small circle of family members. If a person he trusts is running a scam, how can the player be responsible?
The best rule would be that no information should be shared, with anyone. Of course, that’s not practical. Players can’t be expected to say nothing to anyone about an injury. But how far can the circle go? And what specifically can be said?
The biggest risk comes from a family member knowing that a player won’t play as much or as well as expected, which will make the unders on their prop bets a good wager. Given that it’s impossible to give family members the same kind of training that players receive, they might not even know they can’t use that information — or share it with someone else.
It’s a very slippery slope. And it’s an obvious weakness in the broader gambling structure that could create a problem for the league.