The NFL wants as much gambling revenue as possible, and it’s willing to sacrifice its players for the right perception of purity.
On April 19, the National Football League released a statement confirming its involvement with the Coalition for Responsible Sports Betting Advertising. The Coalition was touted as “a voluntary association of sports leagues and media entities committed to doing their part to help ensure a responsible approach to sports betting advertising.”.
Consisting of the National Football League, Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer, NASCAR, National Basketball Association, Women’s National Basketball Association, National Hockey League, NBCUniversal, and FOX, the Coalition “has committed to implement and maintain consumer protection policies consistent with the following six principles:”
- Sports Betting Should be Marketed Only to Adults of Legal Betting Age
- Sports Betting Advertising Should Not Promote Irresponsible or Excessive Gambling or Degrade the Consumer Experience
- Sports Betting Advertisements Should Not Be Misleading
- Sports Betting Advertisements Should Be In Good Taste
- Publishers Should Have Appropriate Internal Reviews of Sports Betting Advertising
- Publishers Should Review Consumer Complaints Pertaining to Sports Betting Advertising
Two days later, the NFL had another press release to put out. It involved the suspension of five players for various violations of the league’s gambling policy.
Quintez Cephus and C.J. Moore of the Detroit Lions, and Shaka Toney of the Washington Commanders, are suspended indefinitely through at least the conclusion of the 2023 season for betting on NFL games in the 2022 season. These players may petition for reinstatement at the conclusion of the 2023 season.
Stanley Berryhill and Jameson Williams of the Lions are suspended for the team’s first six regular season games of the 2023 season. These players are eligible to participate in all offseason and preseason activities, including preseason games. The suspensions will take effect at the final roster cutdown.
The gambling policy, which is annually reviewed with all NFL personnel, including players, prohibits anyone in the NFL from engaging in any form of gambling in any club or league facility or venue, including the practice facility.
A league review uncovered no evidence indicating any inside information was used or that any game was compromised in any way.
“As a result of an NFL investigation, it came to our attention that a few of our players had violated the league’s gambling policy,” Lions general manager Brad Holmes said in a statement. “These players exhibited decision making that is not consistent with our organizational values and violates league rules. We have made the decision to part ways with Quintez and C.J. immediately. We are disappointed by the decision making demonstrated by Stanley and Jameson and will work with both players to ensure they understand the severity of these violations and have clarity on the league rules moving forward.”
Williams’ representatives released his own statement, detailing the specifics of the violation.
According to a report by ESPN.com’s Eric Woodyard, several members of the Lions’ staff were dismissed in March for violations of league gambling policy.
Add their names to the list started by former Falcons and current Jacksonville Jaguars receiver Calvin Ridley, who was given a year-long suspension in March, 2022, and you have quite the assembly of suspended players and fired staffers at a time when the NFL is moving at an accelerated rate to benefit as much as possible from the burgeoning sports betting market — especially through advertising revenue.
In August 2021, the league announced agreements with FOX Bet, BetMGM, PointsBet, and WynnBET to become Approved Sportsbook Operators for the 2021 NFL season. These agreements make all four operators eligible to purchase NFL in-game commercial units and other select NFL media inventory. This after announcing agreements with sportsbook partnerships with Caesars Entertainment, DraftKings and FanDuel that April.
“We are pleased to announce this select group as Approved Sportsbook Operators,” said Nana-Yaw Asamoah, Vice President of Business Development for the NFL. “Along with our three Official Sports Betting Partners, this group of operators will help the League to engage fans in responsible and innovative ways this season as the sports betting landscape continues to evolve.”
Put simply, the NFL is trying to generate as much money as possible from these partnerships, with the obvious understanding that they can’t put a stink on the league from an integrity perspective.
When Pete Rozelle suspended Paul Hornung in 1963 for violations of the gambling policy, it was a very different world. Any hint of gambling brought an ardent and attendant fear that professional football would be overrun by those looking to compromise the purity of competition, Packers head coach Vince Lombardi told Hornung to “stay at the foot of the cross.” Hornung was not asked to do so at a time when the NFL had removed the cross, and replaced it with a sports book.
So, it is easy to assume that the NFL’s sudden and startling enforcement of these issues is a counter to the inevitable questions that come with these partnerships. The inverse example might be Major League Baseball, which was a cesspool of fixed plays and games in the late 1800s and early 1900s. When the Black Sox were banned for life after fixing the 1919 World Series, new Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis exacted such a harsh punishment because he wanted there to be no question about the game’s aboveboard status.
It didn’t quite go that way (ask Pete Rose about it), but the perception beat reality for a long time.
Similarly, the NFL is looking to balance a heavy involvement with gambling while putting forth a perception of purity. And if it has to sacrifice its own people, no matter how large or small the infraction, it appears to be perfectly comfortable in doing just that.
