Gambling Violations Continue to Haunt The NFL | OSB
NFL News: More Players Facing Suspension For Gambling Violations
By Sam Batz
Reports surrounding NFL players and their gambling activities continue to flood the news. The more recent infraction came out today, as ESPN announced that Indianapolis Colts Cornerback, Isaiah Rogers, along with a handful of other players, are expected to receive a season-long suspensions in the coming weeks. The suspensions come after an investigation into player misconduct and violations of the NFL’s gambling policy.
The coming suspensions are not the first, but they come at a time of heightened awareness and sensitivity to the issue of sports gambling among professional athletes. 5 NFL players have already faced consequences for violating the league’s gambling policy, and it was reported earlier this month that an unnamed NFL player lost an outlandish $8 million in one season due to his gambling activities. That report did not state whether or not the gambling losses were due to sports betting, but the recent reports coming down about Colts CB Isaish Rogers claim that the 25-year old was allegedly betting on his own teams matchups.
Rodgers released a statement on social media, which reads eerily close to a confession. Rodgers says “I take full responsibility for my actions…”, and goes on to say, “I know I have made mistakes and I am willing to do whatever it takes to repair the situation.” The investigation is still underway and we won’t know for sure what the future holds for Rodgers, but based on the situations and his statement, it appears that the 25-year old CB is facing a serious suspension.
Many will remember Calvin Ridley’s year-long suspension from the Atlanta Falcons in 2022 following reports that the wideout violated league policy by betting on NFL games. That kicked off a wave of investigations, which has now resulted in a cascade of disciplinary actions for players caught violating the NFL’s sports gambling policy. The NFL has decided to reinforce said policies by sending officials to make in-person visits to team facilities to “emphasize and clarify what activities are prohibited.”
Here is a list of the six “key rules” the league wishes to impart on it’s players in order to avoid further incident:
- Don’t bet on the NFL.
- Don’t Gamble at team facilities, while traveling for road games, or staying at a team hotel.
- Don’t have someone bet for you.
- Don’t share team “inside information”.
- Don’t enter a sportsbook during the NFL playing season.
- Don’t play daily fantasy football.
Legal sports betting, which the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of in 2018, has exploded in recent years. It’s been reported that 56% of Americans now live in a state where sports betting is permitted, and as of May 2023, an estimated 39.2 million American adults have placed a sports bet in the past 12 months. The revenue stream coming from sportsbook companies has also exploded. In 2022, sportsbooks spent an estimated $314.6 million on TV commercials, an increase of $293.2 million from 2019. With that kind of money coming in, it’s unlikely professional sports leagues in America will fight to remove the laws surrounding sports betting, but they do need to regulate their athletes’ activities in order to preserve the integrity of their respective sports.
Regarding the NFL, Isaiah Rodgers is just the latest player to be caught with his hand in the proverbial cookie jar. However, investigators are ramping up their efforts to single out violators, meaning Rodgers is likely not the last player we’ll hear of. In order to discourage any future involvement with sports betting, harsh penalties are likely to be dulled out to those who violate the NFL’s gambling policies. The problem is, whenever there’s big money to be made, there will always be those who are enticed by the spider’s web. Fortunately, the web is getting stickier, and those who chose to skirt the NFL’s stringent gambling policies are likely to be caught, tried, and punished accordingly for their actions.
