David Purdum, ESPN
Regulated sports betting is spreading rapidly around the nation, and the NFL is trying to stay ahead of potential problems with increased monitoring and education, while hoping stiff penalties act as a deterrent. Recent events suggest the enhanced measures are warranted.
In the wake of five players being suspended in April, the NFL is investigating a second wave of potential violations of its gambling policy, multiple sources told ESPN. The uptick in gambling-related issues comes five years after a landmark ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court.
On May 14, 2018, the Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), the federal statute that restricted regulated sports betting to primarily Nevada since 1992. The NFL was a plaintiff in the case and had fought to stop the spread of betting for more than two decades, but it pivoted after losing in the Supreme Court.
In the past five years, the NFL has embraced the new landscape, including allowing players to bet on sports other than the NFL.
Thirty-three states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico have launched legal betting markets, with regulated sportsbooks in the U.S. handling more than $220 billion in wagers since 2018, according to the American Gaming Association. The NFL has three official sportsbook partners — Caesars, DraftKings and FanDuel — and allows sportsbooks to operate at league stadiums. Point spreads and odds that used to be off-limits are now integrated into pregame shows and media coverage, and commercials for sportsbooks are shown frequently during NFL games. With betting menus growing rapidly, there is money on the line on practically every play.
And as opportunities grow, so too does the potential for violations.
Seven NFL players, at least one assistant coach and an undisclosed number of team employees have been found to have violated the league’s gambling policy in the past five years. Former Detroit Lions receiver Quintez Cephus, former Lions safety C.J. Moore and former Washington Commanders defensive end Shaka Toney were suspended in April for at least one year for allegedly betting on the NFL. The same penalty was levied against Jacksonville Jaguars receiver Calvin Ridley in 2022, when he was with the Atlanta Falcons, and former Arizona Cardinals defensive back Josh Shaw in 2019.
Also in April, Lions receivers Stanley Berryhill and Jameson Williams were suspended for six games for allegedly placing bets — not on NFL games — while at a team facility. And in December, New York Jets receivers coach Miles Austin was suspended by the league for, according to his legal representation, “wagering on table games and non-NFL professional sports.”
Rest is here…
