Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn are delving into gambling-related misconduct across two professional sports leagues, prompting the NFL to take decisive action with its sportsbook partners to restrict specific prop bets on licensed platforms. In a memo shared with all 32 teams on Thursday, the league emphasized its commitment to collaborating with state legislators and regulators to restrict, and where feasible, entirely ban prop bets detrimental to the sport's integrity. The ongoing criminal investigation catalyzed this engagement, as the NFL seeks to review wagering options it considers harmful.
Particularly concerning to the league are props that can be directly influenced by individual player actions during specific plays. Examples include betting on a kicker's failure to make a field goal or predicting an incomplete pass.
"Our commercial agreements are regularly reviewed and updated to prohibit wagers that are tied to the kind of conduct that was identified in recent federal law enforcement activity," the NFL stated in the memo. "We maintain regular contact with state officials to ensure that these wagers are appropriately addressed."
The NFL outlined various categories of prop wagers warranting further examination, which include:
1. **Inherently objectionable props**: These bets are seen as inherently negative or inflammatory and typically concerned with player injuries, misconduct, or fan safety.
2. **Officiating-related bets**: The league seeks to impose restrictions on props related to officiating, such as wagers on penalties or officiating assignments.
3. **Pre-determined outcome props**: This category covers bets on outcomes directly controllable during games, like whether the first offensive play will be a run or a pass. The NFL has discouraged operators from taking bets on the starting quarterback for a week. A specific example mentioned involved a prop available on Polymarket, where users could bet on whether Shedeur Sanders would start a game this season. The NFL has previously expressed its disapproval of trading in prediction markets as "prohibited gambling activity."
On the college sports front, NCAA President Charlie Baker has been actively advocating for a nationwide ban on props involving student-athletes. He praised the NFL's recent actions to safeguard the integrity of the sport in light of the Thursday memo.
While the NFL reported engaging with several state regulators regarding these prop activities, it did not reveal specific state names. Sports betting is currently legal in over 35 states. Each state is tasked with formulating its own sports wagering catalog, which must be approved for specific prop bets. For instance, Colorado's Division of Gaming recently rejected a proposed wager about the length of any Super Bowl scoring drive compared to the national anthem but approved a bet on whether the first offensive play would result in a safety.
An anonymous state regulator expressed support for professional sports leagues taking steps to bolster the integrity of their betting products.
This NFL memo emerges amid a backdrop of gambling scandals that have rocked various US professional leagues. A federal probe in the Eastern District of New York has implicated over three dozen individuals in an illegal sports betting and poker investigation involving high-profile NBA players. Meanwhile, Cleveland Guardians pitcher Emmanuel Clase recently appeared in federal court relating to charges in a pitch-rigging scandal, alongside teammate Luis Ortiz, both of whom pleaded not guilty.
Since the Supreme Court's 2018 decision to lift PASPA's sports betting ban, the NFL has suspended several high-profile players, including Calvin Ridley, Jameson Williams, and Isaiah Rodgers Sr., for violations linked to sports wagering. "From the earliest days of legal sports betting, we have recognized the particular risks associated with prop bets and the corrosive effect they have on fan perceptions, league reputation, and the safety of players, club staff, and game officials," the NFL noted in its memo.
