Just weeks after suspending five players—mostly from the Detroit Lions—for gambling, the NFL will reportedly dig deeper to find more potential violations.
According to David Purdum of ESPN, the league will continue to crack down on this crucial issue, although there are still no clear guidelines as to how they’ll handle this situation.
Update: In the wake of 5 players being suspended in April, the NFL is now investigating a second wave of potential violations of its gambling policy, according to @DavidPurdum pic.twitter.com/HPtYY4DVHd
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) May 22, 2023
The NFL has made it clear that they won’t tolerate any player or staff member placing bets at team facilities or gambling on football games at all.
Former Atlanta Falcons star Calvin Ridley served a one-year suspension without a salary after the league found out that he bet on NFL games while away from the team.
Lions DB CJ Moore, WR Quintez Cephus, and Washington Commanders DE Shaka Toney were given similar suspensions, while Lions WRs Jameson Williams and Stanley Berryhill got a six-game suspension each for placing bets at team facilities.
Ironically, the league has recently embraced the sports betting industry now more than ever and continues to encourage it off the gridiron.
Analysts literally use gambling information on live broadcasts, and several stadiums operate with sportsbooks inside.
This might feel somewhat hypocritical, especially considering several players aren’t even betting on NFL games, but that’s a way to keep the integrity of the game and make sure there’s no conflict of interest.
The NFLPA reached out to players’ agents to let them know that the league can track the use of sports betting apps, so there’s pretty much nowhere to hide at this point.
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