Protecting Game Integrity

The NFL sent a memo to team officials Thursday outlining prop bet restrictions with its betting partners in the wake of federal investigations that have brought criminal charges against members of the NBA and MLB regarding integrity-threatening gambling scandals.

The NFL's memo states that the league has worked with state lawmakers, regulators and sports betting partners to limit and, where possible, prohibit prop bets in the NFL. "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 memo reads, via NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, "and we maintain regular contact with state officials to ensure that these wagers are appropriately addressed."

Prohibited Wager Categories

Also in the memo are prohibited wager categories, which the league describes as such:

  • Inherently Objectionable: Markets or bets that are inherently or designed to be derogatory or inflammatory, or otherwise based on subject matter against public policy (e.g., player injuries, fan safety, misconduct, etc.).
  • Officiating-Related: Markets or bets based on officials or officiating (e.g., officiating assignments, penalties, replays, etc.).
  • Determinable by One Person in One Play: Based on outcomes 100% determinable by one person in one play (e.g., kicker to miss FG attempt, QB’s first pass to be incomplete, etc.).
  • Pre-Determined: Pre-determined outcomes directly related to on-field competition (e.g., Will QB start this week? Will team’s first play from scrimmage be a run or pass, etc.).

ESPN's David Purdum reported Thursday, however, that no significant changes to current NFL betting menus are expected at sportsbooks. In other words, the prop bets outlined above mostly pertain to types of wagers the league has already made clear it doesn't want sportsbooks to offer, according to Purdum.

Reaction from the NCAA

NCAA president Charlie Baker chimed in on the NFL's memo Thursday evening. "Very glad to see the NFL take this issue on," he wrote on X. "The NCAA has been working to put an end [to] prop bets for two years. They’re integrity risks and lead to abusive behavior toward student-athletes."

NFL's Recent Enforcement of its Gambling Policy

Notably, the NFL suspended five players for gambling violations in 2023, including Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams. Williams was one of four Lions players punished, although he was the only one not to be released in the aftermath of the off-field drama. Williams wound up serving a six-game suspension for betting on college football games while at the Lions' facility.

Fellow NFL wideout Calvin Ridley, then with the Atlanta Falcons, was suspended the entire 2022 season for betting on NFL games in 2021. It was reported that Ridley placed wagers on a series of parlays that included other sports but also Falcons games. He was playing for the Falcons that season but was away from the team when he reportedly bet on games.

The Timing of Thursday's Memo

The NFL's memo Thursday arrives less than a month after NBA guard Terry Rozier was among more than 30 people arrested by the FBI as part of two separate illegal gambling-related cases. He was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering. Prior to a March 2023 game in which he played just over nine minutes for the Charlotte Hornets, Rozier is alleged to have shared inside information about his early exit, allegedly leading to his co-conspirator bettors wagering more than $200,000 on his under prop bets, according to investigators.

In the last week, Cleveland Guardians pitchers Luis Ortiz and Emmanuel Clase have been arrested. They've been indicted on several charges, such as conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery and money laundering conspiracy. The Department of Justice alleges the pitchers intentionally threw outside the zone so their co-conspirators could win prop bets. Clase, who prosecutors say had been conspiring since May 2023, has helped his co-conspirators make at least $400,000 from the scheme, according to the DOJ.