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According to a report from ESPN, a new wave of gambling-related suspensions could sweep across the NFL in the coming months.
As reported by David Purdum of ESPN, the National Football League is currently investigating an undisclosed number of gambling policy violations. At this time, however, no information about the alleged violations has been provided.
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. [via ESPN]
The report detailing a new wave of investigations comes just weeks after the league suspended five players, four of which play for the Detroit Lions, for violations of the league gambling policy: Quintez Cephus, C.J. Moore, Shaka Toney, Jameson Williams, and Stanley Berryhill.
According to the NFL’s official gambling policy, “personnel are strictly prohibited from participating in or facilitating any form of illegal or legal gambling.” This prohibits employees of the National Football League from betting on an NBA game in the middle of May, for example, even though it has nothing to do with their sport or league.
What makes the NFL’s position on the players participating in sports gambling, of course, is the league’s deep ties to the industry, as the NFL currently has primary partnerships with DraftKings, FanDuel, and Caesars and secondary deals with sports books such as BetMGM, WynnBET, Fox Bet and PointsBet. Given the rapid growth of sports betting in the United States, those partnerships will likely only strengthen in the coming years, putting the NFL further in bed with the sports books.
At this time, it is unclear when the league is expected to conclude its current investigation into alleged gambling policy violations.