The National Football League said Thursday that it has not suspended any players for gambling violations since Super Bowl LVIII in February.
The league also released an updated gambling policy for players and team personnel. The quiet offseason regarding discipline for violating league rules follows a turbulent 2023 in which 10 players received bans of varying lengths, most notably then-Indianapolis Colts cornerback Isaiah Rodgers Jr. and Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams, the 12th overall pick in the 2022 draft.
Rodgers, who was cut by the Colts in late April 2023 after it was announced he violated league policy, was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles last August and served a one-year suspension. He was reinstated by the league in April. Williams, who had a six-game suspension reduced to four games, finished with 24 catches for 354 yards and two touchdowns in 2023.
The updated policy largely reinforces the do's and dont's of wagering activity — most notably never betting on the NFL in any form. It also bans gambling of any type — including card games, sports betting and casino games — at a team facility or stadium, while traveling for a road game or while at a team hotel.
The #NFL released an updated gambling policy for the 2024-25 season on Thurs. There have been no player/coach suspensions for violations of the gambling policy since the Super Bowl, an NFL spokesperson told SH. The NFL will hold the #SuperBowl this Feb at the Caesars Superdome pic.twitter.com/9gqMY6Qf33
— Sports Handle (@sports_handle) August 22, 2024
Every Team Now Has Integrity Rep
The league also announced that every team has an NFL Integrity Representative, a position staffed by what it calls "retired FBI/Executive Level police officers."
Their primary tasks are to monitor for suspicious activity onsite on gamedays, support investigations related to violations of league gambling policies and serve as an additional resource for gambling and integrity-related questions.
The NFL expanded its in-person gambling policy education to mandate attendance for both players and rookies to reinforce two key rules: never betting on NFL games and to engaging in no gambling of any type while serving in a team capacity. Players must also sign and acknowledge that they have received the player manual that includes the gambling policy.
Educational sessions are usually led by a member of the NFL's compliance team and a team's head of player engagement. There have been occasions where former players have taken on the latter role, with the league citing Will Shields as an example in his capacity with the Kansas City Chiefs.
The league noted it has two external third-party monitors — Genius Sports and IC360 — that review odds, betting line movement and wagering activity that may indicate "game manipulation or a "leak of non-public information." It also continues to work directly with its sports betting partners for additional integrity monitoring.
Matt Rybaltowski contributed to this report.
