NFL releases stunning data about its players and gambling
No NFL players were suspended for violating the league’s gambling policy during the 2024 season, a decrease from the ten who were handed suspensions for doing so the season prior, the league said on Monday.
During training camp, the league said it told its teams: No betting on the NFL and no gambling of any kind when they are on the clock (at the team facility or traveling with the team, for example).
Every team had its head coach kick off the training session this year, with former players also making trips for the education sessions, the NFL said. The policy, which bars all NFL personnel from playing daily fantasy football, or sharing inside information with anyone, remained unchanged heading into the 2025 season.
The legalization of sports betting has also opened up an entirely new avenue for athletes to be harassed, both in person and online, the league said. NFL security is constantly monitoring threats, including over social media, executive vice president for player health and safety Jeff Miller said, and engages with either local law enforcement or the team’s security apparatus to pursue any leads. The harasser is banned from NFL stadiums and is subject to prosecution depending on the nature of the act.
‘It’s a very real-world issue,’ Miller said, ‘and it’s one we take with the most seriousness.’
NFL says prediction markets Kalshi, Polymarket ‘mimic’ sports betting
Prediction markets – such as Kalshi – are the next frontier for the league to assess, according to David Highhill, the NFL’s vice president of sports betting. Highhill went so far to say the prediction markets ‘mimic’ sports betting. Sportsbooks are subject to a robust set of regulations, such as using official league data and responsible betting tools, which do not yet pertain to those products. Players are prohibited from using those platforms.
‘For us, we’re concerned that if these markets aren’t properly regulated, they could be susceptible to manipulation,’ he said.
Kalshi has been subject to cease-and-desist orders from several states where sports betting is legal.
