NFL commissioner Roger Goodell doubled down on that message Monday at his press conference for the first-ever Super Bowl in the U.S. gambling capital, Las Vegas. Goodell said protecting the NFL’s integrity is his top priority regardless of the host city for the league’s marquee event.
“It’s our number one objective,” Goodell said. “This is true, gambling and outside of gambling, the integrity of our game is critical. And so we spend a lot of time focusing on that, educating, making sure that all of our personnel are aware of our gambling policies in this case. Or any other policies that can affect the integrity of our game.”
The league is forbidding players participating in the Super Bowl from any form of gambling in Las Vegas and even made sure to put the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs in Lake Las Vegas hotels 25 miles from the strip, presumably to minimize the lure.
“This week coming in here, we wanted to make sure that — not just the two teams, but every other club will likely have representatives here — we wanted to make sure they understood it, our league staff and everyone else. So, they understood exactly what the policies were,” Goodell said. “And they all understand the importance of it. We clarified the policy earlier this year, and it was to put the importance for our players that betting on NFL games, or inside information, or anything that would negatively impact the integrity of our game is absolutely off limits.”
Several players were suspended over the offseason for violating the league’s rules on sports betting, which sparked conversations around whether the policy was clear enough. The league responded with a campaign to make the policy more public and straightforward, but not before at least 10 players were suspended ahead of the 2023 season. The league updated the policy in September to make punishments harsher for players who bet on their own teams and other NFL games.
Gannett may earn revenue from sports betting operators for audience referrals to betting services. Sports betting operators have no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. Terms apply, see operator site for Terms and Conditions. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, help is available. Call the National Council on Problem Gambling 24/7 at 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ, OH), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN). Must be 21 or older to gamble. Sports betting and gambling are not legal in all locations. Be sure to comply with laws applicable where you reside.
Article Appeared @https://ftw.usatoday.com/2024/02/roger-goodell-integrity-nfl-gambling-vegas-super-bowl-2024