NFL gambling rules

The National Football League (NFL) has strict rules about gambling by insiders, and while these rules are not restrictive in the sense that they fully prevent people who are associated with the league from placing a wager, they are applied indiscriminately and painstakingly enforced.

The NFL gambling rules essentially prevent players, coaches, and staff from placing a wager on the outcomes of NFL games, going further to explain outside cases, and ensuring that everyone covered by the rules understands how they work in practice.

What are the current NFL gambling rules?

The current NFL gambling rules are simple enough and can be summed up in six key points as outlined by the league.

1. Insiders may not bet on the NFL

They essentially prohibit NFL insiders from betting on the sport itself. This is considered the cardinal sin in the NFL and is treated very seriously by the league, often tying in additional investigators from state regulators, law enforcement and the judiciary.

Players such as C.J. Moore, Calvin Ridley, Quintez Cephus and Shaka Toney were suspended indefinitely because they ended up placing bets on actual league games.

2. Don’t bet on the job

This rule specifically prohibits players from gambling from a team’s facility or when staying at a team hotel. The rule has been implemented in response to earlier staff or player behavior, with the idea of avoiding confusion and ensuring the integrity of the game.

Detroit Lions wide receivers Jameson Williams and Stanley Berryhill III were suspended because they were betting on sports while traveling with the team. Each received six-game suspensions.

3. No proxy betting

The NFL gambling rules explicitly prohibit proxy betting, i.e., asking someone to bet on your behalf when you are working for the league. There are very few instances of this offense ever taking place within the NFL, which is a good thing.

Proxy betting may, in fact, suspend a player indefinitely from the league, which is in line with the league’s determination to punish such offenses harshly.

4. Do not share non-publicly available information

The NFL equally prohibits the sharing of insider, non-publicly available information with third parties.

Arizona Cardinals director of college scouting Ryan Gold was recently suspended over his alleged breach of this specific rule. Gold is accused of sharing sensitive information with a sports bettor and is now reportedly facing further probes from regulators in Arizona and Massachusetts.

5. Sportsbooks are off-limits during the regular season

This is admittedly the toughest policy for NFL players and other staff to keep, as sportsbooks are often in the vicinity of hotels and casinos most teams are staying. This creates challenges in itself, but NFL insiders have learned to navigate them.

6. No fantasy football allowed

Since fantasy football still taps into real-world knowledge about the NFL, it is on the league’s prohibited list of activities. Insiders must not, in any capacity, register or play at DFS websites.

Who is subject to the NFL gambling rules?

The NFL gambling rules apply to essentially anyone who may be associated with the league in a capacity that could lead to insider information being shared with the public or specific circles that would use that information exclusively for gambling purposes. As such, this includes:

• Players
• Coaches
• Team staff and personnel
• Club and league employees
• Any third party in a position to share insider information

NFL gambling rules in the age of prediction markets

Prediction markets are now driving nearly all of their revenue from sports event contracts, which has created a separate area of concern for the NFL. Kalshi and Polymarket have also recently expanded into parlay event contracts, further incentivizing sports fans to choose these platforms.

The NFL has kept up with these changes, however, explicitly prohibiting insiders from engaging with any sort of platform that "mimics sports betting," and explicitly naming prediction markets. NFL’s VP and Chief Compliance Officer, Sabrina Perel, has not minced words in describing prediction markets:

"Our view is that these platforms mimic sports betting, and that they are covered as prohibited conduct under our policy… That would be for all of our personnel, and now we're educating on this point as well, specifically stating that engaging in these platforms would be prohibited under the policy."

The NFL has also raised concerns about the legality of these platforms, citing the ongoing clash between state gaming regulators and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission-regulated exchanges.

Another concern cited by the NFL is that, in the lack of proper regulation, in the league’s view at least, prediction markets and other sports betting-adjacent platforms may be easily manipulated.

There have already been examples of this type of behavior happening, but at the same time, Polymarket and Kalshi have consistently flagged market manipulation, although no NFL case has been brought up by the platforms.

What are the penalties for NFL gambling rules breaches?

The penalties for players, staffers, or other insiders who breach the NFL’s gambling rules will vary in severity, but they may include permanent bans, temporary suspensions, bans, and even criminal proceedings opened by the relevant authorities.

The penalties are tiered, meaning that the punishment will be based on the type of violation committed, with several key types of offenses, such as:

• Betting on NFL games
• Betting on non-NFL sports while on team facility or traveling with the team
• Sharing confidential non-publicly available information
• Attempting to fix a game through a player’s performance

Note that the NFL reviews each case separately, and the outcome could be very different in terms of what punishment is allocated even within the same category.

NFL Gambling Rules FAQs

Can NFL players bet on NFL games?

No, it is absolutely prohibited for an NFL player to bet on NFL games either personally or through a third-party.

Can NFL players bet on other sports?

Yes, an NFL player can, in fact, bet on other sports if they want to. The league does not prohibit betting itself, but puts strict rules as to when a player can bet on such events.

Is it true NFL players may not enter sportsbooks during the season?

Yes, this is absolutely true. Even though NFL players are allowed to use mobile wagering when they are not traveling with their teams or at team facilities, they are prohibited from entering sportsbooks during the regular season.

Can NFL players share any inside information with the public?

No, it is absolutely prohibited to share any nonpublic information with the public. Such behavior could lead to suspensions and even permanent bans from the league.

Do NFL gambling rules differ based on state?

No, the NFL applies its gambling rules universally and enforces them with the same consistency across state borders.