NFL Players Union Concerned Over Last Week's House Hearing on Sports Betting Testimony
The NFL Players Association expressed concerns over last week’s hearing on legalized sports betting in the U.S.
David Purdam of ESPN reports that NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith doesn't see the National Football League doing enough to protect the integrity of games. The NFL is seeking a controversial "integrity fee" from sports wagering. Opponents claim such a fee amounts to little more than royalties for the professional sports leagues and will cut into gambling company profits.
"After the league's testimony [Thursday], I actually have more concerns about their ability to insure the integrity of the game than ever," Smith said.
The NFLPA has approached the league to work together on the sports betting issue, according to Smith, but to date has had little cooperation.
"If they're not willing to work with the players as partners in this, my concern is that once the 'integrity genie' is out of the bottle it's going to be impossible to get it back in," Smith said.
In addition to the integrity fees, the NFL also wants sportsbook operators to utilize official league data when grading wagers and to consult with the league as to what types of wagers can be offered.
The NFL has also updated its gambling policy to distinguish between sports betting and fantasy sports.
"When it comes to integrity, I'm not sure we should be splitting hairs whether we call something fantasy or legalized sports gambling," Smith said. "So why would we draw an artificial distinction between the two and say one is betting and one is not?"
Currently, individual states are left to determine their own laws when it comes to sports wagering following a May ruling by the US Supreme Court that struck down decades long prohibition. Only New Jersey, Delaware, Mississippi and West Virginia have legalized sports betting since the decision.
