Several after Nevada Rep. Dina Titus penned a letter to the league asking for more transparency in the gambling policy, the NFL has fired back asking Titus to do more to address offshore gambling.
Titus wrote the NFL in June setting a July 15 deadline for the league to provide a series of answers about how it handles gambling and its players and staff. The letter followed news that a growing number of players were being suspended for betting on NFL games.
The NFL penned a letter of its own, which was obtained by Sports Business Journal. Dated Aug. 4, the letter defends its gambling policy, noting:
“The NFL has a robust integrity and compliance program, designed to prevent and mitigate risk to game integrity. The program includes a comprehensive and straightforward Gambling Policy coupled with extensive education efforts including significant in-person training. As part of our annual, mandatory training program, this past season, we trained more than 17,000 players, coaches, gameday workers, club and league employees, and other personnel who are connected with the game.”
However, the letter, signed by NFL VP of Public Policy and Government Affairs Jonathan Nabavi also suggests it is Congress who should be doing more to protect game integrity.
“Congress and the federal government have a unique role to play in bringing enforcement actions against illegal operators,” the letter stated. “WE believe that additional attention and resources are needed from lawmakers and law-enforcement to address the illicit sports betting market, which still has the power of incumbency.”
The NFL’s letter even name-checked 2007’s Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) as an example Congress should emulate now.
The call from the league joins repeated requests from the American Gaming Association (AGA) for the federal government to do more about offshore operators.
