ESPN has banned reporters and team insiders from placing bets on the new ESPN BET platform as it seeks to uphold the integrity of its editorial output.
The company sent out communications to staff ahead of the launch of ESPN BET tomorrow in which it placed several restrictions to ensure the integrity of both the sportsbook and its journalism.
ESPN has told staff that they may not use any non-public information they have obtained via their work, such as injuries or team news, to place bets. Staff also cannot bet on any games that they are assigned to report on or cover and this extends to journalists and production staff.
The guidelines also aim to prevent conflicts of interests, banning employees from “engaging in any betting-related activities that could call into question their or the company’s integrity” such as employees who have relationships with sports leagues and properties being banned from placing bets.
ESPN is also ensuring that its staff are cautious about placing special bets such as players signing with new teams, etc, if they have insider information. Those with insider information, the guidelines state, should not bet on those pieces of information they hold.
Finally, to uphold reporting integrity, staff are required to never withhold or delay the reporting of information with the intention of betting lines in mind. They must respect the boundaries between the ESPN brand and the Penn Entertainment trading teams that will operate the sportsbook.
A statement read: “At ESPN, we are dedicated to upholding the integrity of our brand and the events we broadcast. These sports betting guidelines establish the expected standards of behavior for our employees. They aim to define prohibited betting activities clearly and serve as a reference to ensure compliance.
“ESPN may place further sports betting restrictions on any employee at any time atin its sole discretion.”
