NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said last week he has not “felt” the negative perception surrounding legal sports betting.
The NFL has business relationships with seven sportsbook partners. However, when asked on the Pat McAfee Show at the NFL Draft whether it has gotten “louder” at the league office given increased sports betting concerns about officiating and chatter about games being scripted, Goodell said that was not the case.
“I haven’t felt that at all,” Goodell said.
NFL betting stance changes
Goodell previously took a different stance on sports betting, repeatedly stating the league’s opposition.
However, times have changed after PASPA, Goodell said. Goodell also cited the ability of the legal market to catch wrongdoers.
“We didn’t support making it legal,” Goodell said. “The Supreme Court made the decision. We’ve got to adjust to that. And when we did, you do have to be partnering with some of these partners, because they actually give us access to information that can detect something before it really becomes a problem. And so we get a lot of information by being involved there. People think that’s, you know, conflicting with our previous position but we just have to adjust to whatever the law is. That’s the way it works.”
Goodell: Integrity is paramount
In 2021, the NFL reached a five-year deal worth nearly $1 billion combined with DraftKings Sportsbook, FanDuel Sportsbook and Caesars Sportsbook.
The league last season increased the punishment for players who wager on their own team after a handful of players were found to be betting in violation of league rules.
“If people think there’s an influence on the game other than the players on that field, we’re in trouble,” Goodell said.
NFL players reinstated following bans
The league just recently reinstated six players who were suspended for violating the NFL gambling policy.
Isaiah Rodgers was not among the first wave before being reinstated himself later that week.
In February, Goodell said 25 club or league employees were punished for violating the gambling policy.
