NFL Sued for Barring Players from Charity Casino Event

The NFL is so against gambling that they don’t even want their players participating in charity casino events. But one charity is now suing the NFL for this stance, claiming that it cost them money.

Strides for Kids has launched a lawsuit after having to move their casino fundraiser because Chicago Bears receiver Alshon Jeffrey, Buffalo Bills receiver Sammy Watkins and Denver Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib were not allowed to be in the casino.

According to ProFootballTalk, the charity wants the NFL to pay costs incurred from moving the event from a casino to another venue. Strides for Kids reports that the NFL gave them a $5,000 donation for “hush money.”

The charity’s lawsuit accuses the NFL of being inconsistent in how they enforce rules surrounding casino gambling. They also claim that the NFL has let other players appear in casino events, but they stood in the way of the one that Strides for Kids wanted to hold.

Players themselves have been angered over the NFL’s stance against gambling too.

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo wasn’t allowed to have a fantasy football convention in 2015 because it was too close to the Venetian Casino.

This move was criticized because the NFL has made millions of dollars off advertising deals with leading daily fantasy sports sites like DraftKings and FanDuel.

After the Romo incident, the NFL released a list of types of gambling that are acceptable for players. The league said that players can visit “legally-operated casinos and horse or dog racing tracks.” They added what Romo was going to do could “be perceived as constituting affiliation with or endorsement of gambling or gambling-related activities.”

The most-recent issue surrounding the NFL and gambling is the Oakland Raiders desire to move to Las Vegas. Owner Mark Davis wants a new stadium and thinks that Vegas could offer it to his franchise.

Questions have persisted, though, on whether the NFL would approve such a move. After all, they fought New Jersey on their desire to legalize sports betting because the New York Giants and New York Jets play in Meadowlands, NJ. Given that Las Vegas is full of sportsbooks, it’s not hard to think that the league could be leery about putting a team in Sin City.

But with multiple owners interested in hearing what Davis has to say, the Raiders’ move to Vegas is still a possibility.