Here's what Types of Gambling NFL Players can enjoy

The National Football League has never been a huge fan of gambling, having fought sports betting to the teeth. But the NFL has recently been forced to redefine standards for what forms of gambling their players can enjoy after a fiasco involving Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo.

The 4-time Pro Bowler was set to hold a fantasy football convention on the property of a Las Vegas casino. However, the league told him that this was against the rules due to the casino’s involvement. Since this incident, the NFL has dealt with similar matters involving other players. All of this has fans wondering just what exactly the rules are regarding players and different types of gambling.

Obviously pro football players can’t engage in sports gambling of any kind, since it could potentially lead to a player throwing a game. But are they not allowed to have any involvement with casinos, or even enter them at all?

As Pro Football Talk explains, the NFL isn’t this strict on players when it comes to gambling. They can visit “legally-operated casinos and horse or dog racing tracks” and bet money on the action.

The issue at hand with Romo and others is when players get into deals that “can be perceived as constituting affiliation with or endorsement of gambling or gambling-related activities.” So if a player holds an event on casino property, whether it be a fantasy football convention of just a car show, they are violating the rules.

In fact, this rule actually appears in the NFL handbook that players receive at the start of every season. Many may choose to ignore this handbook or lightly read over it, but regardless, they are responsible for adhering to the rules.

It’s almost a surprise that the NFL lets their players frequent casinos and race tracks, given their staunch opposition to sports betting. They have led the charge since the 1990 Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA). When New Jersey recently tried to challenge this law, the NFL was right there alongside the MLB, NBA and NHL opposing this matter. It is the NFL’s long-held belief that if sports betting is allowed in a market with professional football teams, then players could be coerced into throwing contests in exchange for monetary compensation.