The NFL said Monday that no players were suspended for violating the league’s gambling policy during the 2024 season, a notable reversal from the 10 player suspensions the year prior. League officials attributed the drop to more direct education and clearer messaging delivered before the 2025 season, while emphasizing that the underlying rules have not changed.
Ahead of training camp, every club opened with a head-coach–led session on gambling policies, supplemented by visits from former players who described real-world pitfalls. The league reiterated two central directives: players may not bet on NFL games under any circumstance, and they may not gamble in any form while “on the clock,” including at team facilities and during team travel. The policy also bars all NFL personnel from participating in daily fantasy football and from sharing non-public or “inside” information with anyone.
Officials said the expansion of legal sports wagering has created new avenues for player harassment tied to bets and outcomes. Jeff Miller, the NFL’s executive vice president for player health and safety, said league security continuously monitors threats, including on social media, coordinates with local law enforcement and team security, and can ban offenders from stadiums. Depending on the severity of conduct, the league may also pursue criminal referrals. “It’s a very real-world issue, and it’s one we take with the most seriousness,” Miller said.
The NFL is also sharpening its focus on fast-growing prediction markets, naming Kalshi and Polymarket as platforms that, in the league’s view, closely resemble sports betting but do not yet operate under the same regulatory guardrails as licensed sportsbooks. David Highhill, the league’s vice president of sports betting, said players are prohibited from using these platforms and warned that if prediction markets are not properly regulated, they could be susceptible to manipulation. Kalshi has faced cease-and-desist actions in several jurisdictions where sports betting is legal, underscoring the unsettled terrain the NFL is watching.
After a spate of suspensions in 2023, the league’s strategy now leans on repetition, clarity, and enforcement visibility: standardized briefings in camp, regular reminders during the season, and quick investigative follow-through when threats or violations arise. While the policy itself remains unchanged entering 2025, officials indicated they are prepared to refine guidance as new products and markets emerge.
For fans and stakeholders, the message is twofold: the NFL is aiming to safeguard competitive integrity and player safety in an era of ubiquitous wagering, and the league expects its workforce to steer clear not only of NFL bets but also of any gambling activity during work time and of prediction markets entirely. The clean suspension slate from 2024 is held up as evidence that consistent education, paired with clear rules and active enforcement, can move behavior in the right direction—though the league acknowledges the environment is evolving and vigilance will remain essential.
