Following years of opposition to sports betting, leagues have shifted their position in an effort to shape US state and federal policy. They are now seeking a role as primary stakeholders in legal sports gambling and are aiming to profit from wagering via official data mandates, which have emerged as the preferred mechanism.
In the NFL, for example, anyone who works for a team or the league can’t place bets on any game while inside a stadium or at a team facility. The rule is spelled out in every player contract, and violating the code results in a one-year ban from the league. Players can make non-NFL bets, however.
The NHL hasn’t formally established a position on whether or how to regulate sports betting, but the governing body does have a statement posted in all locker rooms detailing that “Gambling on any NHL game is prohibited.” Similarly, anyone who plays for or works for a franchise cannot place bets on any NBA game while inside a team’s facilities or when they are on the road. That rule also applies to the WNBA, G-League and Basketball Africa League.
In addition to the above rules, MLB employees are also banned from betting on WBSC events. This includes any event in a multisport competition in which an employee is participating, such as the Olympics or a World Baseball Classic. Moreover, baseball personnel cannot offer or accept a bribe to fix a game or an event within a game, and they must report any attempt to do so.