Jones hits out at gambling rules
New England Patriots’ star Jonathan Jones has hit back at the NFL following the league’s recent gambling suspension.
Jones called the league out via Twitter last Thursday as indefinite suspensions were handed out to Isaiah Rodgers and Rashon Berry of Indianapolis Colts and free agent Demetrius Taylor over gambling violations
Two-time Super Bowl winner Jones tweeted:
“I understand rules are rules, But I can risk my life so that my team wins but I can’t risk 1k on my team winning,”
The three players placed bets on NFL games during the 2022 season. Nicholas Petit-Frere, offensive tackle for the Tennessee Titans, was hit with a six game suspension after betting on non-NFL games from the team facility.
Since the NFL published six key rules on gambling there has been a lot of confusion as to why gambling on other sports was banned from team premises. However, Jones has now questioned why it is illegal to bet on your own team winning.
Suspensions Follow Release of Key Rules
Earlier this month, the NFL announced that it is reinforcing its gambling rules and making it a requirement for rookies to attend education sessions of the league’s gambling policies.
The key rules are as follows:
1. Don’t bet on the NFL
2. Don’t gamble at your team facility, while traveling for a road game or staying at a team hotel
3. Don’t have someone bet for you
4. Don’t share team ‘inside information’
5. Don’t enter a sportsbook during the NFL playing season
6. Don’t play daily fantasy football
One point which is confusing is why players are able to bet on other sports during their time away from the facility, as per the aforementioned conditions, and yet other league and team personnel – including staff and coaches – cannot.
Then, there is the issue wherein sports gambling is illegal in three states — Florida, Texas and California — which eight franchises reside; Jacksonville, Miami, Tampa Bay, Houston, Dallas, San Francisco, along with LA’s Rams and Chargers.
The NFL has emphasised its commitment to educating players following recent violations:
NFL executive vice president Jeff Miller stated:
‘Sports gambling has a great deal more presence in people’s lives than it did just a few short years ago,’
‘Which means for us as [a] sports league — where integrity of the game is the highest single principle — that we have to be thoughtful and careful and scrutinise how we share information and educate people around the rules that govern it.’
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