How sportsbooks may have helped NFL discover players that were breaking its gambling rules

According to a report from ProFootballTalk, the NFLPA sent an email to agents warning them that it was the “highly sensitive” mobile apps from FanDuel and other sports betting companies that the league discovered the players who were using them at work in violation of the league’s rules, leading to multiple suspensions.

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Here is the memo obtained by PFT:

“I am sure all of you have seen the recent suspensions of players that resulted from violations of the NFL Gambling Policy (which is unilaterally imposed by the NFL and not collectively bargained). These recent violations involved players placing bets using mobile apps on their phone while at work or while traveling with their teams. This is a violation of the NFL’s Gambling Policy.

“During the NFL’s investigations we have learned that these apps (like FanDuel) are highly sensitive and very sophisticated at tracking, among other things, user location to be sure that the people using the app are not ‘prohibited gamblers’ and/or that the person using the app is in a location where they are allowed to place bets on the app. We have confirmed that some states monitor/audit FanDuel and the other gambling apps to ensure that the companies are in compliance with state law. Further the apps monitor gambler activity. It was as part of that monitoring that the NFL learned of the players using the apps at work in violation of NFL rules. At no time should players open or use any mobile gambling app while at work.”

Last month, the NFL suspended five players — four who played for the Detroit Lions last season — for violations of the league’s gambling policy.

The five players are Lions’ Jameson Williams, CJ Moore, Stanley Berryhill and Quintez Cephus, as well as the Washington Commanders’ Shaka Toney. Williams and Berryhill are suspended for six games, while Moore, Cephus and Toney — a former star at Penn State — are suspended indefinitely, but for at least one year, per Rapoport.

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Those suspended indefinitely were found to be betting on NFL games, while those suspended for six games placed bets on college football games while inside their team’s facilities, which is against the league’s policy, per Rapoport.

The Lions released Cephus and Moore shortly after the news was released.

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