The legal sports betting landscape is rapidly changing after the Supreme Court struck down PASPA in 2018. Colorado, which voted in favor of sports wagering in 2019, launched its retail and online offerings in May 2020. DraftKings, FanDuel, and BetRivers are among the online bookmakers that now accept bets from residents in the state. Connecticut also rolled out sports wagering in 2021, with the launch of online and mobile sportsbooks led by DraftKings. New Hampshire became the third state to offer sports betting after a legislative compromise allowed sportsbooks to open in December 2019. New Mexico, Tennessee, Virginia, and Iowa followed suit with the introduction of their respective sportsbooks.
The NFL has strict rules in place to prevent any type of gambling activity by its players and employees. The league partners with regulators, sportsbooks, and independent integrity monitors to enforce its policies. Players who are found to bet against their team or place bets while at a team or league facility risk a minimum one-year suspension. The same penalty is imposed if a player offers or receives anything of value in exchange for betting on a game or event. Anyone permanently banned from the league is barred from the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Purdum believes that if the NFL and other sports leagues had known what they were in for when PASPA was struck down, they might have been more proactive in their efforts to keep gambling off the field. Today, the NFL has a more hands-on approach, working closely with regulators and sportsbooks to ensure its policy is being enforced.