NFL Gambling Hypocrisy Grows as Teams Partner with Lotteries
While the National Football League continues to actively oppose Barney Frank's online gambling bill, even after he left sports betting illegal, the league is also busy signing gambling partnerships for profit. A Wednesday vote to allow teams to deal with state lotteries was quickly followed by announced contracts, the first being the New England Patriots licensing the Massachusetts lottery to use its name and logo.
The NFL has been as firm and powerful opponent as gaming advocates have faced, yet a few dollars in profit seems to have reversed long-held league positions on gambling... at least, as far as the lottery goes.
The decision to let teams partner with lotteries quickly led to consummated deals for the Patriots and Washington Redskins, with the Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers negotiating frantically with Pennsylvania.
"It's not a casino where you can wager on outcomes of games. It's a scratch ticket that you're plying for an opportunity to win dollars and various prizes," said Stacey James, a spokesman for the Patriots. This did not explain the total rejection of the Frank bill, which does not permit wagering on games.
The NFL is also involved in a court action to stop Delaware's lottery from instituting sports betting. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has blasted both the Delaware move and the Frank bill, saying the league is against all increased gambling.
"This (lottery licensing) would purely be scratch-off and chance games. They are not in any way connected to the outcome of our games. That is a critical feature for us," said Goodell now, apparently deciding gambling not involving football that pays him is fine.
