Published on: November 13, 2025, 06:32h.
Updated on: November 13, 2025, 06:32h.
- Communication from the league sent out to team representatives
- NFL defines unacceptable wager categories alongside sports betting partners and regulators
- Recent betting scandals involving MLB, NBA, and UFC
Taking inspiration from MLB guidelines, the NFL is also implementing restrictions on prop bets.
According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, the league has circulated a memo to team officials stating that it has collaborated with lawmakers, regulators, and sports betting partners in recent weeks to restrict and, where feasible, prohibit prop bets within the NFL.
This initiative comes in response to recent betting controversies affecting other professional sports.
Overview of Recent Betting Scandals
Recently, attention has turned to two pitchers from the Cleveland Guardians, Luis Ortiz and Emmanuel Clase, who were arrested in a gambling scandal for allegedly accepting bribes to influence pitching performances in games last summer. Both have been on paid leave since July without discipline.
Clase has entered a plea of not guilty and was released on a $600,000 bond, while also surrendering his passport, being instructed to avoid gambling, and undergoing GPS monitoring.
Clase, a three-time All-Star and two-time AL Reliever of the Year, as well as Ortiz, have pleaded not guilty.
This week, Major League Baseball announced that sportsbook operators have agreed on a $200 wagering cap on micro-bets tied to individual pitches during MLB matches, in addition to prohibiting these bets from being part of parlays.
Clase Maintains Innocence
In the NBA, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, alongside 34 others, was arrested by the FBI in October following a long-term investigation into fraud and illegal gambling.
Rozier is accused of engaging in an illegal gambling operation, pulling himself out of a March 2023 NBA game as a member of the Charlotte Hornets, to allow bettors to profit from $200,000 worth of prop betting related to his performance in that game.
In the UFC, atypical betting patterns ahead of a featherweight bout between Isaac Dulgarian and Yadier del Valle at UFC Vegas 110 in early November prompted the UFC to release Dulgarian.
Impact on Game Integrity
Integrity Compliance 360 informed its sportsbook clients and the UFC regarding the unexpected betting activity on del Valle to win the fight in Round 1. Several sportsbooks halted betting prior to the fight after the line shifted considerably. Del Valle won by submission at 3:41 in Round 1.
In the NFL memo, the league addressed the recent illegal activities associated with prop betting, which depend heavily on the actions of individual players.
“Since the early days of legal sports wagering, we have acknowledged the risks surrounding prop bets and their damaging impact on fan perceptions, the league’s image, and player, club staff, and game official safety,” the memo indicated.
Categories of Prohibited Wagers
“We regularly review and refresh our commercial agreements to disallow bets related to behaviors identified in recent federal law enforcement actions, and we keep in close contact with state officials to properly address these wagering types.”
The NFL outlined the categories of prohibited wagers as follows:
Inherently Offending: Markets or wagers deemed inherently derogatory or inflammatory, or based on issues contrary to public policy (for instance, player injuries, fan safety, misconduct).
Officiating-Related: Markets or wagers associated with officials or officiating (for instance, officiating assignments, penalties, replays).
Outcomes Determined by a Single Player: Wagers based solely on results from one individual in one play (for example, whether a kicker will miss a field goal or if a QB’s first pass will be incomplete).
Pre-Determined Outcomes: Outcomes that are directly linked to game competition (for example, will the QB start this week? Will the team’s first play from scrimmage be a run or pass?).
Assignment of Law Enforcement Officials
As reported by David Purdy from ESPN, the NFL’s memo primarily reiterates wager types the league had previously requested sportsbooks not to offer, with no significant updates expected in the current NFL betting landscape.
The NFL emphasized its ongoing commitment to year-round monitoring and disciplinary actions to safeguard game integrity, along with consistent communication with teams and staff, including players. Additionally, Pelissero noted that the NFL has implemented measures such as assigning former law enforcement personnel to each team for monitoring any suspicious activities.