NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell Issues Statement On Legalized Gambling
BOSTON (CBS) -- Last week, the Supreme Court issued a ruling that will work to legalize gambling on sports in the United States. While the timing and the exact implications of the ruling are yet to be fully known, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has issued a statement on behalf of his league.
In the statement, Goodell stressed a commitment to preventing legalized gambling from influencing any games, and requested standards from the U.S. government in terms of policy and protections.
Here is Goodell's statement, in full:
As it was for my predecessors, there is no greater priority for me as the Commissioner of the National Football League than protecting the integrity of our sport. Our fans, our players and our coaches deserve to know that we are doing everything possible to ensure no improper influences affect how the game is played on the field. This week's ruling by the Supreme Court has no effect on that unwavering commitment.
We have spent considerable time planning for the potential of broadly legalized sports gambling and are prepared to address these changes in a thoughtful and comprehensive way, including substantial education and compliance trainings for our clubs, players, employees and partners. These efforts include supporting commonsense legislation that protects our players, coaches and fans and maintains public confidence in our games. We are asking Congress to enact uniform standards for states that choose to legalize sports betting that include, at a minimum, four core principles:
1. There must be substantial consumer protections;
2. Sports leagues can protect our content and intellectual property from those who attempt to steal or misuse it;
3. Fans will have access to official, reliable league data; and
4. Law enforcement will have the resources, monitoring and enforcement tools necessary to protect our fans and penalize bad actors here at home and abroad.