Illinois Gaming Board Suspends Objectionable NFL Markets

The Illinois Gaming Board has approved a temporary suspension on certain questionable NFL bets, as requested by the league.

These Bets Undermine the Integrity of the Game, Officials Argued

The NFL requested the suspension on bets on injuries, officiating assignments, penalties, fan safety and player conduct and negative outcomes, among others. The request was submitted earlier but was not published before October 16 because of an oversight.

The request was submitted by Jonathan Nabavi, the NFL’s vice president of public policy and government affairs, who called these wagers “objectionable bets for objective markets.” He also pointed out that these bets are “derogatory” and noted that they violate the league’s public policy.

These markets are not correctly related to game play or can have a negative impact on consumer confidence and player and players involved. The other categories of objectionable bets represent markets or beta that pose the greatest risk or perceived risk to game integrity.

Jonathan Nabavi

Nabavi added that these wagers are also problematic because they can be manipulated more easily than ones based on player performance. He insisted that the prohibition of such products would reinforce the league’s integrity.

The temporary ban was authorized by Marcus Fruchter, administrator of the Illinois Gaming Board. As per the local rules, sportsbooks and bettors would have 14 days to comment on the matter. A full board vote is set to take place on December 12.

The Board Recently Implemented New Safer Gambling Rules

The temporary suspension of objectionable NFL bets comes a month after the Illinois Gaming Board implemented new advertising and marketing rules for sports betting. The new guidelines were aligned with the authority’s overall safer gambling efforts and sought to protect players from harm.

For context, the new guidelines prohibited gambling operators from claiming that their products are risk-free, arguing that such claims are often wrong and expose younger players to serious risk. Additionally, the guidelines prohibited operators from displaying sports betting ads on college grounds or in student magazines.

Additionally, the board required casinos to keep solid records of their marketing campaigns and future advertising plans.