NBA scandal gives Steelers stark reminder of NFL's gambling rules

As the union representative for the Pittsburgh Steelers, defensive tackle Cameron Heyward is monitoring the NBA gambling arrests to potentially educate his teammates about staying within NFL guidelines.

Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier were arrested Thursday as part of federal investigations related to illegal sports betting and poker games backed by the Mafia.

“You definitely have to pay attention to that,” Heyward said. “We always reiterate the gambling rules. You never want to get involved in that type of gambling to begin with, betting on teams and such. I’ll wait until there is more information to dig in and tell my guys what is going on.”

Rozier is accused of using private insider NBA information to participate in an illegal sports betting scheme. Billups is accused of participating in a scheme to rig underground poker games sponsored by the Mafia.

Backup quarterback Mason Rudolph isn’t sure a reminder to NFL players is needed. All that is required is turning on a TV or reading about the scandal on social media.

“I’m sure (players) were all reminded that getting arrested by the FBI is something your mother wouldn’t want to read in the press,” Rudolph said.

The NFL began embracing gambling after a Supreme Court ruling in 2018 struck down a federal ban. The American Gaming Association estimates that $30 billion will be wagered on NFL games this year through legal sports books and betting apps.

“As that stuff has gotten more popular, people are more apt to try to make some dollars, some extra money,” Rudolph said.

NFL players face a two-year ban for betting on their own team’s games and a one-year ban for betting on NFL games not involving their team. When he was with the Atlanta Falcons, wide receiver Calvin Ridley was suspended for the entire 2022 season for betting on NFL games the previous season. Denver Broncos defensive end Eyioma Uwazurike also received a one-year suspension in July 2023 and was among 10 players suspended for games that offseason.

No NFL player has been suspended since the 2023 offseason. The NFL policy also states that family members and friends aren’t permitted to place bets for players, and that players are not permitted to participate in daily fantasy football leagues.

“There always has been a concern with (gambling), especially when teams are investing in casinos and different companies like FanDuel and DraftKings,” Heyward said. “It’s a slippery slope. Players, coaches — and it should be owners — are not above it.”

The NFL does not allow coaches, staff and front office personnel to bet on any sports event. In 2024, the league mandated compliance training for players, and they are educated every year by a member of the NFL’s compliance team or the team’s head of player engagement. The seminar is prepared with input from the NFL Players Association.

As Rudolph put it, those seminars are used not just to educate players but to “scare us, and they do a good job.”

The gambling policy is reviewed and the integrity provisions reinforced. In addition to prohibiting gambling on NFL games, players are not permitted to place any kind of bets — via a sportsbook, casino or in a card game — whether at the team facility or hotel or while on team-supplied transportation. Players also are told not to share inside information, anything not announced by the team.

Players also are prohibited from visiting sportsbooks during the NFL season. This rule came into play for the Steelers in 2024 when they played in Las Vegas.

“It really doesn’t affect me because I’ve never been into gambling, even at a casino,” Rudolph said. “I don’t have that temptation, which is good, but I know there are other guys who love playing cards.”

Rookies are warned about the consequences of gambling almost from the moment they are drafted. The NFL holds symposiums and other sessions aimed at educating those entering the league.

“I think the NFL is very ahead of that stuff,” rookie quarterback Will Howard said. “It’s very clearly outlined, what you can and cannot do. It’s on us to make sure we are abiding by the rules. They do a good job of laying that stuff out there for you.”

Howard was at Kansas State when a college football scandal at Iowa and Iowa State was the talk of the Midwest. He said anti-gambling policies also were in place when he finished his college career at Ohio State.

“It was a big point of emphasis,” Howard said. “It has been reinforced at this level, too.”