Anti-gambling NFL nixes three Dolphins playing in a poker tournament
The NFL is making sure to rid the league of legal gambling that has nothing to do with anything related to the sport.
After pressuring Tony Romo to cancel a fantasy football event with fans because it took place in a Las Vegas convention center that is attached to a casino, the NFL told three Miami Dolphins players that they couldn’t participate in a celebrity poker tournament because their involvement was promoted.
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According to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, the NFL emailed Dolphins players A.J. Francis, Jason Fox and Jordan Cameron to tell them their promoted appearance at Seminole Casino Coconut Creek would be in violation of NFL rules against promoting casino activities. Event organizer Andy Slater, a talk-show host in Florida who has been hosting the tournament the past few years, also got an email from the league according to the Sun-Sentinel.
“The NFL is just doing this [with the Dolphins] as a precaution,” Slater told the Sun-Sentinel. “It’s an absolute joke. “The NFL is built on gambling. This is the players’ time off, and they hang out with fans at a legal gambling event at a legit casino.”
The players were promoted as “bounty” players for the $94 buy-in tournament, meaning if a player knocked one of the Dolphins out of the tournament then they got a bonus.
Fairly innocent stuff, but apparently the NFL believes this is ruining the integrity of the league apparently. Even though some teams have promoted lotteries. Or daily fantasy football. And the New Orleans Saints hold training camp at a West Virginia resort that has a casino. But the players better not do anything like promote an appearance at a poker tournament.
You’d think the NFL has better things to worry about, but until then, don’t promote any casino events. Unless your team is having training camp at one, I guess.
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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab
