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The NFL has come out with a memo for team officials to try to curb the rise of prop bets. With multiple sports franchises now dealing with rigged bets fiascos, the NFL appears to be trying to come out ahead before it gets worse.
In the memo, NFL officials Renie Anderson (Executive Vice President/Chief Revenue Officer), Jeff Miller (Executive Vice President Communications, Public Affairs & Policy; Health & Safety Initiatives), and Ted Ullyot (Executive Vice President and General Counsel) said:
“Accordingly, we have actively engaged with both state lawmakers and regulators, as well as with our sports betting partners, to limit – and where possible prohibited altogether – prop bets in the NFL.
“Our commercial agreements are regularly reviewed and updated to prohibit wagers that are tied to the kind of conduct that was identified in recent federal law enforcement activity, and we maintain regular contact with state officials to ensure that these wagers are appropriately addressed.”
The NFL sent a memo to team officials today, saying that in light of recent gambling scandals in other sports, the league has worked with lawmakers, regulators and sports betting partners in recent weeks to limit and, where possible, prohibit prop bets in the NFL. pic.twitter.com/qDF6KMHwln
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) November 13, 2025
NFL details prohibited prop bets in memo
The memo outlines “prohibited” categories that members of the NFL cannot wager on. These include “Inherently Objectionable”, “Officiating-Related”, “Determinable by One Person in One Play”, and “Pre-Determined” wagers.
The NFL describes these bets as off limits, as they could encompass topics that the brand doesn’t want associated with its players. Inherently Objectionable bets would mean things like player injury, while “Determinable by One Person in One Play” covers things like a quarterback not making their first pass. Predetermined wagers simply relate to things along the lines of “Will X player start?” bets.
However, the memo doesn’t outright ban players or other members of the NFL from placing prop bets. In fact, NFL officials reason that they’re doing enough work year-round to curb this type of gambling:
“Apart from these prohibited categories of bets, we engage in comprehensive, year-round educational, monitoring, and – where necessary – disciplinary activity to protect game integrity.
“We also maintain regular communications with clubs and personnel, including players (for example, this week all players received a reminder on the subject of prop bets), and policy updates to respond to developments relating to sports gambling, such as the recent guidance confirming that so-called “prediction markets” constitute prohibited gambling activity. Our education efforts are strongly supported by the NFLPA.”
In recent months, Major League Baseball and the National Basketball Association have had to deal with different cases related to prop bets. Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz are both on bail for alleged rigging of prop bets, while the NBA has had multiple instances of players attempting to game the system.
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