ESPN launched its own sportsbook, ESPN BET, earlier this week. But insiders and reporters for the Worldwide Leader in Sports shouldn’t get too excited…
That’s because according to a report from Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports, ESPN will not allow its insiders and reporters to bet on the sports/leagues that they cover:
“According to the stringent guidelines which were released internally on Friday, ESPN talent designed as “Insiders” or “Reporters” are prohibited from placing, soliciting, or facilitating any bet on leagues they cover like the NFL and NBA.
ESPN especially does not want confidential information they gather used for betting purposes, whether it’s scoops on player injuries or information about officials, players, coaches, or management. That goes for somebody else placing the bets for them too.”
Sports betting has been a hot and debatable topic since May 2018, when the Supreme Court of the United States overturned the controversial Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA).
The act, signed into law in Oct. 1992, prevented sports betting from taking place in most parts of the United States, though Nevada was a notable exception. The Supreme Court’s groundbreaking ruling gave all 50 U.S. states the freedom to launch online/mobile and/or in-person betting if they so desired.
More than 30 of the 50 states have since launched a form of legalized sports betting. Back in May, it was reported that Americans had placed $220 billion on sports betting since the Supreme Court’s overturning of the PASPA.
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Several notable athletes have also been suspended for placing wagers on sports, including Jacksonville Jaguars star Calvin Ridley and Ottawa Senators forward Shane Pinto. Ridley, then a member of the Atlanta Falcons, was suspended for the entire 2022 season for gambling on NFL games.
Pinto was handed a massive 41-game suspension, which caused major outrage among fans since he did not bet on NHL games.
