As the NFL increasingly signals that it’s willing to move a team to Las Vegas, the gambling capital of America, it continues to attempt to distance itself from gambling in other respects. As a result, one charity is taking the league to court.
The charity Strikes for Kids moved a fundraiser out of a casino last year because that fundraiser included Bills receiver Sammy Watkins, Bears receiver Alshon Jeffery, Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib and other players, and the NFL said players couldn’t appear at a casino.
Now Strikes for Kids is suing the league, saying the charity incurred extra costs from having to move the event. The charity says the NFL made a $5,000 donation that amounted to “hush money.”
Strikes for Kids says the NFL seems to selectively enforce rules about casinos, and has been inconsistent about when players are allowed to appear at casinos and when they’re not. It seems fair to say the league isn’t always consistent about the way it tries to distance itself from gambling.