Illinois is banning certain types of bets on NFL games at the league’s request amid concerns that some bets could be easily manipulated by one person.
The Illinois Gaming Board took action in response to a request from the NFLaccording to the Chicago Tribune.
Banned bets include first plays, replay results, whether a kicker will miss a field goal or extra point, and whether a quarterback’s first pass in a game will be incomplete. Outside of the game, betting is also prohibited on anything that would fall under the umbrella of fan safety, player misconduct, penalties, refereeing orders and selection or personnel decisions.
The rule is intended to ban anything that can be considered “100% determinable by one person in one game.”
“Predetermined choices and actions within the control of individual players, coaches or league officials are susceptible to abuse and manipulation,” wrote Gaming Board Administrator Marcus Fruchter.
It’s part of the strange new world of sports gambling, where the league itself is so concerned about the possibility of the game being rigged that it asks the gaming boards not to allow these bets. Theoretically, the sportsbooks wouldn’t want to take these bets anyway because if someone is rigging the game, they’re doing it to rip off the sportsbooks. But the league doesn’t want it to even be possible, or for there to be a perception that anyone involved with a team or the league could have a financial interest in the outcome.
Sportsbooks in Illinois have been warned that their licenses could be revoked if they take such bets.
