NFLPA Exec Dir DeMaurice Smith on Friday morning addressed the union's current stance on sports betting, saying they "want to make sure that any change in gambling laws or any increase in gambling ... not only maintain the integrity of the game but ensures we're maintaining the integrity of the athlete." Smith: "It's not just a simple question of where the money is going to go ... but also that we keep a good eye on what are the impacts on the athletes, what's the overall impact on the game and making sure we're making wise, prudent decisions about all of that.” Smith acknowledged he is "concerned" about making sure that NFL owners "don't have direct ownership or even tangential ownership interest in sports books or gambling." Smith: "If you're going to apply rules that apply strictly to athletes and if you're concerned about the integrity of the game, you also would be concerned about owners having a direct stake in sports books." Smith said the NFLPA has "reached out and talked to other player associations" across Europe and Asia that have previously handled sports betting. He said issues of match fixing are "concerning," because those issues "continue for them and they’ve certainly been in the business of gambling for a very long time." Smith: "It's been underground in the United States, at least in some states, for a very long time, but I'm not sure that necessarily means we may not have to be even more vigilant about how we protect and ensure the progression of our sports going forward” (“Golic & Wingo,” ESPN Radio, 5/18).
