FILE PHOTO: Aug 16, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; General view of the National Football League logo on footballs prior to the game between the New York Jets and the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-Imagn Images/File Photo

By Frank Pingue

(Reuters) -The NFL has tapped its roster of retired players to help keep the current crop from fumbling away their careers over gambling violations — enlisting former gridiron veterans to deliver the message that betting and football simply do not mix.

Sabrina Perel, the NFL's vice president and chief compliance officer, said on a conference call on Monday that the league added "powerful messengers" to its training program ahead of the 2025 season, tapping retired players whose voices "carry a lot of weight" with current stars. She did not provide names.

"As a compliance team, protecting the integrity of the game is our focus each and every day," Perel said, adding that the NFL trains over 20,000 people annually on gambling policies, including players, coaches, officials and medical and sideline staff.

During the spring and summer of 2023, the NFL suspended 10 players for gambling violations though none were found to have fixed games.

Last year, the NFL made in-person gambling policy education and training mandatory for all players and Perel said no players violated the gambling rules during the 2024 season.

In a bid to enhance the program, Perel said about 20 former players who are affiliated with the league or teams were added to the mix as educating players about gambling remains a key priority for the league.

The sessions focus on cardinal rules including: "don't bet on the NFL, period," do not wager on anything while on the clock — whether at stadiums, team facilities or traveling for road games — and never share insider information about player injuries or starting lineups.

Perel said the former players make ideal messengers because "they have been in the player's shoes" and understand what it takes to build a successful career. "I may know the policy but I'm never going to be a former player," she acknowledged.

The league's gambling education blitz reflects its ongoing efforts to safeguard the sport's integrity amid the rapid growth of legalized sports betting across the United States.

In 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a federal ban on sports betting. Since the ruling, 38 states and the District of Columbia have legalized sports betting in some form.

Perel said the league just wrapped up another round of visiting training camps ahead of the 2025 season - which kicks off on September 4 - and, without mentioning names, spoke about her experiences co-presenting with former players.

"What was consistent across each session was that it was palpable," said Perel. "It was really palpable in the room that it was a very serious topic and that the players leaned in to hear the legend's story and the message."

(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Matthew Lewis)