The National Football League (NFL) agreed to settle a lawsuit involving Strikes for Kids, a non-profit organization that accused the league of fraud, stating that the league imposed a gambling policy that misled the group and caused the charity's revenue loss.
The settlement terms were not revealed, but the case was sealed a week after the charity demanded the judge to pressure NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to testify under oath concerning the league's gambling policy, according to USA Today Sports, which reported on Friday.
Youth charity challenges battle against NFL over gambling policy
The charity filed a lawsuit against the NFL in 2015 for misguiding the group and forcing the charity to move to a different location because the league banned football players from making promotional appearances at casinos in Las Vegas as a part of the NFL's gambling policy. As a result, the charity, which invited more than 100 boys and girls to attend its event at a bowling alley, lost the money as well as sponsors.
The NFL stated that finding a non-casino location is an issue.
The event was originally held at the Sunset Station hotel and casino, where children bowl at a 72-lane bowling alley. The NFL attorney has communicated with the charity that players and personnel making promotional appearances at casinos would violate the league's policy.
Eventually, the charity moved its event to a smaller bowling alley, Brooklyn Bowl, near the Las Vegas Strip.
This smaller venue was approved by the NFL, but this location is also a part of the casino building at LINQ Promenade in Las Vegas. The charity could not figure the difference between the non-approved venue and the approved venue, according to Julie Pettit, who is an attorney for the charity.
Pettit said Goodell is the only person that can determine the difference.
The charity's request to push Goodell to testify was rejected by the judge, but the charity filed an appeal to the judge's decision and hoped to get a different judge. The decision of appeal on this issue has been pending for a while before the settlement was reached recently.
NFL's gambling policy will not change
While the NFL allowed Oakland Raiders to move to Las Vegas, the policy still stands that the league has no willingness to invest in legalized, regulated sports gambling for players and personnel.
Two years ago, Fan Expo LLC, a fantasy football company, which teamed up with former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, filed a lawsuit against the NFL in Dallas, accusing the league of nixing the event that was supposed to take place at a convention facility (not inside a casino) near the Venetian owned by a casino company, the Las Vegas Sands.
Besides the court, in April 2017, the NFL investigated arm-wrestling contest among players at an event in Las Vegas. The league has assessed the decision on how a policy could prevent NFL players from getting involved in an arm-wrestling contest.
NFL allows limited casinos advertisements
While the NFL constantly stands strong against the legalization of sports gambling, the league permits teams to embrace advertisements from casinos in a limited form. In May 2017, Gila River Gaming Enterprises, a casino company, had a meeting with the Arizona Cardinals, expressing an interest in purchasing the naming rights to the 11-year-old stadium.
