The NFL has banned both franchises competing for the Super Bowl from gambling in Las Vegas, but the restriction ends when the game is over. [Image: Shutterstock.com]

Warnings and a boon

While the NFL has warned both the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers not to gamble on anything while they are in Las Vegas, it has stated they can do so once the Super Bowl is over.

According to the Daily Mail on Wednesday, head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs Andy Reid revealed the NFL warned his players not to bet in Vegas “literally when we got here.”

Reid stated an NFL security representative met with his team “the moment they landed” in the city, with part of the discussion intended to clarify the league’s gambling protocol. Reid explained that the rep “made it very clear, restating the rules and regulations and temptations here, obviously, in Las Vegas.”

the NFL warned both teams in Super Bowl LVIII not to gamble on anything

In January, the NFL warned both teams in Super Bowl LVIII not to gamble on anything, even slot machines at casinos.  

Distractions, distractions

The NFL Executive Vice President of Communications Jeff Miller reinforced the warning during a media briefing last week. “When on business there is no gambling, whether it be sports gambling or otherwise,” Miller told reporters.

caught or identified gambling in a casino would be eligible for the disciplinary process”

Miller said the ban affected the entire staff of both the Chiefs and their opponents in Sunday’s showdown, the 49ers. He stated: “Any player, coach, personnel, yours truly, who would be caught or identified gambling in a casino would be eligible for the disciplinary process.”

As Las Vegas prepares to host its first ever Super Bowl, the two protagonists are staying in hotels reportedly about 25 miles from the Las Vegas Strip. Miller, however, said this was less about gambling distractions and more about players’ wellbeing and preparation.

After the game

According to The Bleacher Report, the NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero stated that while the league banned the Chiefs and 49ers from gambling in Vegas before the big game, the “NFL and NFL Players Association have agreed to end the ban at the conclusion of the Super Bowl.”

According to reports, Super Bowl winners will pocket a $164,000 bonus for lifting the Vince Lombardi trophy. While the losing team will no doubt not want to be seen by fans celebrating and gambling in Vegas casinos, it could be another story entirely for the champions–to–be, flush with their extra cash.