ESPN Prohibits Employees From Betting on Specific Markets Ahead of ESPN BET Launch

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ESPN has released sports betting guidelines for employees at the company ahead of the launch of ESPN BET on Nov. 14.

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The guidelines were published on Friday in an effort to uphold journalistic integrity amid criticism that journalists and other employees at the company could benefit monetarily from insider information.

The news is the first major employee guidance published since ESPN Bet was announced in August. In effect, the rules attempt to alleviate aforementioned concerns about collaboration between the editorial and betting teams. The guidelines also afford the company just termination should any employee violate the terms.

The guidelines clearly state that no employee covering — or working on the business side with — any sports league will be permitted to wager with that sports league.

"Do not place bets on games or events you are assigned to work or cover," the guidelines read. "For example, production personnel or journalists working on-site or off-site at or on a sporting event must abstain from betting on that particular game or event. Talent designated as Reporters and Insiders are prohibited from placing, soliciting, or facilitating any bet on the properties (e.g., NFL, college football, NBA) they regularly cover."

Employees cannot withhold any insider information and act on it for gambling purposes. In addition, employees are not permitted to wager on awards and other markets that are determined by off-field metrics.

This is especially relevant for insiders such as Adrian Wojnarowski or Adam Schefter, whose news regularly shapes the market with a single tweet.

"If there is any chance you have relevant Confidential Information, do not wager on awards votes (e.g., MVP, Cy Young), player personnel decisions (e.g., “Which team will Player X sign with?”), draft selections (e.g., “Who will be the first WR chosen in the NFL Draft?”) or other similar types of bets," the guidelines read.

Employees are not permitted to have proxy bettors, either — akin to professional athletes, who are suspended just the same should they be found to have instructed a third-party to place a wager for them.

At ESPN, we are dedicated to upholding the integrity of our brand and the events we broadcast. These Sports Betting Guidelines ("Guidelines") establish the expected standards of behavior for our employees. They aim to define prohibited betting activities clearly and serve as a reference to ensure compliance.

These Guidelines work in conjunction with and supplement The Walt Disney Company’s Standards of Business Conduct and applicable TWDC employee policy manual or handbook (e.g., the U.S. Employee Policy Manual).

Prohibited Betting Activities: Do not use, disclose, or provide access to non-public information that you have been exposed to as part of your job (“Confidential Information”), for any betting-related purposes, including influencing others to place bets or disclosing such information to any sportsbook operator. This includes but is not limited to: (a) a player’s injury status or participation in a game or event; or (b) any other information about officials, players, coaches or management.

Do not place bets on games or events you are assigned to work or cover. For example, production personnel or journalists working on-site or off-site at or on a sporting event must abstain from betting on that particular game or event.

Talent designated as Reporters and Insiders are prohibited from placing, soliciting, or facilitating any bet on the properties (e.g., NFL, college football, NBA) they regularly cover. Employees who learn Confidential Information from Reporters or Insiders should never use such information for betting-related purposes.

Employees who manage the Company’s business relationships with sports leagues or properties on a day-to-day basis are prohibited from betting on those sports leagues or properties. Be extra cautious about certain types of bets. Certain types of bets are more susceptible to the influence of Confidential Information, because the outcomes are primarily determined by off-field decisions rather than on-field play. If there is any chance you have relevant Confidential Information, do not wager on awards votes (e.g., MVP, Cy Young), player personnel decisions (e.g., “Which team will Player X sign with?”), draft selections (e.g., “Who will be the first WR chosen in the NFL Draft?”) or other similar types of bets.

Uphold our journalistic integrity. No story should be reported, delayed, influenced or withheld with the intention of impacting betting lines. All employees must observe the strict boundaries that the Company maintains between our journalistic enterprise and the operations of a sportsbook and should not imply any control or influence over the operations of a sportsbook.

Avoid conflicts of interest. The Company strongly discourages employees from engaging in any betting-related activities that could call into question their or the Company’s integrity, or otherwise create actual or perceived conflicts of interest.No illegal gambling. Employees are strictly prohibited from participating in or facilitating any form of illegal sports betting, including underage betting. Sports betting remains illegal in many states and jurisdictions.

ESPN may place further sports betting restrictions on any employee at any time in its sole discretion.