Over the weekend, Tony Romo was forced to cancel a fantasy football event he had scheduled for July 10-12 in Las Vegas when the NFL reiterated a policy about not hosting events that are associated with casinos.
This did not please Dez Bryant.
Romo’s event was supposed to be held at the Venetian Resort Hotel Casino in Las Vegas, which prompted the NFL to remind the NFL Players Association on Saturday of its gambling policy. According to The Associated Press, organizers for Romo’s event said the cancellation was a “direct result of sudden and unexpected opposition taken by the NFL concerning player participation and their perceived association with gambling for an event in Las Vegas.” Romo expressed sympathy for fans who were planning to attend.
NFL has canceled our fantasy football convention this year in Vegas and that is disappointing. I'm sad for the fans and players.
— Tony Romo (@tonyromo) June 6, 2015
Bryant was a bit more animated:
Ron Reese, a spokesman for Las Vegas Sands Corp., told The Associated Press that the event was actually going to be held at the Sands Expo, which is a convention site near the Venetian that has no gambling tables or slot machines. He also noted that half of the NFL’s teams have partnerships with FanDuel.
“The NFL has a credibility gap on this issue the size of the Grand Canyon,” Reese said. “Nearly half the teams in the league are partnering with fantasy football wagering websites, but a convention in Las Vegas is a bridge too far? It’s about time the NFL comes down from its ivory tower.”
While the NBA seems to be in favor of legalizing sports gambling, the NFL clearly wants no association with betting — even in extremely loose instances like Romo’s event.
