SPORTS FRAUD

---

Former NFL Officiating Chief Confirms Referees “Have Been Approached” About Game Manipulation

Dean Blandino — who served as Vice President of Officiating for the NFL from 2013 to 2017 — disclosed that league officials have been contacted about influencing game outcomes for gambling purposes. 

---

What Blandino Said

On the “Awful Announcing Podcast,” Blandino acknowledged that, while no major scandal involving NFL referees has come to public light, the league’s officials “have had situations where people were approached.” 

He explained that the league tracks extensive background information on officials: “They look at all of your business associations. They look for conflicts of interest… bank accounts, everything.” 

Blandino noted that the NFL monitors for red flags such as a sudden jump in a referee’s bank account (for example, “$10 on Friday, and then after a game, $100,000”) — this kind of change would trigger an internal review. 

He emphasized that the league tries to avoid drawing attention to officials while they’re traveling: “We didn’t want them wearing NFL-branded gear … someone sees them and ‘Oh, those are the NFL officials,’ and then you never know.” 

Blandino pointed out that the existing safeguards make a scenario like the Tim Donaghy scandal (from the NBA) unlikely in the NFL, but that the approach attempts to mitigate risk. 

---

Why This Matters

Although the NFL has not publicly disclosed any instance of an official influencing a game outcome for gambling, Blandino’s acknowledgement that officials have been approached adds a layer of concern about integrity in a league where billions of dollars in bets are placed each year.

Sports betting is legal and widespread in the U.S.; the NFL points out that referees receive “customized training” on gambling policy, and are subject to monitoring of both their finances and betting-market shifts. 

The assurance that “controls are in place” is meaningful, but the fact that approaches have been made means the threat is real, even if no integrity breach has been publicly confirmed.

For fans, teams, players and stakeholders, this raises questions about transparency, oversight, and how robustly the NFL monitors officials and intervenes if misconduct is suspected.

---

The NFL’s Integrity Process: What We Know

Officials are screened for conflicts of interest; off-season and in-season monitoring includes individual associations, business relationships, bank account changes and travel behavior. 

The league’s compliance unit monitors betting markets — spreads, prop lines, suspicious odds movement — and flags unusual activity in real-time. 

Referees are prohibited from betting on NFL games, and generally subject to stricter rules than players with regard to gambling and sports-wagering exposure. 

Training on gambling policy is mandatory for officials; there are procedures for reporting suspicious approaches or offers. 

---

Key Takeaways

Blandino’s comments do not indicate that any game-fixing by NFL referees has been verified — only that officials have been targeted or approached.

The existence of a 24/7 betting market, prop bets, and high stakes increases the risk profile for leagues and officials alike.

For the NFL, the challenge is twofold: (a) preventing misconduct and (b) maintaining public trust and transparency so that fans believe the outcomes are fair.

Ruling out the possibility of manipulation isn’t enough — the disclosures suggest vigilance will remain essential.

---

Final Thoughts

These revelations underscore that even in the highest-stakes professional sports leagues, the potential for corruption or manipulation can’t be dismissed. The NFL says it has built robust safeguards, but acknowledgment of approaches to officials means the integrity of games remains a serious and ongoing concern. Fans, bettors, and league insiders alike should take note that this is not merely hypothetical.