The NFL gives a variety of educational tools for new players about the pitfalls of illegal gambling. Rookies receive lectures when they enter the league, and programs are used to discourage players from getting involved.
One former player now has a better understanding of what the NFL were trying to teach. This last weekend saw the arrest of former offensive linesman Todd Burger for his involvement in running an illegal Internet gambling site.
Burger, who had played for Chicago Bears and New York Jets during his career, was one of the leading figures in the online operation. Anthony Pecoraro, who was also arrested, was the brains behind the scheme and Burger was employed more in the role of a debt collector.
The site concerned was www.beteastsports.com, where gamblers would go under code names and numbers and place illegal bets. They were then processed by Pecoraro, who set player limits and controlled the collection of the bets.
A total of $70,000 was seized by the suspects in the case, who included three other men besides Burger and Pecoraro. A .357 Magnum handgun and computers believed to contain evidence were also seized during the arrests, the result of a four month investigation into the case.