National Football League

NFL looking into Las Vegas arm wrestling event

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

Sports Illustrated, SI Wire/Sports Illustrated

The National Football League says they will looking to an arm wrestling contest at the MGM Grand Hotel and casino in Las Vegas that took place last weekend that reportedly featured more than 30 current and former players.

According to reports, Maurkice Pouncey, Mychal Kendricks, Navarro Bowman, Kenny Stills, and Marquette King were among the active NFL players who showed up at the event which was co-hosted by Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison and former running back Marshawn Lynch.

The contest took April 5–9, and is set to be broadcast on CBS on May 27–28. The championship round will be aired the next weekend.

Those who participated in the event could be disciplined by the NFL because league personnel are not allowed to make promotional appearances at casinos or any other gambling-related establishments.

The players that did participate will be fined an undisclosed amount, according to NFL.com's Ian Rapoport.

“Had we been asked in advance if this was acceptable, we would have indicated that it was in direct violation of the gambling policy,” Joe Lockhart, the NFL’s executive vice president for communications and public affairs, told USA Today. “No one sought pre-approval.”

The NFL has been cautious when it comes to Las Vegas and gambling, even though the league's owners approved the relocation of the Oakland Raiders to Las Vegas. The Raiders are set to play at least two more seasons in Oakland before moving.

- Scooby Axson