Fantasy Football is Gambling
According to Forbes.com, “39% of male Fantasy Football players would sacrifice beer for an entire season to win their Fantasy league, 19% would ditch their mobile phone, and a shocking 16% would give up sexual relations” (Somers, 2014). With the popularity fantasy football skyrocketing, this billion-dollar industry has become synonymous with gambling thus Senior Enlisted Leaders must educate themselves and their Sailors, to understand the rules regulations and consequences of participating in a fantasy football league for money. This paper examines the background and impact of Department of Defense (DOD) employees and military service members who participated in fantasy football leagues for money while on DOD installations.
Background
Fantasy football has become a staple amongst a large population of football fans and this now common form of entertainment is impacting Sailors in the workplace. This paper studies the ethics in two cases where gambling and fantasy football conjoin on DOD installations. One case occurred prior to the passing of 31 U.S.C. 5362 where fantasy sports betting is defined and clarified to be under the umbrella term of “Gambling” while the second case occurred afterwards.
Get Help With Your Essay
If you need assistance with writing your essay, our professional essay writing service is here to help!
Essay Writing Service
Case one describes a DOD employee was operating a fantasy football league while on a DOD installation utilizing government computers. During the investigation it was found that each person involved in the league bought in at $20.00. The funds were to be used for an end of season lunch for all participants and the purchase of trophies to be presented to the top performers. It is important to note that this case occurred prior to the passage of 31 U.S.C. 5362 which defines betting or wagering as, “the staking or risking by any person of something of value upon the outcome of a contest of others, a sporting event, or a game subject to chance, upon an agreement or understanding that the person or another person will receive something of value in the event of a certain outcome” (31 U.S.C. 5362, 2006). 31.U.S.C 5362 further defined that participation in fantasy football does not constitute gambling as long as “All prizes and awards offered to winning participants are established and made known to the participants in advance of the game or contest and their value is not determined by the number of participants or the amount of any fees paid by those participants” (31 U.S.C. 5362, 2006). In this case it was determined that the violation was based upon the Joint Ethics Regulation where it is deemed unethical to utilize government assets to perform any sort of gambling.
The second case involved members from the Air National Guard who paid $10.00 to join a fantasy football league utilizing government computers. Terms of the league were, the winner of the league had to buy all other participants pizza at the conclusion of the contest. Investigation concluded that the winner expended more on pizza than actual winnings and that while the league was performed on government computers, it was only conducted during lunch and break periods.
Impact
Fantasy football may not appear to be gambling on a surface level however, the fact that when money is exchanged for the opportunity of winning pending on the outcome of a sporting event coupled with being on a DOD installation, clearly meets the DOD’s definition of unethical behavior and gambling. “While on Government-owned or leased property or on duty for the Government (for military members, this means, in this context, present for duty), an employee shall not conduct or participate in any gambling activity, including operating a gambling device, conducting a lottery or pool, participating in a game for money or property, or selling or purchasing a numbers slip or ticket” (Department of the Navy Joint Ethics Regulation, 2011).
Find Out How UKEssays.com Can Help You!
Our academic experts are ready and waiting to assist with any writing project you may have. From simple essay plans, through to full dissertations, you can guarantee we have a service perfectly matched to your needs.
View our services
In both cases all personnel involved conducted a form of gambling on DOD installations. While the first case happened prior to 31 U.S.C. 5362, the fact that money was exchanged for the opportunity to win more utilizing government computers clearly was a misappropriation of government funds and assets resulting in degraded morale, promotion of unprofessional relationship, and a misuse of government resources. Each of these cases depict decisions whether made at a junior or senior leadership level, that were unethical and ultimately undermines good order and discipline and are not in keeping with Naval Core Values.
Conclusion
This paper discussed the background and impact of DOD employees who participated in fantasy football leagues for money while on DOD installations. With the popularity of fantasy football, Senior Enlisted Leaders must educate themselves and their Sailors, to understand the rules regulations and consequences of participating for money on DOD installations. In defining leadership and ethics, President Dwight Eisenhower stated, “The supreme quality for leadership is unquestionably integrity. Without it, no real success is possible, no matter whether it is on a section gang, a football field, in an army, or in an office” (Eisenhower, 2016). Senior Enlisted Leaders must meet this call to ethical leadership in every way. Without this standard, the United States and every service sworn to defend her will eventually fail.
References
31 U.S.C. 5362. (2006, October 13). 31 U.S. Code § 5362 – Definitions. Unknown, Unknown, United States. Retrieved January 10, 2019, from https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/31/5362#fn002094
Department of the Navy Joint Ethics Regulation. (2011, Novemeber 17). DOD 5500.07-R, The Joint Ethics Regulation (JER), including Changes 1-7. Washington D.C., Washington D.C. Retrieved December 24, 2018, from http://ethics.iit.edu/ecodes/node/5475
Eisenhower, D. (2016, Unknown Unknown). 21 Military Leader Quotes any Manager can learn from. Unknown, Unknown, Unknown. Retrieved January 12, 2019, from https://getlighthouse.com/blog/military-leader-quotes-manager-learn/
Somers, R. (2014, September 12). 5 Facts You Didn’t Know About Fantasy Football. Unkown, Unknown, USA. Retrieved December 23, 2018, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/sap/2014/09/12/5-facts-you-didnt-know-about-fantasy-football/#51f3770e4419
Essay Writing Service Features
Our Experience
No matter how complex your assignment is, we can find the right professional for your specific task. Contact Essay is an essay writing company that hires only the smartest minds to help you with your projects. Our expertise allows us to provide students with high-quality academic writing, editing & proofreading services.
Free Features
Free revision policy
$10Free bibliography & reference
$8Free title page
$8Free formatting
$8How Our Essay Writing Service Works
First, you will need to complete an order form. It's not difficult but, in case there is anything you find not to be clear, you may always call us so that we can guide you through it. On the order form, you will need to include some basic information concerning your order: subject, topic, number of pages, etc. We also encourage our clients to upload any relevant information or sources that will help.
Complete the order form
Once we have all the information and instructions that we need, we select the most suitable writer for your assignment. While everything seems to be clear, the writer, who has complete knowledge of the subject, may need clarification from you. It is at that point that you would receive a call or email from us.
Writer’s assignment
As soon as the writer has finished, it will be delivered both to the website and to your email address so that you will not miss it. If your deadline is close at hand, we will place a call to you to make sure that you receive the paper on time.
Completing the order and download