Report: NFL never requested Ray Rice video from casino

The NFL made no effort to obtain the surveillance video of former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice assaulting his then-fiancée from an Atlantic City, N.J., casino, according to a TMZ report Tuesday.

Citing sources connected to the now-closed Revel Hotel and Casino, TMZ reported that the casino would have been willing to “gladly” turn over the tape but never heard from the league. The report said the casino made copies of the tape for police and for Rice’s lawyer.

The Ravens terminated Rice’s contract and the NFL suspended him indefinitely Monday after TMZ released the graphic video from inside an elevator at the casino.

The NFL, which originally suspended Rice for two games, drawing widespread criticism for its leniency, said it had not viewed the video until Monday. Ravens officials, too, said they had not seen the video until Monday.

In response to the TMZ report Monday, a league spokesman said the NFL had requested “all information about the incident, including the video from inside the elevator” from local and state law enforcement officials but that the video was not made available.