The NFL and other major sports leagues have taken harsh stances on players gambling, despite promoting and partnering with sports gambling institutions
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Isaiah Rodgers Sr.
Three NFL players were suspended indefinitely for gambling on Thursday, while another faces a six-game suspension.
The NFL announced Indianapolis Colts players Isaiah Rodgers Sr. and Rashod Berry and free agent Demetrius Taylor were receiving indefinite suspensions for betting on games. The Tennessee Titans’ Nicholas Petit-Frere was suspended for six games.
Soon after, Rodgers and Berry were cut by the Colts. The decision comes after Rodgers apologized for gambling on games after a report earlier this month indicated he was making bets from inside the Colts facilities.
“I know I have made mistakes and I am willing to do whatever it takes to repair the situation,” Rodgers had said, adding that he was taking “full responsibility for my actions.”
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Nicholas Petit-Frere
“The last thing I ever wanted to do was to be a distraction to the Colts organization, my coaches, and my teammates,” he added. “I’ve let people down that I care about.”
The NFL said Rodgers, Berry and Taylor’s suspensions would last “at least” through next season. “These players may petition for reinstatement at the conclusion of the 2023 season,” the league said in a statement.
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Rashod Berry
“The gambling policy, which is annually reviewed with all NFL personnel, including players, prohibits anyone in the NFL from engaging in any form of gambling in any club or league facility or venue, including the practice facility,” the statement said.
The NFL and other major sports leagues have taken harsh stances on players gambling amid the rise of sports betting apps in recent years, despite promoting and partnering with sports gambling institutions through sponsorships.
In 2018, the Supreme Court overturned a federal law banning sports betting in the United States, opening the floodgates for online betting apps.
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Demetrius Taylor
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The legal reversal has also led to a number of conflicting issues with the NFL, which suspended five players in April for violating the league’s betting policy. In 2022, the league suspended wide receiver Calvin Ridley, who now plays on the Jacksonville Jaguars, for the entire season for using betting apps.
Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard confirmed in a statement Thursday that its decision to cut Rodgers and Berry from the team were “a consequence” of their betting on games.
“The integrity of the game is of the utmost importance,” Ballard said.
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