Just like the general population, NFL athletes aren’t immune to the charms of gambling.
The NFL has suspended players who violate gambling restrictions as early as 1963. The first players to get caught in a gambling scandal were Detroit’s Alex Karras and Green Bay’s Paul Hornung. They were lucky enough to be later introduced into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
However, with the latest regulations, players in a similar position can hurt their HoF aspirations.
Over a dozen players have been suspended for betting on NFL games in the past few years. The NFL is increasing its efforts to educate players on the dangers of gambling and to inform them when and what they can bet on.
Below, we’ll cover the most highly publicized betting scandals among NFL players.
The First Players to Ever Get Suspended for Gambling
Gambling is easy these days. You can hop online and read a Legendz casino review, then register at the Legendz casino and play the top casino games.
But, in the past, things weren’t so easy to track. Players could just enter a Las Vegas casino or a betting shop and place their bets on their favorite teams. That’s what Paul Hornung and Alex Karras did after they unknowingly placed bets on NFL games.
There were rumors about betting scandals involving football players before, but nothing materialized. Both Hornung and Karras were suspended before eventually getting back to football. The suspension didn’t damper their HoF careers. Hornung was part of the 1986 Pro Football Hall of Fame class, while Karras earned the same achievement in 1980.
The Situation in the 1980s
The football betting situation involving players ramped up almost two decades later during the 1980s, when the league started taking this issue seriously. In 1983, Baltimore quarterback Art Schlichter was suspended for the season after it was discovered that he bet on 10 games in his rookie season.
Schlichter returned the following year but with a burden on his back. He only played 10 more games for Indianapolis before ending his career.
Ramping Up Anti-Gambling Efforts
Betting on NFL games is now under a microscope, and the NFL pays close attention to any rumors. In 2019, the league suspended Arizona quarterback Josh Shaw after finding out he bet on an NFL game while on injured reserve. He has never returned to pro football since.
In 2022, the league suspended Atlanta’s Calvin Ridley for the full season. He was caught betting on NFL games while away from the team, citing mental health concerns. Ridley was reinstated the next year, and still plays for the Tennessee Titans.
Jets wide receiver coach Miles Austin was suspended for one year for betting on non-football games. He reportedly appealed that suspension, but he has not returned to coaching since.
One of the most highly publicized cases of pro football players betting on games came in 2023. Detroit’s Quintez Cephus and C.J. Moore and Washington’s Shaka Toney were suspended indefinitely for betting on NFL games during the 2022 season. Detroit released both of its players and Shaka Toney was cut by the Commanders after being reinstated.
Indianapolis’ Rashod Berry, Demetrius Taylor, and Isaiah Rodgers Sr. also received suspensions and were subsequently cut. They were reinstated in April 2024, but only Rodgers has returned to the NFL. Berry plays for the San Antonio Brahmas, and Taylor plays for the Birmingham Stallions, which are both UFL teams that play in the spring.
Nicholas Petit-Frere was suspended for six games in 2023. He has since become a fantasy football expert.
The Outlook Moving Forward
The NFL has strict regulations for player betting and gambling, banning such activity whenever it catches a whiff of such actions. The problem is still there, but considering the league’s recent actions, players should think twice about gambling while on an active roster.
If we investigate the problem in depth, we find that the availability of online betting sites and casinos is a major issue. Players can bet from apps under aliases, trying to cover their tracks. This is why experts have called for larger vetoes of such activity, and the league is proactive in preventing betting from occurring in the first place.
But as more states launch legal betting markets, there’s a great chance that NFL players and betting will continue. How the NFL tackles this problem for the future remains to be seen.
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