Arizona Cardinals Employee Suspended for Gambling, Sharing Draft Info
An Arizona Cardinals employee has been suspended by the NFL for gambling. It's another instance in the growing issue of problems stemming from sports and gambling.
Cardinals director of college scouting Ryan Gold has been suspended by the NFL for gambling and giving bettors inside information about the Cardinals’ draft picks. He provided bettors with information on players before the team reached the podium to make their picks in the NFL Draft in April.
According to the NFL, Gold also bet and placed parlays on NCAA and NFL games.
Gold suspended for gambling and other violations
In an NFL statement about the Gold suspension, the league stated, “Although there is no reason to believe the integrity of any NFL game was affected, the League takes any violation of the gambling policy with the utmost seriousness.”
While players are allowed to bet on sports other than the NFL, league employees are prohibited from any sports betting, at the professional or amateur level.
In 2022, New York Jets wide receivers coach Miles Austin was suspended by the NFL for gambling. He did not bet on NFL games but on other sports and also wagered on online casino table games while at the Jets’ facility.
Cardinals back the decision
The Cardinals supported the NFL's ruling on the suspension. The team released a statement after the ruling: “The NFL’s policies and expectations for all employees are clear, comprehensive, and consistently communicated.
"We fully support the league’s decision in this matter, which involves a single employee. Our focus remains on preparing for the start of training camp next week and the 2026 season.”
Gold has risen through the ranks in the organization, starting as a scouting assistant in 2014 and being promoted last year to director of college scouting.
He holds the right to appeal the suspension, but has not yet taken any action.
The NFL Draft issue
Gambling on the NFL Draft is permitted in about 30 of the 40 states with legal sports betting. Washington, D.C., also has legal sports betting and will hold the draft next year. The Nation’s Capital recently made it illegal to gamble on the draft on federal property in the District. The actual draft stage is on federal property at the National Mall.
Some states that permit draft betting have limits on the types of bets that can be placed. Some also require draft bets to be made prior to the event.
Arizona legalized sports betting in 2021 and is one of the states that allow NFL Draft betting. According to a state mandate, bets must be placed before the round of the affected bet.
Prediction markets and the Grand Canyon State
Federally regulated prediction markets offer sports trades on the NFL Draft in many states. However, Arizona is one of the states that has filed lawsuits against prediction market platforms for violating the state's gambling laws.
Like the other states that have taken legal action, Arizona lawmakers have argued that the sports trades offered are just like sports bets and should therefore be state-regulated and taxed.
