Arizona Cardinals cornerback Josh Shaw, who has been suspended through at least the 2020 season for betting on National Football League games on multiple occasions this campaign, reportedly bet against his own team.
According to ESPN, Shaw bet against the Cardinals as part of a three-team parlay (or accumulator) at a Caesars sportsbook in Las Vegas on November 10, which he lost.
The report added that Caesars Entertainment alerted the Nevada Gaming Control Board that day, and later the NFL, shortly after discovering Shaw had placed the bet. Shaw even listed “professional football player” as his occupation for a betting account with the casino’s sportsbook, according to ESPN.
League rules prohibit players from betting on NFL games in any way, though there is no suggestion that Shaw used inside information to make his bets nor that any games were compromised.
Shaw, who was on the injured reserve list before his suspension, cannot apply for reinstatement until after February 15, 2021. The last NFL player to be suspended for gambling was Baltimore Ravens rookie quarterback Jon Stark in 1996.
Shaw’s gambling suspension comes as the NFL has begun to embrace the new legalized sports betting landscape in the United States. In January, the NFL announced that Caesars Entertainment would be its inaugural Official Casino Partner. In September, the NFL signed Tabcorp as its first Official Wagering Partner in Australia. Last month, meanwhile, the NFL named DraftKings as the league’s first official daily fantasy partner.
The NFL, though, remains the only major North American sports league not to have a fully-fledged sports betting partner.
