Sports leagues have seen numerous betting-related disciplinary actions and controversies over the last few years. The NFL added a team executive to that growing list last week.
The league announced on Friday that Arizona Cardinals personnel executive Ryan Gold has been suspended indefinitely for providing confidential inside information about this year’s Cardinals draft selections before the picks were announced, in violation of the NFL’s gambling policy.
Who Gold allegedly provided the information to wasn’t revealed. The league further alleged Gold was involved in parlay betting on NFL and college games, according to ESPN.
“The Gambling Policy, which is annually reviewed with all NFL personnel, strictly prohibits anyone in the NFL from participating in or facilitating any form of sports gambling, and from providing third parties non-public information,” the league said in a statement.
“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.”
Team Supports Suspension
Gold has been with the franchise for 13 years and has served as director of college scouting in June 2025. Before that, he worked for three years as assistant director of college scouting after working for four seasons (2018-21) as a college scouting coordinator.
The Cardinals front office expressed support for the league’s action against Gold but didn’t announce that he had been fired. The team also clarified that no other Cardinals personnel were part of the betting activities.
“The NFL’s policies and expectations for all employees are clear, comprehensive, and consistently communicated,” the team said. “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.”
The NFL’s gambling policy prohibits players and staff from betting on the league, throwing or fixing games, manipulating plays or other aspects of a game, or sharing confidential, nonpublic information regarding games, players, or events.
The league noted that the franchise cooperated with an investigation of Gold. It appears no play or game was affected by the betting activity.
Gold Denies Allegations
Gold’s attorney, Mike Caspino, announced on Sunday that Gold will appeal the ruling. Caspino added that the allegations were “blatantly false.”
“Ryan Gold has been an outstanding NFL executive for over a decade,” Caspino toldESPN. “The accusations made by the league regarding his participation in prohibited gambling activities are blatantly false. We have demanded an appeal, and we look forward to clearing his good name.”
The attorney said the parlay wagers were made by Gold’s wife. He said they accounted for only about $10 a week with a group of high school friends. Gold says he wasn’t involved with her wagers.
Caspino further said that Gold had no knowledge of who the team might pick in the draft because only Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill and General Manager Monti Ossenfort had that information.
Other Alleged Betting Violations
While numerous players in other sports leagues and college athletics have been suspended over the last few years for gambling-related controversies, this appears to be the first involving a team executive.
However, coaches have been suspended on occasion. Former Cincinnati Reds manager Pete Rose was handed a lifetime suspension for betting on baseball in 1989. MLB lifted that ban in 2025 so that he could be eligible for the Hall of Fame.
Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups was arrested in October for allegedly being involved in rigged high-stakes poker games backed by organized crime. In 2023, the University of Alabama fired head baseball coach Greg Byrne after allegedly “suspicious” bets on the team were made in Ohio and Indiana.
The NCAA recently saw one of the more bizarre incidents involving sports betting. Transfer quarterback Brendan Sorsby entered treatment after it came to light that he made numerous bets on his team while playing for the Indiana Hoosiers.
Sorby later sued the NCAA after being ruled ineligible. He won that lawsuit but later attempted to enter the NFL via a supplemental draft. However, the league decided against running a supplemental draft this year. As a result, Sorsby will be forced to sit out the 2026-27 season.
