A Wager Not Worth The Risk: How Calvin Ridley Violated NFL’s Most Forbidden Rule

Sports Gambling Landscape

On May 14, 2018, the United States Supreme Court struck down a federal ban on sports gambling, paving the way for its legalization at the state level.¹[1]Murphy v. National Collegiate Athletic Association, 200 U.S. 854 (2018). Since then, sports gambling’s reach in the United States has grown considerably. Thirty states have already legalized sports gambling, with many others likely to follow soon.²[2]Rovell, D. (2022, February 12). Sports betting legalization tracker: New York goes live. Action Network. Retrieved March 24, 2022, from https://www.actionnetwork.com/news/legal-sports-betting-united-states-projections.> Platforms such as Caesars, FanDuel, and Draft Kings have allocated huge budgets to attempt to win over consumers with imaginative promotions and advertisements. While the current trajectory suggests that all Americans will soon be able to gamble on sports legally, a select group is still barred from doing so: the athletes themselves.

Calvin Ridley and the NFL’s Policy

To maintain integrity, every major sports league has a strict policy forbidding athletes from gambling on games. The National Football League recently enforced their gambling policy against Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley. On March 7, 2022, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced the suspension of Calvin Ridley indefinitely through at least the 2022 season for betting on NFL games in the 2021 season.³[3]Patra, K. (2022, March 7). Falcons WR Calvin Ridley suspended indefinitely through at least 2022 season for betting on NFL games. NFL.com. Retrieved March 24, 2022, from https://www.nfl.com/news/falcons-wr-calvin-ridley-suspended-indefinitely-through-2022-season-for-betting-. Section 2 of the NFL’s Gambling Policy titled Gambling Activities states:

“NFL Personnel are restricted or prohibited from engaging in the following gambling-related activities, regardless of whether such activities are legal:

1. Betting on Football: All NFL Personnel are prohibited from placing, soliciting, or facilitating any bet, whether directly or indirectly through a third-party, on any NFL game, practice or other event. This includes betting on game outcome, statistics, score, performance of any individual participant, or any other kind of ‘proposition bet’ on which wagering is offered.”⁴[4]NFL Communications. (2018). Gambling Policy for NFL Personnel. Retrieved from https://nflcommunications.com/Documents/2018%20Policies/2018%20Gambling%20Policy%20-%20FINAL.pdf..

The policy then goes on to state that NFL athletes and personnel are also prohibited from placing wagers on any professional, amateur, or international sports competition.⁵[5]Id.

While the NFL’s gambling policy does not specify a structured system of punishments, it does indicate that violations will be decided on a case-by-case basis.⁶[6]Id. In response to Ridley’s suspension, Commissioner Goodell stated, “Your actions put the integrity of the game at risk, threatened to damage public confidence in professional football, and potentially undermined the reputations of your fellow players throughout the NFL.”⁷[7]NFL Communications. (2022). Falcons’ Calvin Ridley Suspended Through At Least The 2022 Season For Betting On NFL Games In 2021 Season. Retrieved from https://nflcommunications.com/Documents/03%2007%2022%20-%20Calvin%20Ridley.pdf.. He went on to commend Ridley for his honesty throughout the process but warned of the severity of his violation.

Pursuant to the NFL-NFLPA Collective Bargaining Agreement, Ridley may petition for reinstatement on or after February 15, 2023.⁸[8]Id. Although Ridley’s suspension remains indefinite, he is likely to be reinstated after the 2022 NFL season. The NFL’s investigation provided no evidence that Ridley’s bets had any impact on games.⁹[9]Belson, K. (2022, March 7). N.F.L. hands Calvin Ridley a 1-year suspension for betting on Games. The New York Times. Retrieved March 24, 2022, from https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/07/sports/football/calvin-ridley-nfl-betting.html.. During the 5-day period that Ridley placed the bets in November 2021, Ridley was on the Falcons non-football injury list to focus on his mental health.¹⁰[10]Id. He neither participated in any of the games he bet on nor influenced them in any way. According to documents obtained by Sports Handle, “Ridley wagered a total of $3,900 across six separate bets on or including Falcons games. Five of the bets were parlays in which the Falcons’ money line was included, and one was a $1,300 in-game wager on the Falcons.”¹¹[11]Smiley, B. (2022, March 11). Calvin Ridley bet more on Falcons games than he and NFL revealed. SportsHandle. Retrieved March 24, 2022, from https://sportshandle.com/calvin-ridley-nfl-betting-activity/..

Reaction

Many have pointed out alarming proportionality issues with Ridley’s suspension. In 2014, Baltimore Ravens running back, Ray Rice, was indicted for third-degree aggravated assault after he brutally beat and knocked his fiancé unconscious. The incident was captured on video, displaying visual evidence that effectively ruined Rice’s career.¹²[12]Gonzalez, A. J. (2022, March 8). Calvin Ridley’s suspension is glaring and hypocritical. En Fuego. Retrieved March 25, 2022, from https://www.enfuegonow.com/sports/calvin-ridleys-suspension-is-glaring-and-hypocritical. In response, NFL handed him a two-game suspension.¹³[13]Id. In 2015, Greg Hardy was found guilty of assaulting his ex-girlfriend and the NFL responded with a ten-game suspension that was eventually reduced to four. The punishments handed out for these disturbing acts of violence seem minimal in comparison to Ridley’s seventeen-game suspension for placing sports bets.

Not only are people arguing that Calvin Ridley’s punishment was unwarranted, but also that it was hypocritical. The NFL accumulates millions of dollars in sports betting partnerships, yet their athletes are strictly barred from any sort of usage. Their actions of heavily promoting and encouraging a product that is forbidden by its own personnel has raised concerns regarding the fairness of the league’s priorities.

However, the NFL maintains that its actions are necessary to protect the integrity of competition. Pro sports leagues have always levied their heaviest discipline against individuals who threaten the very game itself. The product that supports all players, their families, and everyone involved in the league depends on the game’s authenticity, legitimacy, and credibility. In magnified circumstances, Ridley’s actions had the potential to endanger and impact the well-being of countless fans and NFL personnel.

As sports gambling continues to cultivate, the NFL and other leagues are bound to run into further controversies. It remains to be seen if other sports leagues will take a similar approach to the NFL and enforce harsh punishments or if intent and severity will be taken into consideration.

Written by: Cole Rosemblum
Cole is a 2024 J.D. Candidate at Brooklyn Law School