Betting Scandals

NFL Expands Betting Probe After Team Exec Allegedly Leaked Inside Information

Posted on: August 22, 2026, 11:25h.

Last updated on: August 24, 2026, 04:36h.

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Devin O'Connor Devin O'Connor is a senior reporter for Casino.org, covering politics, casino business, and gaming news. Devin came on board with Casino.org in 2014...
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Key Points

The NFL gambling scandal involving former Cardinals executive Ryan Gold is expanding, with gaming regulators in Arizona and Massachusetts investigating
Gold is accused of tipping off a bettor that Arizona would select Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love with the third pick in the 2026 NFL Draft
Gold denies the allegations, while his attorney says his wife placed the small parlay bets that are also part of the NFL investigation

The sports betting investigation into a former Arizona Cardinals front-office executive has widened, with gaming regulators in both Arizona and Massachusetts now probing allegations of leaked inside draft information.

NFL sports betting scandal Arizona Cardinals — Jeremiyah Love #4 of the Arizona Cardinals looks on before a preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium on Aug. 13, 2026, in Las Vegas. The NFL alleges that a Cardinals executive tipped off a sports bettor that the team would select Love as the third pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. (Image: Getty)

In July, the NFL announced that Ryan Gold, a 13-year front office veteran of the Arizona Cardinals, had been suspended indefinitely for allegedly violating the league’s gambling policy.

Reports surfaced that Gold allegedly tipped off a sports bettor ahead of the April 2026 NFL Draft that the team would select Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love with the third pick. The scandal additionally includes claims that Gold himself placed parlay bets on NFL and college football games.

In response, the Arizona Department of Gaming opened an investigation into whether Gold violated its state sports betting regulations. This week, the matter expanded to a second state, Massachusetts, where state gaming regulators report suspicious betting activity involving the Cardinals.

Gold grew up in Massachusetts and won two state football titles before attending the University of Massachusetts. ESPN reports that Gold was an offensive undergraduate assistant for two years before he was hired to the Minutemen coaching staff in 2011.

Arizona and Massachusetts both have in-person and online sports betting.

Bad Bets

The NFL’s gambling policy prohibits all players, coaches, team personnel, referees, and anyone else directly involved in a game, including trainers and game-day stadium workers with field access, from betting on the NFL.

The policy is even more stringent for non-player personnel, such as front-office executives and scouts, who are prohibited from all sports betting, while players may bet on non-NFL sports when not on team time.

Gold denies the sports betting allegations against him.

There is absolutely zero substance to the claims made against Ryan Gold,” Gold’s attorney, Mike Caspino, told ESPN. “The NFL’s investigation is so deeply flawed and so wrong. He will be vindicated next month in our appeal.”

By the time the NFL Draft rolled around in April, Love had emerged as the betting favorite to go third overall, with sportsbooks listing the Fighting Irish star at 2/1 to join Arizona.

As for the parlay bets, Caspino claims Gold’s wife, Jennifer, placed the $10 wagers as part of a weekly betting group with friends.

Possible Penalties

The NFL’s gambling policy states that any covered member who is found to have provided inside information to help someone place a bet faces an indefinite suspension of at least one year.

Confidential information includes anything that isn’t publicly available, including internal knowledge about who a team might pick in the NFL Draft.