The Saga Continues: NFL Investigating Colts Player for Sports Betting

Yet Another NFL Team is Caught in the Web of Online Gambling

Colts Player Accused Of ‘Pervasive’ Wagering

Only five days into June and the newest reports of another NFL player caught sports betting are up. On Monday, Sports Handle reported that the NFL is investigating a Colts player for sports betting. Later that night, ESPN reported that it was cornerback Isaiah Rodgers, who has since issued a statement.

“The last thing I ever wanted to do was to be a distraction to the Colts organization, my coaches, and my teammates,” Rodgers said. “I’ve let people down that I care about. I made an error in judgment and I am going to work hard to make sure that those mistakes are rectified through this process. It’s an honor to play in the NFL and I have never taken that lightly. I am very sorry for all of this.”

Yikes. It was just about a week ago when NFL betting news identified a fifth Detroit Lions player being implicated in sports wagering. That followed earlier reports that four Lions plus a Washington player all got suspended for similar incursions.

This now makes seven players, an assistant coach, and an unidentified team employee that have been caught violating the league’s betting policy since Supreme Court’s ruling in 2018.

Bet on Yourself… Not!

Sorry, players. If you still did not know by now, “bet on yourself” should not be taken literally. The NFL’s anti-gambling policies explicitly forbid its players and personnel from engaging in any form of sports wagering – even if it’s on their own team. Either Isaiah Rodgers did not know that or chose to not follow the policy anyhow.

The sixth-round pick from the 2020 NFL Draft has appeared in 45 Colts games (started in 15) as both a cornerback and a returner. While he has modest NFL player stats, the fact that he was on the field while wagering off of it is an integrity issue for the NFL.

ESPN did report that Rodgers’s bets were mostly small amounts ranging from $25 to $50 on his own team: The Colts. However, he did it often and also placed a bet that was in the “low four-figure” amount.

So far, only Rodgers has been exposed by this though it can be assumed the NFL is investigating Colts players further. With how accessible online sports wagering is now, there could be more players like Rodgers. The league will suspend him and the team could cut him.

Impact on Indianapolis Sports Wagering

Thus far, there are no reports on the Indiana Gaming Commission banning NFL wagering in the state. That seems far fetched at this point until further news breaks. However, Deputy Director Jenny Reske did mention they are also investigating.

“The IGC is not the lead agency because it involves violations of league policy,” Reske told Sports Handle. “We will, however, continue to review information as it emerges to see if it requires any regulatory action.”

For bettors living in Indiana, the last news they want to hear is of the NFL investigating more Colts players. Michigan did not move to ban NFL betting in the wake of the Lions’ betting scandals though Indiana could feel differently.

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