The National Football League (NFL) has placed Arizona Cardinals Director of College Scouting Ryan Gold under indefinite suspension for violating the league’s gambling policy, having provided inside information on the 2026 NFL and participated in football-related wagers.
Gold allegedly provided confidential information related to the 2026 NFL Draft, including selections Arizona was planning to make prior to the picks being announced.
According to an investigation conducted by the NFL, Gold also participated in parlay bets on the NFL and collegiate football games. Currently, it has not been made public as to who Gold may have shared the non-public information with.
The NFL released a statement regarding the matter on July 17, having said: “The NFL confirmed today that Ryan Gold, Director of College Scouting for the Arizona Cardinals, has been suspended indefinitely for violating the NFL’s Gambling Policy. This suspension is effective immediately.
“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’s investigation determined that Gold provided confidential, non-public inside information regarding 2026 Draft selections by the Cardinals before they were announced and that Mr. Gold participated in parlay bets on NFL and college games. 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.”
Gold retains the right to appeal the suspension, but his investigation represents the first gambling-related punishment handed down by the league since 2023, when the NFL suspended 10 players for such violations.
The investigation also confirmed Arizona fully cooperated with the NFL prior to Gold’s suspension, while the league found no evidence that additional personnel was aware of or involved in the activity.
In April, the NFL appointed Keith Perschetz as Director of Global Sports Betting, which sits within the league’s broader structure overseeing sports wagering, including commercial partnerships with operators and coordination with regulators across multiple jurisdictions.
Former NBA players Malik Beasley and Ed Davod were indicted on illegal sports gambling charges in June following a scheme which was allegedly first developed during the 2023-2024 season
