Falcons receiver Calvin Ridley was suspended by the NFL on Monday for “at least” the 2022 season for gambling on league games during the ’21 season.
Ridley was in Florida at the time he placed the bets and used the only gambling app that was legal in the state at the time. The app notified a compliance company that the NFL has hired called Genius Sports Group. Ridley’s activity was flagged in part due to his presence outside of the state of Georgia, a source told MMQB’s Albert Breer.
A separate report from NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo confirmed that the app used by Ridley was Hard Rock Sportsbook.
When the NFL announced that the Genius Sports Group would be the league’s compliance partner for gambling data, the company released a statement regarding the new partnership:
“The integrity of the game is at the center of all the NFL’s legalized sports betting ventures, and Genius will support the NFL’s efforts through comprehensive integrity services to monitor betting across all NFL games (preseason, regular season, and postseason) and tentpole events. The NFL and its Clubs will also have access to Genius’ integrity education programs to ensure the continuation of the NFL’s high standard for integrity.”
