New York Jets receivers coach Miles Austin III received an indefinite suspension this week from the National Football League (NFL) for violating its betting and gambling policy.
Multiple reports indicate Austin will sit out at least one year for allegedly wagering on sports other than football and playing online table games. Austin will appeal the suspension, according to his attorney, Bill Deni:
The NFL suspended Miles Austin for wagering from a legal mobile account on table games and non-NFL professional sports.
Miles did not wager on any NFL game in violation of the Gambling Policy for NFL Personnel. He has been fully cooperative with the NFL’s investigation. He is appealing his suspension.
NFL betting not the only prohibition
League policy prevents not only betting on NFL games but on all sports. Austin allegedly placed wagers on his phone while at the team facility, according to an ESPN report.
The Jets team facility is in Florham Park, NJ. Betting on the NFL became legal shortly after the Supreme Court struck down the federal ban on sports betting in 2018.
Austin did not coach for the Jets during their Thursday Night Football game this week against the Jacksonville Jaguars. A former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver, Austin joined the Jets as a coach in 2021.
The Jets have signed gaming and casino sponsorship deals with MGM and 888 in previous years.
Ridley me this, NFL
Austin’s suspension is the third such ban issued by the NFL in the legal US sports betting era.
Arizona Cardinals player Josh Shaw received a one-year ban in 2019 for wagering on NFL games while visiting Las Vegas. Shaw was injured at the time and not on the Cardinals active roster. The league reinstated Shaw following his punishment.
More notably, the league also suspended then-Atlanta Falcons star Calvin Ridley in 2021 for betting on NFL contests while in Florida. Ridley was hurt and not with the team, but wagered on games during the brief period in which Florida sports betting was legal. Atlanta traded Ridley to Jacksonville this year.
Good for us, not for you?
Once a ringleader for anti-betting efforts in the US, the NFL changed its stance and embraced wagering on its games following the Supreme Court decision.
The league maintains partnerships with seven sportsbooks, including so-called “tri-exclusive” deals with:
The league declined comment on Austin’s suspension pending his appeal. What integrity threat Austin posed by wagering on sports other than football and playing online casino games remains an open question needing an answer from the NFL in this process.
