Documents obtained and reviewed by Sports Handle show Atlanta Falcons star wide receiver Calvin Ridley wagered more than the $1,500 he claimed on NFL games and placed more than the widely reported three parlay wagers involving Falcons contests during a six-day stretch in November 2021.
Ridley wagered a total of $3,900 across six separate bets on or including Falcons games. Five of the bets were parlays in which the Falcons’ moneyline was included, and one was a $1,300 in-game wager on the Falcons’ team total placed during the second half of a 21-14 victory by Atlanta on Nov. 28. All six of the wagers involving the Falcons were graded as losses.
I bet 1500 total I don’t have a gambling problem
— CALVIN RIDLEY (@CalvinRidley1) March 7, 2022
The parlays were headlined by a $300, 11-leg bet on NFL games placed on the morning of Nov. 28. At odds of 481/1, the bet would have paid more than $144,000 if successful.
Ridley placed the bets during a period spanning Nov. 23-28, at a time when the receiver was away from the team on the non-football illness (NFI) list. He needed a break from football to focus on his mental well-being, he had written in an Oct. 31 statement.
As a result of the league’s findings that he violated its gambling policy, which Ridley has acknowledged, the NFL on Monday suspended the 27-year-old former first-round pick indefinitely. The suspension runs at minimum through the conclusion of the 2022 NFL season.
The former Alabama star placed two additional $100 wagers on NFL games not involving the Falcons, winning both, for a profit of $654. According to investigative records, Ridley also placed 33 additional wagers on other sports and leagues for a total of $32,733, with a profit of $2,744.
His net loss across all wagering at the sportsbook — the Hard Rock Online Sportsbook operating in Florida at the time through the Seminole Tribe of Florida — was $1,186. Ridley established the account on Nov. 23.
Ridley’s agent, Ben Setas of SportsTrust Advisors, did not immediately respond to Sports Handle’s request Friday morning for comment on his client’s betting activities.
So how did Calvin Ridley get busted? He was in Florida, and used the only gambling app legal in the state. The app notified a compliance company the NFL has hired called Genius for this kind of thing.
That he was out of state was a factor in Ridley's activity being flagged.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) March 7, 2022
NFL Commissioner Goodell’s response
Ridley will be eligible to apply for reinstatement to the league on or after Feb. 13, 2023, following the conclusion of the 2022 season.
“There is nothing more fundamental to the NFL’s success — and to the reputation of everyone associated with our league — than upholding the integrity of the game,” Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a letter to Ridley. “This is the responsibility of every player, coach, owner, game official, and anyone else employed in the league. Your actions put the integrity of the game at risk, threatened to damage public confidence in professional football, and potentially undermined the reputations of your fellow players throughout the NFL.
“For decades, gambling on NFL games has been considered among the most significant violations of league policy warranting the most substantial sanction. In your case, I acknowledge and commend you for your promptly reporting for an interview, and for admitting your actions.”
Per the league’s statement, the investigation “uncovered no evidence indicating any inside information was used or that any game was compromised in any way. Nor was there evidence suggesting any awareness by coaches, staff, teammates, or other players of his betting activity.”
I know I was wrong But I’m getting 1 year lol
— CALVIN RIDLEY (@CalvinRidley1) March 7, 2022
Just gone be more healthy when I come back
— CALVIN RIDLEY (@CalvinRidley1) March 7, 2022
The Falcons, meanwhile, said in a statement Monday that the team was first made aware of the league’s investigation on Feb. 9. It said the team had cooperated fully and is “moving forward in the 2022 season with the decision” that the league made.
One day prior to the league’s announcement of the suspension, Ridley put a note on Twitter that seemed to indicate he knew to expect the penalty.
I learn from my Ls
— CALVIN RIDLEY (@CalvinRidley1) March 6, 2022
Multiple NFL teams reached out to the Falcons in recent weeks to inquire about trading for Calvin Ridley, and each time, Atlanta declined to enter into any talks out of good faith, knowing the issues in store for their standout wide receiver, per sources.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 7, 2022
Calvin Ridley bet $1500 and lost $10 million, those are the worst odds in gambling history
— Rodger Sherman (@rodger) March 7, 2022
A native of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Ridley was set to earn $11.1 million in the fifth year of his rookie deal with the Falcons. Due to the suspension, that sum will no longer count against the team’s salary cap for the 2022 season. The suspension and uncertainty surrounding his reinstatement also effectively tanks the star receiver’s trade value for the immediate future. The wideout last suited up for the Falcons on Oct. 24 before placement on the NFI list.
“I know we would love to have the young man back to play for us, but where that sits with him, I don’t know,” Falcons owner Arthur Blank said in an interview Monday, per The Athletic. “At some point, with free agency coming up and then the draft, we have to have a full understanding about that. I think he and his agent understand that as well.”
The Hard Rock Sportsbook app first became available in Florida on Nov. 1 as an online extension of the Seminole Tribe’s Hard Rock Casino. The tribe suspended its online sportsbook on Dec. 4, however, after multiple courts ruled that its compact with the state was invalid. The tribe was instructed to take down its site as early as Nov. 23 but continued to offer live wagering through Dec. 4, stopping after a federal appeals court upheld the lower court ruling.
SLATER SCOOP: Sports betting in Florida has begun.
Hard Rock Sportsbook just started accepting wagers on their mobile app.
You can get access right here 👇🏼https://t.co/9qIBXyFDAe pic.twitter.com/cB34IhPCJy
— Andy Slater (@AndySlater) November 1, 2021
“As a result of yesterday’s Appeals Court decision denying a temporary stay of the District Court’s decision on the 2021 Compact, Hard Rock Sportsbook will temporarily suspend operations of its mobile app in Florida,” Gary Bitner, a Seminole spokesperson, said in a statement in December. “Account balances for all current players will be refunded as requested.”
The only other NFL player suspended by the league for gambling since the U.S. Supreme Court in May 2018 struck down the federal ban on full-fledged sports wagering outside Nevada is former Arizona Cardinals defensive back Josh Shaw. The league suspended Shaw in November 2019 after he was found to have bet on NFL contests while he was away from the team. The suspension covered the entire 2020 NFL season, and he has yet to sign with another NFL team.
Ridley’s breakout season came in 2020 when he caught 90 passes for 1,374 yards and nine touchdowns, earning second team All-Pro honors. In five games in 2021, the wideout caught 31 balls for 293 yards and two scores.
