Cleveland Browns release Bernie Kosar over NFL gambling policy breaches

Sports betting is expanding fast – perhaps too fast. A recent string of regulatory misgivings about breaches by licensed sportsbooks in Ohio and a fairly big betting scandal in the UFC, has given some justifications about rapid-legalization critics who argue that betting could be moving too quickly for the law to keep up with it.

But most proponents of the full legalization of sports gambling see the accidents of athletes betting on themselves as blips on the radar and the fact that they are held accountable for their actions – proof that the system actually works.

The latest prominent sports personality to be axed over gambling violations is Bernie Kosar, the radio voice and ex-quarterback who was released by the Cleveland Browns over his alleged breaches of the National Football League’s gambling policy, Sports Illustrated reported. A statement by the team detailed that Kosar was dismissed because of him "placing a bet on an NFL game."

The team appreciated Kosar for his work and what he meant for the community but insisted that violating the existing NFL rules was not something that the team could just look past and that the Browns had to stick to existing NFL policies and rules. The statement was shared by Mary Kay Cabot, a Cleveland.com’s correspondent on Twitter.

Kosar was not caught red-handed, but rather he himself discussed his bet publicly on The Bernie Kosar Show With Hanford Dixon. He argued that he had backed the Browns to beat the Steelers and intended to donate the $19,000 winnings to a charity. Kosar was subsequently fired.

When he detailed the situation, Kosar simply stated that the Browns had informed him that "his services were no longer desired," unlocking a torrent of speculation as to what the reason behind his removal could be, and how it came to be in the first place.

As an old-time member of the Browns, and a person involved to run and provide content for various media platforms, Kosar is apparently considered an insider and therefore prohibited from gambling on the NFL.

Essentially, the policy is there to protect people from making opportunistic bets based on knowledge only they, not matchmakers or the general public would have. This is why the Browns found themselves with no other option but to fire him.

Image credit: Unsplash.com