The Cleveland Browns have dismissed Bernie Kosar from their pregame coverage after he broke the NFL’s gambling rules as an employee of the franchise.
Kosar, a former quarterback of the Browns, was removed from the team’s pregame show before their season finale last weekend against the Pittsburgh Steelers because he violated the league’s gambling policy by placing a bet on an NFL game.
As host of The Bernie Kosar Show with Hanford Dixon, Kosar placed a $19,000 bet on the Browns to beat the Steelers with Tipico Sportsbook, who sponsor the podcast via a partnership with sports and entertainment network BIGPLAY.
Highlighting the wager during a recent episode of the podcast, Kosar said he would give the winnings to charity if it was a successful bet. However, the Browns would go on to lose to the Steelers 28-14.
Since the NFL’s gambling policy prohibits players and team personnel from wagering, the Browns decided to part ways with Kosar. The former Browns QB tweeted on Sunday morning that the team told him his “services are no longer desired or needed”.
The team said in a statement: “Earlier this week we notified Bernie, that per league policy, we were required to remove him from our pregame radio coverage for the season finale after he violated the NFL gambling policy by placing a bet on an NFL game.
“We understand what Bernie means to this community and our history but as team contracted personnel hired to provide content on our media platforms, his bet was a violation of NFL rules and we must adhere to all NFL policy.”
Kosar’s bet with Tipico Sportsbook could also be in violation of the Ohio Casino Control Commission’s regulations for sports betting as he was an employee of the Browns at the time of the bet, The OCCC’s regulations state a person can’t place a wager if:
“(3) For purposes of division (F) of this section, a person is considered to be involved in a sporting event if the person is an athlete, participant, coach, referee, team owner, or sports governing body with respect to the sporting event; any agent or employee of such an athlete, participant, coach, referee, team owner, or sports governing body; and any agent or employee of an athlete, participant, or referee union with respect to the sporting event.”
SBC Americas contacted Tipico for a comment regarding Kosar’s bet on their sportsbook but they have yet to respond.
The NFL has issued several penalties over the past year to players and coaches alike for violating their rules on gambling.
In March last year, the league suspended wide receiver Calvin Ridley indefinitely until at least the end of the 2022 season for betting on NFL games during the 2021 season. Ridley may petition for reinstatement on or after February 15, 2023.
In December, the NFL also suspended New York Jets wide receiver coach Miles Austin for at least one year for betting on sports. Austin is appealing his suspension and he only wagered on non-NFL professional sports and played online casino table games, according to his attorney and agent, William P Deni Jr.
