Athletes are quickly finding out that betting on games and especially on their own teams will not be allowed under any circumstances.
Last week, the NFL suspended Denver Broncos defensive lineman Eyioma Uwazurike indefinitely for breaking the league’s gambling policy. The probe revealed the Denver Broncos defensive end bet on games he played in both at Iowa State and with the Denver Broncos last season, according to a report from the Des Moines Register.
According to The Athletic, Uwazurike is facing a charge of tampering with records stemming from the alleged wagers.
Per the complaint, Uwazurike “knowingly and intentionally falsify(ing) personal electronic sports wagering records by concealing his personal identity in said records with the intent to deceive or conceal a wrongdoing knowing he had no privilege or right to do.”
He could also face up to two years in prison because of this matter.
While suspended, Uwazurike won’t be allowed to have any contact with the Broncos, a stipulation that has been criticized by Denver coach Sean Payton.
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral NFL stories via Google! Follow Us
“When they want to kill somebody…when I got suspended, it was, ‘You can’t have no contact with anybody in the NFL,’” Payton said in an interview with USA TODAY last week. “Do we want these young men to still have a chance to learn from their mistakes?”
He reportedly made 32 wagers on Broncos players and games during his rookie season of 2022. The report says Uwazurike bet on five Broncos games, including two he played in — last Dec. 11 against Kansas City and last Dec. 18 against Arizona.
The 25-year-old played college football at Iowa State from 2016-2021, totaling 146 tackles and 15 sacks in five seasons. He was then picked by the Broncos in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL draft. He had 17 tackles during his rookie season.
