ESPN Turns to Ifrah to Comment on Calvin Ridley Scandal

FAQ: Calvin Ridley exemplifies challenge of stopping players from betting

Jeff Ifrah, a prominent gaming attorney in Washington, D.C., said it is difficult for sportsbooks to identify prohibited bettors, especially if a sports league hasn’t provided a comprehensive list of personnel and identifying data.

“It may be the case, for example, that a football player is betting, but if the NFL hasn’t given their database and integrated it with [a sportsbook] then the sportsbook isn’t going to be able to identify the player,” Ifrah told ESPN. “And they’re not going to just blacklist someone because their name matches a football player somewhere. It’s difficult to do that if the league isn’t providing that list.”