Shawn Lemon Suspended Indefinitely for Betting on CFL

The Canadian Football League (CFL) has announced the indefinite suspension of Defensive Lineman Shawn Lemon for sports betting breaches.

The indefinite suspension comes after Shawn Lemon announced his retirement on April 10.

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According to the CFL, Lemon participated in sports wagering activities involving league games, including the ones he played. An investigation by the league discovered that Lemon placed bets on 2021 while he was with the Calgary Stampeders.

However, the league stated that there was no evidence to suggest that Lemon's betting influenced any games, even the ones he played in. Additionally, the CFL confirmed that there was no evidence to indicate that coaches, teammates, or other team personnel from the Stampeders were aware of his sports betting activities.

The integrity of our game is of the utmost importance. Any other factors — career performance, actions in the community, timing, frequency or size of wagers — hold no weight when the legitimacy of the CFL can be called into question.

Randy AmbrosieCFL Commissioner

Shawn Lemon Retirement Announcement

Interestingly, the suspension comes in the wake of Lemon announcing his retirement from football. On April 10, Lemon announced his decision to retire from the sport, less than five months after helping the Montreal Alouettes defeat the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Grey Cup.

The retirement also came as a surprise to fans, especially since he had just penned a one-year deal with Montreal in December.

The Alouettes were recently made aware of the CFL’s investigation regarding an issue involving Shawn Lemon that took place in 2021. Additional information was made available to the club upon the completion of the league’s investigation in recent days. The team fully supports the CFL’s rules on gambling. As a result of this investigation and the league’s ruling, we have suspended Shawn Lemon indefinitely. We will have no further comment.

StatementThe Montreal Alouettes

More Regulation News

Third Player to Receive a Suspension

With the development, Lemon became the third Canadian-based athlete to be suspended or banned by a major sports league since legalization.

Ottawa Senators forward Shane Pinto was the first. He was suspended for 41 games for sports wagering activities.

Earlier this month, former Toronto Raptors centre Jontay Porter was banned for life by the NBA for betting on NBA games and disclosing confidential information to sports bettors.

RELATED TOPICS: Regulation

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