India and Staiano have both been found to have placed bets on PGA Tour tournaments, which violates the PGA Tour Integrity Programme rules.
According to the PGA Tour, neither player placed bets on competitions they were actively participating in, although it is unclear on which events they did place bets or the types of wagers made.
India has been handed a six-month suspension from PGA Tour-sanctioned events, effective from 18 September to 17 March next year. Staiano, on the other hand, will serve a three-month suspension from PGA Tour-sanctioned competitions, starting from 11 September until 10 December.
The PGA Tour has stated that it will not provide any further comments on these suspensions at the present time.
India, a 34-year-old professional player from the US, has a current Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) of 936. Staiano, also from the US, is 26 years old and turned professional in 2019, currently without an OWGR placement.
In a separate incident, the National Hockey League (NHL) issued a 41-match suspension to Shane Pinto for breaking sports betting rules. Pinto, a player for the Ottawa Senators since 2021, is the first NHL player to be suspended for betting on sports since the repeal of PASPA in mid-2018. Although Pinto is not accused of betting on NHL games, NHL policy prohibits players from wagering on such games.
Similarly, the National Football League (NFL) has also imposed sanctions on players for betting rule violations. Eyioma Uwazurike, a Denver Broncos player, was indefinitely suspended in July for betting on NFL games during the 2022 season. In June, Isaiah Rodgers and Rashod Berry of the Indianapolis Colts were suspended until the end of the 2023 season, while Demetrius Taylor, a free agent, was banned for 2023, and Nicholas Petit-Frere received a six-game suspension. Additionally, in April, Jameson Williams, Quintez Cephus, Stanley Berryhill, and CJ Moore of the Detroit Lions, along with Shaka Toney of the Washington Commanders, were all suspended for breaching the betting policy.
