Prior to Sunday’s matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers, longtime Browns employee and former Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar was relieved from his radio pregame show duties for betting on an NFL game as part of a promotion with Tipico Sportsbook during Ohio’s sports betting launch on Jan. 1.

Kosar, who’s been an official ambassador for the Browns and has contributed to the franchise’s in-house sports talk radio shows, said Sunday morning on his Twitter account that his “services are no longer desired or needed.”

Kosar’s Ohio sports bet his undoing

Mary Kay Cabot, a Browns beat writer for Cleveland.com, reported Sunday morning that Kosar was relieved of his duties due to his participation with Tipico Sportsbook for Ohio’s sports betting launch on Jan. 1, 12:01 a.m. Kosar placed the first official bet for the sportsbook, a $19,000 moneyline bet on the Browns to defeat the Steelers on Jan. 8, after the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve.

If the bet hit, Kosar reportedly planned to donate the winnings to charity. However, according to the franchise in an official statement to Cabot, the Browns were forced to remove Kosar from his position with the team “after he violated the NFL gambling policy by placing a bet on an NFL game.”

Here’s the full team statement, according to Cabot:

Browns have sports betting relationships

The Browns have several sports betting partnerships in place in the Buckeye State. The Browns applied for, and officially received, a Type A (online sports betting) and Type B (retail sports betting) license from the Ohio Casino Control Commission.

The Cleveland Browns entered into a sports betting partnership with Bally’s Interactive to run its sports betting programs. The NFL franchise will officially offer online sports betting and have plans for a Bally’s sportsbook in proximity of FirstEnergy Stadium.

Neither the franchise’s online or retail sports betting programs have been launched yet.

The long-term partnership features various fan-focused elements and will also include a branded lounge at FirstEnergy Stadium.

“We are excited to partner with such a historic pro football franchise to secure sports betting market access in Ohio, and bring to its fan base more ways to engage through our online gaming platforms. The Browns’ stadium and gameday atmosphere provide a great opportunity for us to showcase our Bally Bet Sportsbook app and Bally Play products in Ohio,” said Adi Dhandhania, Bally’s Interactive COO, in a press release when the partnership was announced.