Arbitrator supports CFL's indefinite suspension of Alouettes' Lemon for sports gambling

Shawn Lemon won't be returning to the Montreal Alouettes' lineup any time soon.

The CFL announced Wednesday an independent arbitrator had upheld its indefinite suspension of the defensive lineman for sports betting. The arbitrator's decision is binding and could spell the end of Lemon's 13-year career as there was no indication regarding if or when the 36-year-old American could apply for reinstatement.

"It is clear this is an important issue," CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie said. "It speaks to the integrity of the game.

"It's why we've seen across the world of sports leagues have dealt with this harshly … as leagues, we watch each other because there are precedence issues."

And precedent certainly doesn't bode well for Lemon.

On April 17, Jontay Porter of the Toronto Raptors was banned for life from the NBA after an investigation determined he'd disclosed confidential information to sports bettors, bet on league games and limited his time on the court — on at least one occasion — for betting purposes.

In June, Tucupita Marcano of the San Diego Padres was banned from baseball for life for betting on the sport. Oakland pitcher Michael Kelly and three minor-league players also received one-year suspensions for gambling-related violations.

"Players, fans and anyone associated with our game must be able to believe in the league's fairness of competition," Ambrosie said. "Today's decision upholds that standard and underscores the CFL's position against match manipulation."

The Alouettes said they respected the arbitrator's decision.

"The Alouettes organization has always supported the league's rules on gambling and will continue to do so," the Alouettes said in a statement. "The integrity of the league is of the utmost