The Football Association in England has always been lenient towards betting in the sport. With so many of the major sponsors of the England team, the Premier League and lower leagues coming from betting sites, regulating that area can prove tricky.
However, the FA has decided that players will no longer be able to bet on any type of football game. This ban extends to all employees at a club. Anyone from the manager of a football team to the kit man is not allowed to put money on a Premier League or Football League game.
This move is long overdue, with betting a long standing problem for football players. A lot of ex players have spoken about the amount of debt they racked up by betting on football. In addition, there was a spot fixing investigation that involved three Premier League players.
There was another story related to online gambling in football this year. The manager of Tranmere Rovers, an English Football League team, admitted that he broke the FA’s rules on betting while he was employed by the club. Even though Ronnie Moore got to keep his job, he was sanctioned by the FA with a multiple match touchline ban. He was also fined a significant amount.
England’s football body is hoping that by introducing a complete ban on football related betting, they will be able to remove these types of incidents from the game. Players are much less likely to go into a grey betting area if they know that any type of football betting is illegal.
Players will still be allowed to bet on horse racing, cricket, tennis or other sports. They may also bet on football leagues from other countries, but this is not advised. Individual players are no longer allowed to endorse betting products, even though leagues and clubs can continue to promote these services.