Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez appears to be breaching the Football Association’s (FA) rules regarding promoting betting companies.
According to a press release from ‘bplay’, a sports betting website in his native Argentina, Martinez became a brand ambassador more than a year and a half ago.
A post on the bplay website from June 2024 introduces Martinez as an ambassador, referencing a commercial in which the 33-year-old starred. A new campaign launched in October 2025 features Martinez and his brother, Alejandro, a professional motorsport driver, wearing each other’s kit. This was to represent, according to bplay, how “sport can unite even those who travel different paths”.
World Cup winner Martinez is featured prominently on bplay’s website and social media output, with the online sporting betting and casino platform founded in 2020 and a regulated operator in Argentina.
Under FA regulations, professional footballers in England are strictly prohibited from personally promoting, advertising, or endorsing betting activity that they themselves are forbidden from engaging in.
FA rules state that “an individual participant, when acting in a personal capacity, shall not be permitted to advertise or promote any betting activity that the Participant is prohibited from engaging in by Rule E8.1, E8.2 or E8.4.” Those rules prevent players from betting in matches, leagues or competitions they are playing in or can influence.
As well as tournaments in South America and Europe, the bplay website offers odds on the Premier League, FA Cup and the Europa League, three of the four competitions Villa have featured in this season.
In 2019, former Everton defender Yerry Mina was fined £10,000 and warned as to his future conduct after appearing in a TV advert in Colombia for Colombian betting company, Betjuego.
Villa’s current front-of-shirt sponsor is Betano, a UK sports betting and gambling site. The club signed a two-year deal ahead of the 2024-25 campaign, which will end this summer. That comes ahead of new Premier League rules coming into effect, which prohibit teams from having front-of-shirt gambling sponsors from the start of the 2026-27 season.
Following Ivan Toney’s suspension for betting offences, the FA has increased education given to players on gambling rules. This includes a short eLearning course for young players within academy systems, educating them on betting rules and its guidelines. Further mandatory awareness of the rules is raised through player workshops.
Showing posts with label FA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label FA. Show all posts
October 18, 2024
Lucas Paqueta issues statement on gambling probe amid 'misleading' leaks
Lucas Paqueta has slammed "entirely false" claims surrounding his ongoing alleged betting breaches probe.
Reports recently claimed that the West Ham star had been summoned to a hearing later this month relating to the allegations. It has also been claimed that he could be facing a lifetime ban should he be found guilty.
And Paqueta has now shared a furious statement on social media responding. He wrote: "I am frustrated and upset to have read recent misleading and inaccurate press articles, published in both England and Brazil, claiming to disclose information about my case. Some of that information is entirely false and appears designed to undermine my position. I am also concerned that, although they are false and misteading, these articles are clearly sourced from an individual close to the case.
"The FA proceedings are supposed to be confidential, and they are extremely serious for me and my family. The continued leaking and publication of inaccurate information in the press is now putting at risk my chance of receiving fair hearing, I have, therefore, instructed my lawyers to write to The FA to request that they conduct a thorough investigation into how information about the case, even if inaccurate, is finding its way into the public domain. I continue to deny the charges against me and look forward to demonstrating my innocence.“
Paqueta was originally charged by The FA in May for alleged betting breaches. He is accused of intentionally receiving a yellow card in four Premier League matches - something that he denies.
An investigation was originally opened in the summer of 2023. West Ham boss Julen Lopetegui has been keen to focus more on Paqueta's performances as opposed to the alleged breaches.
“He’s trying to work very hard, trying to understand what we want from him," the Spaniard said. "We’re trying to help him to be better and better. He’s an important player.
"He’s managed this in a good way," Lopetegui added. "We try to help him but we don’t talk about this. We talk about football, the next match, about life but not about this.”
Paqueta has also been charged with two counts of failing to comply with the FA investigation. The bookings under the microscope came against Leicester, Aston Villa, Leeds and Bournemouth during the 2022/23 season.
Paqueta, 27, joined West Ham from Lyon in 2022. He has gone on to make 93 appearances for the Hammers, scoring 15 times. He helped the club win the Europa Conference League during his debut campaign.
Reports recently claimed that the West Ham star had been summoned to a hearing later this month relating to the allegations. It has also been claimed that he could be facing a lifetime ban should he be found guilty.
And Paqueta has now shared a furious statement on social media responding. He wrote: "I am frustrated and upset to have read recent misleading and inaccurate press articles, published in both England and Brazil, claiming to disclose information about my case. Some of that information is entirely false and appears designed to undermine my position. I am also concerned that, although they are false and misteading, these articles are clearly sourced from an individual close to the case.
"The FA proceedings are supposed to be confidential, and they are extremely serious for me and my family. The continued leaking and publication of inaccurate information in the press is now putting at risk my chance of receiving fair hearing, I have, therefore, instructed my lawyers to write to The FA to request that they conduct a thorough investigation into how information about the case, even if inaccurate, is finding its way into the public domain. I continue to deny the charges against me and look forward to demonstrating my innocence.“
Paqueta was originally charged by The FA in May for alleged betting breaches. He is accused of intentionally receiving a yellow card in four Premier League matches - something that he denies.
An investigation was originally opened in the summer of 2023. West Ham boss Julen Lopetegui has been keen to focus more on Paqueta's performances as opposed to the alleged breaches.
“He’s trying to work very hard, trying to understand what we want from him," the Spaniard said. "We’re trying to help him to be better and better. He’s an important player.
"He’s managed this in a good way," Lopetegui added. "We try to help him but we don’t talk about this. We talk about football, the next match, about life but not about this.”
Paqueta has also been charged with two counts of failing to comply with the FA investigation. The bookings under the microscope came against Leicester, Aston Villa, Leeds and Bournemouth during the 2022/23 season.
Paqueta, 27, joined West Ham from Lyon in 2022. He has gone on to make 93 appearances for the Hammers, scoring 15 times. He helped the club win the Europa Conference League during his debut campaign.
March 28, 2024
Sandro Tonali charged with breaching FA's betting rules
Newcastle United footballer Sandro Tonali has been charged with misconduct over alleged breaches of the Football Association's betting rules.
The Italian midfielder is alleged to have broken regulations 50 times by placing bets on football matches between 12 August and 12 October last year, the FA said.
The Italy international, who joined the Magpies last summer for £55m from AC Milan, has until 5 April to respond, the FA added.
The 23-year-old Italy international is currently serving a 10-month football ban after breaching betting rules in his home nation. He was also fined £17,000.
In a hearing at the Italian Football Federation in Turin, he admitted making bets on AC Milan to win games.
He was initially given an 18-month ban last October by the Italian Football Federation - but that was reduced by eight months after he agreed to enter therapy.
Giuseppe Riso, his agent, said he had a gambling addiction.
Had he not cooperated his suspension - under FIFA rules - could have reached three years.
He cannot play competitive football until August, meaning he will miss Euro 2024.
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But he is free to train with Newcastle and play in friendlies.
Newcastle said it "acknowledged" the misconduct charge, adding that the player "continues to fully comply with relevant investigations".
Tonali "retains the club's full support", it added.
"Due to this ongoing process, Sandro and Newcastle United are unable to offer further comment at this time," Newcastle said.
When Sandro Tonali was pictured signing for Newcastle, the backdrop was plastered with logos for a betting firm, writes Sky News sports correspondent Rob Harris.
He was promoting gambling on football while under orders - like every player - not to bet on the game himself.
Football has uneasy funding and promotional links to a betting industry that players are ordered to stay away from.
Perhaps, in addition, we should we be asking whether banning a player is the right solution when dealing with an addiction.
This is a player with a gambling problem - currently serving a 10-month ban for offenses in Italy where he played for AC Milan before joining Newcastle in July 2023. Now, the FA is alleging a further 50 betting breaches.
It could lead to a lengthier ban for Tonali, who is already out of Italy's Euro 2024 campaign.
The Italian midfielder is alleged to have broken regulations 50 times by placing bets on football matches between 12 August and 12 October last year, the FA said.
The Italy international, who joined the Magpies last summer for £55m from AC Milan, has until 5 April to respond, the FA added.
The 23-year-old Italy international is currently serving a 10-month football ban after breaching betting rules in his home nation. He was also fined £17,000.
In a hearing at the Italian Football Federation in Turin, he admitted making bets on AC Milan to win games.
He was initially given an 18-month ban last October by the Italian Football Federation - but that was reduced by eight months after he agreed to enter therapy.
Giuseppe Riso, his agent, said he had a gambling addiction.
Had he not cooperated his suspension - under FIFA rules - could have reached three years.
He cannot play competitive football until August, meaning he will miss Euro 2024.
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But he is free to train with Newcastle and play in friendlies.
Newcastle said it "acknowledged" the misconduct charge, adding that the player "continues to fully comply with relevant investigations".
Tonali "retains the club's full support", it added.
"Due to this ongoing process, Sandro and Newcastle United are unable to offer further comment at this time," Newcastle said.
When Sandro Tonali was pictured signing for Newcastle, the backdrop was plastered with logos for a betting firm, writes Sky News sports correspondent Rob Harris.
He was promoting gambling on football while under orders - like every player - not to bet on the game himself.
Football has uneasy funding and promotional links to a betting industry that players are ordered to stay away from.
Perhaps, in addition, we should we be asking whether banning a player is the right solution when dealing with an addiction.
This is a player with a gambling problem - currently serving a 10-month ban for offenses in Italy where he played for AC Milan before joining Newcastle in July 2023. Now, the FA is alleging a further 50 betting breaches.
It could lead to a lengthier ban for Tonali, who is already out of Italy's Euro 2024 campaign.
October 03, 2023
FA accused of ‘double standard’ in allowing club owners to bet on football while banning players
The Football Association is facing claims of double standards after an investigation revealed that the owner of a Premier League club may have benefited from bets on the game placed in his own name.
The disclosures involve Matthew Benham, the owner of the Premier League club Brentford FC, whose star striker, Ivan Toney, is serving an eight-month suspension for breaking the FA’s strict gambling rules.
Benham is one of a select few multimillionaire club owners who enjoy an opaque arrangement with the FA that allows them to be involved in betting. There's evidence that appears to show that Benham has made money from bets on football placed in his own name, via a UK-based gambling syndicate called MSPP Admin. Benham said he abides by all FA betting rules.
The governing body prohibits anyone involved in football from betting on any match, anywhere in the world, under laws designed to protect the integrity of the sport, resulting in tough penalties for footballers, including the England striker Toney.
The FA is now facing calls to reveal the full terms of its deal with the owners, which has been in place for a decade. Other proprietors that the FA allows to run a betting business while owning a football club include the Coates family behind Bet365 and Stoke City, and the Brighton owner Tony Bloom. There is no suggestion that any of them have benefited from bets placed in their own name.
The association, which oversees all football in England, has consistently refused to give full details of exemptions given to some football club owners but has said that anyone with a “significant interest” in a football club must not be “directly involved” in activity such as setting odds or placing bets.
Information raises questions about the nature of Benham’s involvement in football bets.
Benham is the majority funder and beneficiary of MSPP Admin, a tiny, London-based company that bets in the UK and in Hong Kong, where it does so via private counterparties – people willing to take the other side of a bet.
Such syndicates pool money invested by multiple bettors and adopt a unified betting strategy to maximise returns. MSPP Admin is understood to have placed bets on behalf of Benham and other unnamed individuals.
The chair of the west London club, Cliff Crown, is listed as one of two co-owners of MSPP Admin, along with the former Brentford director and longtime Benham friend and business associate Philip Whall.
According to evidence, some of the wagers are placed in Benham’s own name.
Separate evidence shows that MSPP Admin placed frequent bets on football matches around the world in its own company name, some as recently as autumn 2022. None was on matches in the UK.
Typically, MSPP Admin bets via exchanges, companies that charge a fee to match someone placing a bet with someone else happy to take the other side of it.
The FA is understood to have made inquiries about whether Benham placed bets in his name within the UK. However, there is no suggestion that the syndicate has bet on Brentford, the Premier League or competitions in which the club is involved.
A spokesperson for Benham said: “Matthew Benham, alongside other club owners who have a financial interest in a betting company, is subject to an FA policy which, if abided by, ensures that their betting companies may continue to bet on football.
“In particular, those the policy applies to must not, among other things, have any direct involvement in setting odds or placing bets on football or pass on any inside information. This policy has been in place for almost a decade.
“Matthew fully complies with this FA policy. He abides by all its conditions and restrictions and is also subject to regular third-party audits to confirm compliance.”
The spokesperson did not respond to questions about whether Benham had profited from bets placed in his own name, nor how this would comply with the FA’s requirement on direct involvement.
The FA updated its betting rules in 2014 to strengthen a regime designed to prevent corruption and protect the integrity of the game. It drew up a policy specifically designed for gambling bosses who own football clubs but has repeatedly refused to publish this policy.
The FA has indicated that “stakeholders” such as leagues and club owners are the only people that need to see the whole document.
Clive Betts MP, who chairs the all-party parliamentary group on football, warned of a double standard in the betting rules and questioned the secrecy surrounding the policy.
“It seems contradictory and very unfair if footballers are being pursued, in many cases quite rightly, but owners who are in a more senior position get away with what appears to be similar activity,” he said. “Transparency is the essence of this. Stakeholders in football are the supporters and they need to know what’s going on.
“The FA has to come clean and tell us what the rules are. If people are complying with the rules, we need to see what the rules are that they’re complying with. I can’t begin to understand why the FA don’t release it [the policy].”
Nick De Marco, a leading sports lawyer who represented Toney over the Brentford striker’s own gambling ban, called on the FA to be transparent about its position on football bosses’ betting.
“It’s been reported for some years now that the FA has an ‘unpublished policy’ exempting certain individuals from their betting rules,” he said.
“I believe it is difficult to justify keeping such a policy secret, assuming it exists, when the FA regularly charges and bans players and others in football for betting in the name of ‘integrity’. Transparency and integrity would suggest that any such policy ought to be published.”
In 2018, the FA lost a battle against the then Bournemouth owner Maxim Demin, after attempting to charge him with multiple counts of breaching betting rules.
Demin’s lawyers successfully argued that he was not subject to the rules because he did not have a role in the club’s day-to-day operations.
However, the FA is understood to have strengthened its guidelines since then to ensure that club owners are covered, even if they do not have an operational role.
Brentford FC’s website describes Benham as having a “significant interest” in the club, the same designation that the FA says governs its betting rules.
A spokesperson for the FA said: “We have a stringent policy in place for any participant who has a significant interest in both a football club and a betting company, which has been approved by the Football Regulatory Authority.
“The policy includes a set of strict conditions and reporting obligations, and expressly prohibits these individuals from having any personal involvement in, or passing on of information related to, the setting of odds, the determining of markets, or the selection or placing of individual bets on football.
“We will always take the appropriate disciplinary action if these rules are breached.”
Football and betting have developed ever closer ties over the past two decades, fuelled by the legalisation of gambling advertising, the rise of the smartphone and the increase in the number of televised games.
That has allowed the game to attract a flood of cash from sponsors, as well as investment from entrepreneurs who have profited from the explosion in online gambling.
Benham previously worked for Tony Bloom, before carving his own path in the world of data-based sports gambling.
The pair reportedly fell out but have each ended up steering their clubs to the Premier League after years in the wilderness, using a data-led approach that is now being adopted by more established and wealthier clubs.
Benham’s business acumen in the statistics and gambling world has allowed him to amass a personal fortune believed to exceed £150m. He is the founder and majority owner of Smartodds, which uses cutting-edge statistical models that clients can use to inform sports betting.
One such client is MSPP Admin, the syndicate of which Benham is the majority member.
Wealth acquired chiefly through betting allowed Benham to buy Brentford in 2012 and fund the club’s rise to the Premier League in 2021, often deploying sophisticated data analysis to steal a march on richer clubs.
In 2014, he also became the majority shareholder of the Danish Superliga side FC Midtjylland.
West Ham's own sponsor Betway reported suspicious activity that prompted FA probe into Lucas Paqueta after spike in bets from near Rio de Janeiro on him to be booked against Aston Villa in March
West Ham's shirt sponsor Betway were responsible for reporting the suspicious betting patterns that caused the collapse of Lucas Paqueta's proposed £85million transfer to Manchester City this week amidst an FA probe into alleged breaches of gambling rules.
Betway's integrity alert system was triggered by a series of bets they received on the Brazilian midfield player to be booked in West Ham's Premier League match against Aston Villa on 12 March, which they immediately reported to the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA), a global group of hundreds of bookmakers responsible for policing irregular betting in the gambling industry.
Paqueta was shown a yellow card with 14 minutes remaining of the 1-1 draw at the London Stadium, leaving Betway liable to pay out the winning bets. After receiving the integrity alert the IBIA reported the matter to FIFA who then passed it on the FA, who have begun their own investigation.
The suspicious bets in question are understood to been traced to Paqueta Island in Guanabara Bay, near Rio de Janeiro, which is where Paqueta grew up. Whilst their main offices are in London, Malta, Guernsey and Cape Town, Betway have a market presence in Brazil, where they take a large number of bets on football and Esports in particular.
Although the precise figures remain unknown the volume of money staked on Paqueta to be booked against Aston Villa appears to have been significant as his price to receive a yellow card had collapsed to odds-on before kick-off, despite the fact that he had only been booked three times previously by that stage of the season. The 25-year-old was subsequently booked by Chris Kavanagh for a late challenge on John McGinn, the only booking of the game.
Betway's involvement in reporting the bets may be a source of embarrassment at West Ham and the Premier League, who last season introduced a voluntary ban on gambling sponsorship on the front of shirts that will begin at the start of the 2026/27 campaign. The online gambling company have sponsored West Ham since 2015 in one of the biggest shirt deals in the Premier League outside the Big Six that is due to come to an end in 2025.
The £10million-a-year deal has not been without controversy however, with Betway fined £400,000 by the Gambling Commission last season for inadvertently advertising their products on the Young Hammers page of the club's website in a breach of industry rules.
Betway were also fined £11.6m in March for failing to carry out sufficient affordability checks on their so-called VIP customers who often gamble heavily, although that was not related to West Ham.
May 26, 2023
Ivan Toney bet on his own team to lose 13 times as FA reveal reasons behind ban
The Football Association have revealed that Ivan Toney was diagnosed as a gambling addict who bet on his own side to lose 13 times.
Toney has been banned from all football-related activities for eight months after pleading guilty to over 200 betting charges.
Following confirmation of his ban, the FA have published their written reasons behind the ban in which they noted that the one-time England international did not appear in any of the games he placed a bet against his own team, including 11 while playing for Newcastle United.
A statement from the governing body on Friday said: “There were 13 bets on Mr Toney’s own team to lose in 7 different matches between 22 August 2017 and 3 March 2018.
“Mr Toney did not play in any of those matches where he placed bets against his loan club as he was not in the match squad or against his parent club as he was on loan.
“Of the 13 bets 11 were against Newcastle whilst Mr Toney was on loan at another club. The other 2 bets related to a game between Wigan v Aston Villa whilst the player was on loan at Wigan but he was not part of the squad.
“A further 15 of the 126 bets or instructions to bet were placed by Mr Toney to score in 9 different matches all of which he played in.”
The FA initially wanted the 27-year-old to be banned for 15 months but opted to reduce the suspension after Toney had pleaded guilty and was formally diagnosed with a gambling addiction.
They added: “The commission finds that a significant reduction should be made to reflect the diagnosed gambling addiction identified by [psychiatrist] Dr [Philip] Hopley. The lack of control the player has in respect of gambling is clearly a reflection of his diagnosed gambling addiction.”
Brentford have accepted the charges and offered their support to the striker. They said that they would “be doing everything possible to provide support to Ivan and his family to deal with the issues raised in this case” and “look forward to welcoming Ivan back to training in September.”
December 23, 2020
Kieran Trippier banned for 10 weeks over betting rules breach, says FA
Kieran Trippier has been banned for 10 weeks and fined £70,000 by the FA following misconduct in relation to breaches of betting regulations.
The Atletico Madrid right back, 30, was charged by the FA in May and had to withdraw from the England squad in October for the Nations League fixture against Denmark to attend a personal hearing over the allegations.
These relate to bets placed around the time of his move to Spain from Tottenham in July 2019 - an independent commission was appointed to hear the case, with four of the alleged breaches found proven and three dismissed.
Trippier's worldwide suspension means he is banned from all football-related activity up to and including Sunday 28 February 2021, meaning he will miss the first-leg of Atletico Madrid's last-16 Champions League tie against Chelsea and currently a total of 12 games for his club.
With the present fixture list, his first game back will be against city rivals Real Madrid on March 7 and he will be available to Gareth Southgate for March's 2022 World Cup qualifiers and Euro 2020 in the summer.
An FA statement read: 'The Atletico Madrid defender denied seven alleged breaches of FA Rule E8(1)(b), which were said to occur during July 2019, and requested a personal hearing.
'An independent regulatory commission was appointed to hear the case, with four of the alleged breaches found proven and three dismissed during a subsequent personal hearing.
'The independent regulatory commission’s written reasons for its decisions and the associated sanction will be published in due course.
'The suspension, which includes all football and football-related activity, is effective worldwide from today (Wednesday 23 December 2020) following an application to FIFA.'
Trippier was accused of breaking Rule E8(1)(a)(ii) and Rule E8(1)(b) of the FA's Betting Rules which state players cannot place a bet relating to football or provide relevant confidential information to anyone who could bet on a scenario.
FA Rule E8(1)(b) states: 'Where a participant provides to any other person any information relating to football which the participant has obtained by virtue of his or her position within the game and which is not publicly available at that time, the participant shall be in breach of this Rule where any of that information is used by that other person for, or in relation to, betting.'
The 30-year-old moved to Spain after four years at Spurs. The defender played a significant role in the club's rise under Mauricio Pochettino and his final game for the club came in the 2019 Champions League final.
Trippier has also been capped 25 times by England and played a significant role in Gareth Southgate's side during their 2018 World Cup run to the semi-finals.
The right-back scored a brilliant free-kick early on in the last-four clash against Croatia, who came back to win the tie 2-1 in extra-time.
He also captained his country for the first time in the 3-0 friendly victory against Wales in October, describing it as the 'biggest highlight of his career.'
January 08, 2020
FA urged to ‘reconsider’ deal with bet365
The Football Association has been advised to “reconsider” its relationship with bet365 by Nicky Morgan, the secretary of state for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
The bookmaker streamed 23 FA Cup third-round matches last weekend as part of the deal it signed with the FA in January 2017. The matches were only available to watch if the customer had placed a bet or put £5 in an account in the 24 hours before kick-off.
All third-round matches last weekend were delayed by one minute to publicise the FA’s ‘Heads Up’ mental health campaign, backed by FA president Prince William, which appears to jar with the bet365 tie-up given the link between problem gambling and mental health issues.
The FA has said it will review this element of how it sells its media rights in the future, with the bet365 deal due to run until 2024. However, Morgan appeared to call on the governing body to look at the deal to see if there was any way out before that.
She wrote on Twitter: “This is a contractual matter for the FA & Bet365 but things have moved on since the contract was signed & I hope they will re-consider.”
Sports minister Nigel Adams added on the social media platform: “The gambling landscape has changed since this deal was signed in early 2017.
“All sports bodies need to be mindful of the impact that problem gambling can have on the most vulnerable.”
Duncan Selbie, the chief executive of Public Health England whose Every Mind Matters campaign was also publicised during the recent round of FA Cup matters, said: “PHE is currently reviewing the evidence about the health harms of gambling, which we believe are wide-ranging.
“Our report will provide sports governing bodies a fresh opportunity to review their relationships with gambling.”
That relationship between gambling and sport is an intimate one. Premier League clubs work with betting partners while the EFL’s title sponsor is Sky Bet.
It is understood the EFL’s streaming arrangement with its betting partners differs in that all the games are available elsewhere – either via television or club websites.
The Royal Communications office at Buckingham Palace said the Duke of Cambridge had no comment to make on the matter.
The bookmaker streamed 23 FA Cup third-round matches last weekend as part of the deal it signed with the FA in January 2017. The matches were only available to watch if the customer had placed a bet or put £5 in an account in the 24 hours before kick-off.
All third-round matches last weekend were delayed by one minute to publicise the FA’s ‘Heads Up’ mental health campaign, backed by FA president Prince William, which appears to jar with the bet365 tie-up given the link between problem gambling and mental health issues.
This is a contractual matter for the FA & Bet365 but things have moved on since the contract was signed & I hope they will re-consider https://t.co/KJA7o0LDiU
— Nicky Morgan (@NickyMorgan01) January 8, 2020
The FA has said it will review this element of how it sells its media rights in the future, with the bet365 deal due to run until 2024. However, Morgan appeared to call on the governing body to look at the deal to see if there was any way out before that.
She wrote on Twitter: “This is a contractual matter for the FA & Bet365 but things have moved on since the contract was signed & I hope they will re-consider.”
Sports minister Nigel Adams added on the social media platform: “The gambling landscape has changed since this deal was signed in early 2017.
The gambling landscape has changed since this deal was signed in early 2017. All sports bodies need to be mindful of the impact that problem gambling can have on the most vulnerable. https://t.co/fDJREk2Ojw
— Nigel Adams (@nadams) January 8, 2020
“All sports bodies need to be mindful of the impact that problem gambling can have on the most vulnerable.”
Duncan Selbie, the chief executive of Public Health England whose Every Mind Matters campaign was also publicised during the recent round of FA Cup matters, said: “PHE is currently reviewing the evidence about the health harms of gambling, which we believe are wide-ranging.
“Our report will provide sports governing bodies a fresh opportunity to review their relationships with gambling.”
That relationship between gambling and sport is an intimate one. Premier League clubs work with betting partners while the EFL’s title sponsor is Sky Bet.
It is understood the EFL’s streaming arrangement with its betting partners differs in that all the games are available elsewhere – either via television or club websites.
The Royal Communications office at Buckingham Palace said the Duke of Cambridge had no comment to make on the matter.
November 13, 2018
Daniel Sturridge: Liverpool striker charged with breaching betting rules
Liverpool's Daniel Sturridge has been charged by the Football Association with misconduct for alleged breaches of its betting rules in January this year.
It is alleged he breached one rule relating to betting on football, and one which covers providing information relating to football which has been "obtained by virtue of his position" and "is not publicly available".
A Liverpool spokesman said Sturridge, 29, had co-operated fully "throughout this process" and "stated categorically that he has never gambled on football".
The England international has been given until 18:00 GMT on Tuesday, 20 November to respond to the charge.
The Liverpool spokesman added: "As with any issue of this nature, we will allow the process to be concluded in its entirety before making any further comment."
Sturridge, who joined Liverpool from Chelsea in 2013, spent the second half of last season at West Brom after moving on loan on 29 January.
He has won 26 caps for England, the last of which came against Lithuania in October 2017.
An FA statement said the charge against him was "specifically in relation to Rule E8(1)(a)(ii) and Rule E8(1)(b)" which are:
There has been no confirmation of what precisely Daniel Sturridge is alleged to have done.
However, in stating the offence took place in January this year, the Football Association appears to have provided a major clue.
January was when Sturridge sprang something of a surprise by joining West Brom on loan, when it had been expected he would move to Newcastle.
The FA has also pointed out that not only is it a breach for players to gamble on anything to do with football themselves, it also breaks the rules if they pass on 'insider information' to third parties.
Punishments are quite wide ranging.
Joey Barton was banned for 18 months in 2017 after he was found guilty of placing 1,260 bets over a 10-year period. Former Manchester City defender Martin Demichelis was fined £22,000 in May 2016 for gambling on 29 matches.
The additional issue for Sturridge, who has made 12 appearances for Liverpool this season, is that his contract expires at the end of the season and there has been no word from the Reds about whether he is likely to get another.
It is alleged he breached one rule relating to betting on football, and one which covers providing information relating to football which has been "obtained by virtue of his position" and "is not publicly available".
A Liverpool spokesman said Sturridge, 29, had co-operated fully "throughout this process" and "stated categorically that he has never gambled on football".
The England international has been given until 18:00 GMT on Tuesday, 20 November to respond to the charge.
The Liverpool spokesman added: "As with any issue of this nature, we will allow the process to be concluded in its entirety before making any further comment."
Sturridge, who joined Liverpool from Chelsea in 2013, spent the second half of last season at West Brom after moving on loan on 29 January.
He has won 26 caps for England, the last of which came against Lithuania in October 2017.
An FA statement said the charge against him was "specifically in relation to Rule E8(1)(a)(ii) and Rule E8(1)(b)" which are:
Rule E8(1)(a) - a participant shall not bet, either directly or indirectly, or instruct, permit, cause or enable any person to bet on - (i) the result, progress, conduct or any other aspect of, or occurrence in or in connection with, a football match or competition; or (ii) any other matter concerning or related to football anywhere in the world, including, for example and without limitation, the transfer of players, employment of managers, team selection or disciplinary matters.
Rule E8(1)(b) - where a participant provides to any other person any information relating to football which the participant has obtained by virtue of his or her position within the game and which is not publicly available at that time, the participant shall be in breach of this Rule where any of that information is used by that other person for, or in relation to, betting.
There has been no confirmation of what precisely Daniel Sturridge is alleged to have done.
However, in stating the offence took place in January this year, the Football Association appears to have provided a major clue.
January was when Sturridge sprang something of a surprise by joining West Brom on loan, when it had been expected he would move to Newcastle.
The FA has also pointed out that not only is it a breach for players to gamble on anything to do with football themselves, it also breaks the rules if they pass on 'insider information' to third parties.
Punishments are quite wide ranging.
Joey Barton was banned for 18 months in 2017 after he was found guilty of placing 1,260 bets over a 10-year period. Former Manchester City defender Martin Demichelis was fined £22,000 in May 2016 for gambling on 29 matches.
The additional issue for Sturridge, who has made 12 appearances for Liverpool this season, is that his contract expires at the end of the season and there has been no word from the Reds about whether he is likely to get another.
April 20, 2018
From facing Arsenal to betting ban: Former Lincoln defender Bradley Wood suspended from football for six years
Former Lincoln City defender Bradley Wood was banned for six years and fined £3,275 pounds by an FA tribunal on Thursday after being found guilty of match-fixing and betting offences.
The player was accused of getting himself booked on purpose in two FA Cup matches in January and February 2017 to "influence a football betting market".
Wood, who played against Arsenal in the FA Cup quarter-finals last season, had denied deliberately seeking out yellow cards in the games against Ipswich Town, where he committed a 90th-minute professional foul, and Burnley where he was involved in an altercation.
Seven people had bet on Wood being cautioned, none of whom had previously bet on such a thing, according to the FA and betting companies.
The bets were also "atypical in the context of the caution betting market" and the potential winnings, which were not all paid out, in the region of £10,000.
"The betting evidence and the evidence of Mr Wood's association with those placing the bets is compelling," the tribunal said.
It ruled, however, that Wood's conduct had not constituted "match-fixing at its most serious" and there were mitigating factors which meant a lifetime ban would have been disproportionate.
Woods was banned for five years for the match-fixing offences and a further year for 23 other charges of betting on the outcome of matches.
Lincoln are in the fourth tier of English soccer after winning promotion back to the league at the end of last season when they also reached the FA Cup quarter-finals.
August 12, 2017
England Bans Betting in Soccer, but Not for ‘The Lizard’
They call Tony Bloom “The Lizard” in poker circles. But the Lizard is more than just a gambler.
For the first time in more than three decades, the soccer club Mr. Bloom owns, Brighton & Hove Albion, has been elevated to the Premier League. That means one of the best-known leagues in soccer now counts one of the most prominent soccer gamblers among its owners.
Star Lizard Consulting, which was set up by Mr. Bloom’s associates to provide support for his betting syndicate, operates like a quantitative hedge fund. About 200 employees — traders, software engineers and analysts — focus on helping Mr. Bloom’s syndicate make data-driven bets on soccer and other sports. He did well enough to purchase a controlling stake in Brighton for nearly $130 million in 2009, back when the struggling club was in League One, two notches below the Premier League.
Betting is ostensibly banned by the Football Association, the governing body of soccer in England, which recently banished a Premier League player for 18 months for gambling.
But the association told The New York Times it also has a set of unpublished rules for Mr. Bloom and other owners involved in betting.
Louisa Fyans, an F.A. spokeswoman, said in an email that when the association updated its rules in 2014, it took into account that some owners had significant gambling interests.
“These clubs would be materially impaired by the F.A.’s position on betting,” she said, so the association created “provisions whereby those individuals could continue to have both an interest in football clubs and in betting companies/entities but subject to very stringent rules and reporting obligations.”
The association declined to share those provisions. The Premier League did not respond to requests for comment.
In the United States, a man like Mr. Bloom, a hybrid of high-rolling gambler and sports team owner, is unheard-of, and would run afoul of the typical sports league bylaws. The appetite for mixing sports and gambling waned nearly a century ago, after eight baseball players were accused of trying to fix the World Series. Even allowing a major sports team, the Oakland Raiders, to move to Las Vegas represents a cultural shift in America.
But the blending of gambling and sport is accepted practice in Britain, where winnings aren’t taxed. Mr. Bloom’s ascension has caused barely a ripple, even though his soccer gambling and poker playing career has been well chronicled.
Part of the reason is that Mr. Bloom is not alone. Dozens of clubs are sponsored by betting firms. The family that owns a betting platform called Bet365 also owns the Stoke City football club, which plays in the Premier League. Matthew Benham, who runs a similar operation to Star Lizard called Smartodds, owns the Brentford football club, which plays in a league between League One and the Premier League.
Both Mr. Bloom and Mr. Benham are known for bringing a data-driven approach to their pursuits.
“Tony is a hugely mathematical and analytical type of person, so clearly he looks at numbers as a means of gaining confidence in decision-making,” said Paul Barber, Brighton’s chief executive, adding that his team had its own data and scouts apart from Star Lizard.
While his team’s players “are aware that Tony is a professional gambler,” they are more interested in his poker skills, Mr. Barber said, adding, “Some of them like to play cards.”
Chris Bonett, an integrity officer at U.E.F.A., European soccer’s governing body, described Mr. Bloom as an ally.
“I know there is an ethical argument, should betting companies be in sports, but we are in a free market,” he said.
Star Lizard and other organizations have provided information to the European governing body for years to help it detect fixed matches, and have formal agreements in place to do so.
“I think they are on our side, because a fixed match defrauds the betting company first and foremost,” Mr. Bonett said. “With Star Lizard, we have a relationship that has been going on quite some time.”
In a statement, Star Lizard said, “Tony’s betting is beyond reproach in terms of integrity,” adding that their knowledge “of how the betting markets should play out before and during the match are incredibly valuable to the anti-match-fixing work carried out by numerous football authorities.”
A representative of Star Lizard also said that Mr. Bloom did not bet on Brighton.
Sam Tomlinson, a partner at the London office of PricewaterhouseCoopers, said the firm had audited Star Lizard “to confirm their compliance with the applicable F.A. regulation” and filed those audits with the association. “That’s probably as much as I can say.”
Mr. Bloom, 47, grew up with the team. His late grandfather Harry Bloom served as its vice chairman in the 1970s.
“He also had a big love of gambling and betting,” Mr. Bloom said last year, at the opening of a stadium restaurant he named in his grandfather’s honor, adding, “Through the blood it came into me, and I was fortunate enough to be successful at that.”
Mr. Bloom, who is known as the lizard “because ice-cold blood allegedly flows through his veins,” as one article about him put it, has thrown himself into the club, even drinking with merrily chanting fans on a train after a match.
His gambling business is far less visible. Star Lizard operates like a hedge fund, but is not based in a stately Mayfair townhouse. Instead, Star Lizard can be found in the Camden Locks, in a bohemian neighborhood known for drug raids, food hawkers, throngs of tourists and a devotion to Amy Winehouse.
Mr. Bloom’s name doesn’t even appear in Star Lizard’s business filings. It does show up on an affiliated company, Blue Lizard Consulting, which he gave a nearly $30 million interest-free loan last year, records show.
Inside Star Lizard’s headquarters, there is a cafeteria that provides three meals a day, a gym, pool tables, a dart board and a library. There are traders and analysts, but the real focus is on data. A recent posting by the company’s recruitment manager suggests how much Star Lizard outguns normal bettors: “We are currently expanding and need a number of software developers and support staff with skills in C# / F# / Java / Python / Full Stack Development / DevOps,” it read.
A more recent entry is Stratagem, a London-based firm that operates a sports hedge fund.
“We take in lots of data,” said Charles McGarraugh, Stratagem’s chief executive and an ex-Goldman Sachs trader, from the prices on various betting lines to data from games underway to “less structured data from sports journalism or social media.”
“It’s like a firehose, and at the other end what you want to get out is a one or a zero for a buy or a sell.”
Much of the action for such bettors comes as odds shift even after a game has begun.
Mr. Bloom speaks very little about his betting strategy. His soccer team is another matter. While he said he now had to “make some tough decisions” in his ownership role, watching the games is “the same as when I was watching 40 years ago.”
“In those 90 minutes,” he said, “I just love it like any other fan.”
For the first time in more than three decades, the soccer club Mr. Bloom owns, Brighton & Hove Albion, has been elevated to the Premier League. That means one of the best-known leagues in soccer now counts one of the most prominent soccer gamblers among its owners.
Star Lizard Consulting, which was set up by Mr. Bloom’s associates to provide support for his betting syndicate, operates like a quantitative hedge fund. About 200 employees — traders, software engineers and analysts — focus on helping Mr. Bloom’s syndicate make data-driven bets on soccer and other sports. He did well enough to purchase a controlling stake in Brighton for nearly $130 million in 2009, back when the struggling club was in League One, two notches below the Premier League.
Betting is ostensibly banned by the Football Association, the governing body of soccer in England, which recently banished a Premier League player for 18 months for gambling.
But the association told The New York Times it also has a set of unpublished rules for Mr. Bloom and other owners involved in betting.
Louisa Fyans, an F.A. spokeswoman, said in an email that when the association updated its rules in 2014, it took into account that some owners had significant gambling interests.
“These clubs would be materially impaired by the F.A.’s position on betting,” she said, so the association created “provisions whereby those individuals could continue to have both an interest in football clubs and in betting companies/entities but subject to very stringent rules and reporting obligations.”
The association declined to share those provisions. The Premier League did not respond to requests for comment.
In the United States, a man like Mr. Bloom, a hybrid of high-rolling gambler and sports team owner, is unheard-of, and would run afoul of the typical sports league bylaws. The appetite for mixing sports and gambling waned nearly a century ago, after eight baseball players were accused of trying to fix the World Series. Even allowing a major sports team, the Oakland Raiders, to move to Las Vegas represents a cultural shift in America.
But the blending of gambling and sport is accepted practice in Britain, where winnings aren’t taxed. Mr. Bloom’s ascension has caused barely a ripple, even though his soccer gambling and poker playing career has been well chronicled.
Part of the reason is that Mr. Bloom is not alone. Dozens of clubs are sponsored by betting firms. The family that owns a betting platform called Bet365 also owns the Stoke City football club, which plays in the Premier League. Matthew Benham, who runs a similar operation to Star Lizard called Smartodds, owns the Brentford football club, which plays in a league between League One and the Premier League.
Both Mr. Bloom and Mr. Benham are known for bringing a data-driven approach to their pursuits.
“Tony is a hugely mathematical and analytical type of person, so clearly he looks at numbers as a means of gaining confidence in decision-making,” said Paul Barber, Brighton’s chief executive, adding that his team had its own data and scouts apart from Star Lizard.
While his team’s players “are aware that Tony is a professional gambler,” they are more interested in his poker skills, Mr. Barber said, adding, “Some of them like to play cards.”
Chris Bonett, an integrity officer at U.E.F.A., European soccer’s governing body, described Mr. Bloom as an ally.
“I know there is an ethical argument, should betting companies be in sports, but we are in a free market,” he said.
Star Lizard and other organizations have provided information to the European governing body for years to help it detect fixed matches, and have formal agreements in place to do so.
“I think they are on our side, because a fixed match defrauds the betting company first and foremost,” Mr. Bonett said. “With Star Lizard, we have a relationship that has been going on quite some time.”
In a statement, Star Lizard said, “Tony’s betting is beyond reproach in terms of integrity,” adding that their knowledge “of how the betting markets should play out before and during the match are incredibly valuable to the anti-match-fixing work carried out by numerous football authorities.”
A representative of Star Lizard also said that Mr. Bloom did not bet on Brighton.
Sam Tomlinson, a partner at the London office of PricewaterhouseCoopers, said the firm had audited Star Lizard “to confirm their compliance with the applicable F.A. regulation” and filed those audits with the association. “That’s probably as much as I can say.”
Mr. Bloom, 47, grew up with the team. His late grandfather Harry Bloom served as its vice chairman in the 1970s.
“He also had a big love of gambling and betting,” Mr. Bloom said last year, at the opening of a stadium restaurant he named in his grandfather’s honor, adding, “Through the blood it came into me, and I was fortunate enough to be successful at that.”
Mr. Bloom, who is known as the lizard “because ice-cold blood allegedly flows through his veins,” as one article about him put it, has thrown himself into the club, even drinking with merrily chanting fans on a train after a match.
His gambling business is far less visible. Star Lizard operates like a hedge fund, but is not based in a stately Mayfair townhouse. Instead, Star Lizard can be found in the Camden Locks, in a bohemian neighborhood known for drug raids, food hawkers, throngs of tourists and a devotion to Amy Winehouse.
Mr. Bloom’s name doesn’t even appear in Star Lizard’s business filings. It does show up on an affiliated company, Blue Lizard Consulting, which he gave a nearly $30 million interest-free loan last year, records show.
Inside Star Lizard’s headquarters, there is a cafeteria that provides three meals a day, a gym, pool tables, a dart board and a library. There are traders and analysts, but the real focus is on data. A recent posting by the company’s recruitment manager suggests how much Star Lizard outguns normal bettors: “We are currently expanding and need a number of software developers and support staff with skills in C# / F# / Java / Python / Full Stack Development / DevOps,” it read.
A more recent entry is Stratagem, a London-based firm that operates a sports hedge fund.
“We take in lots of data,” said Charles McGarraugh, Stratagem’s chief executive and an ex-Goldman Sachs trader, from the prices on various betting lines to data from games underway to “less structured data from sports journalism or social media.”
“It’s like a firehose, and at the other end what you want to get out is a one or a zero for a buy or a sell.”
Much of the action for such bettors comes as odds shift even after a game has begun.
Mr. Bloom speaks very little about his betting strategy. His soccer team is another matter. While he said he now had to “make some tough decisions” in his ownership role, watching the games is “the same as when I was watching 40 years ago.”
“In those 90 minutes,” he said, “I just love it like any other fan.”
June 23, 2017
Football Association ends links with all betting firms after review
The Football Association will no longer have a betting partner after terminating a contract with Ladbrokes worth around £4m a year following a string of high-profile gambling controversies in the sport.
The decision follows a three-month review by the governing body into how appropriate such a deal was when the FA is noticeably becoming stricter in enforcing its ban on those connected with the game gambling on football.
It also comes after Joey Barton, serving an 18-month ban for gambling offences, accused the FA of hypocrisy over the deal. It had three years of a four-year contract to run. The chief executive, Martin Glenn, said: “We would like to thank Ladbrokes for both being a valued partner over the last year and for their professionalism and understanding about our change of policy around gambling.”
The EFL said the FA decision had no bearing on its own partnership with Sky Bet, which is in its fifth year. A spokesman said: “The EFL is of the firm belief that there is no conflict in having a commercial relationship with the gaming industry, as it is the FA who have the ultimate responsibility of enforcing any breach of the existing betting rules that all those who participate in our competitions have to adhere to.”
The FA chairman, Greg Clarke, has led the move to put space between the governing body and bookmakers, although he insisted the review was not linked to the Barton case. The player, who was banned in April having placed 1,260 bets on matches between 2006 and 2013, claimed this amounted to “hush money” and that it might prevent the ruling body from discovering match-fixing.
He told The Sunday Times last week: “What are the FA going to do, march into Ladbrokes and say: ‘Show us everyone who’s had a bet on this game?’ Ladbrokes are going to say: ‘Eff off, we pay you £10m a year [sic], keep your mouth shut.’ Do the FA not understand that’s hush money? Because if they don’t do it to Ladbrokes, they can’t do it to Betfair, Paddy Power, William Hill.
“They’ve given me such a harsh sentence because they want to maintain to the world, to the people who buy TV rights, that this is a very high-integrity game here. People who work for betting companies have told me that’s the key issue. The FA have no actual interest in [tackling] betting. And they can’t solve the problem, especially when they’ve got Ladbrokes as a partner. Because the players are going: ‘I’m not doing anything wrong.’”
The EFL said it would not be reconsidering its title sponsorship with SkyBet in light of the FA’s decision, arguing there was no conflict of interest.
“The EFL (as a competition organiser) is of the firm belief that there is no conflict in having a commercial relationship with the gaming industry, as it is the FA who have the ultimate responsibility of enforcing any breach of the existing betting rules that all those who participate in our competitions have to adhere to,” said a spokesman.
The decision follows a three-month review by the governing body into how appropriate such a deal was when the FA is noticeably becoming stricter in enforcing its ban on those connected with the game gambling on football.
It also comes after Joey Barton, serving an 18-month ban for gambling offences, accused the FA of hypocrisy over the deal. It had three years of a four-year contract to run. The chief executive, Martin Glenn, said: “We would like to thank Ladbrokes for both being a valued partner over the last year and for their professionalism and understanding about our change of policy around gambling.”
The EFL said the FA decision had no bearing on its own partnership with Sky Bet, which is in its fifth year. A spokesman said: “The EFL is of the firm belief that there is no conflict in having a commercial relationship with the gaming industry, as it is the FA who have the ultimate responsibility of enforcing any breach of the existing betting rules that all those who participate in our competitions have to adhere to.”
The FA chairman, Greg Clarke, has led the move to put space between the governing body and bookmakers, although he insisted the review was not linked to the Barton case. The player, who was banned in April having placed 1,260 bets on matches between 2006 and 2013, claimed this amounted to “hush money” and that it might prevent the ruling body from discovering match-fixing.
He told The Sunday Times last week: “What are the FA going to do, march into Ladbrokes and say: ‘Show us everyone who’s had a bet on this game?’ Ladbrokes are going to say: ‘Eff off, we pay you £10m a year [sic], keep your mouth shut.’ Do the FA not understand that’s hush money? Because if they don’t do it to Ladbrokes, they can’t do it to Betfair, Paddy Power, William Hill.
“They’ve given me such a harsh sentence because they want to maintain to the world, to the people who buy TV rights, that this is a very high-integrity game here. People who work for betting companies have told me that’s the key issue. The FA have no actual interest in [tackling] betting. And they can’t solve the problem, especially when they’ve got Ladbrokes as a partner. Because the players are going: ‘I’m not doing anything wrong.’”
The EFL said it would not be reconsidering its title sponsorship with SkyBet in light of the FA’s decision, arguing there was no conflict of interest.
“The EFL (as a competition organiser) is of the firm belief that there is no conflict in having a commercial relationship with the gaming industry, as it is the FA who have the ultimate responsibility of enforcing any breach of the existing betting rules that all those who participate in our competitions have to adhere to,” said a spokesman.
April 27, 2017
Joey Barton banned for 18 months by FA and says it effectively ends his career
The tumultuous career of Joey Barton looks finally to have come to an end after the controversial footballer was banned from the game for 18 months on betting charges.
Barton, who is registered as a player with Burnley in the Premier League, accepted Football Association charges that accused him of having placed 1,260 bets on football matches between 2006 and 2013. This figure included at least five matches in which he was a player. Professional footballers are banned from making any bets on their own sport.
Despite having admitted to the offences Barton, 34, plans to appeal against the length of his suspension and claims that there was nothing “untoward or suspicious” about his behaviour.
In a lengthy statement posted on his website Barton said: “The decision effectively forces me into an early retirement from playing football. To be clear from the outset here this is not match fixing and at no point in any of this is my integrity in question.
Analysis Joey Barton: a man whose football talent rarely took centre stage
Banned for 18 months for gambling, the 34-year-old’s playing career looks all but over – yet he was never a stranger to controversy and discord
Read more
“Having consulted with my friends and lawyers, I have decided I will be appealing against the length of the ban. I hope that I shall be afforded a fair hearing by an independent appeal panel. If I am, we are confident that the sanction will be reduced to a fair one that both reflects the offences as well as the mitigating factors and the fact that there was nothing untoward or suspicious about the bets I made.”
Barton returned to the Premier League only in January after five years’ absence. His career has taken in spells at six clubs including Manchester City and Glasgow Rangers and he also earned a solitary cap for England during the reign of Steve McClaren. But the Merseyside-born midfielder will be remembered as much for his misdemeanours as for his performances. In December 2004 he was fined six weeks’ wages for stubbing a lit cigar in the eye of a young team-mate during Manchester City’s Christmas party. In May 2007 he was suspended by the same club after a training-ground altercation which later led to assault charges for which he received a four-month suspended jail sentence. Later that year he was arrested in Liverpool city centre after a late-night incident and was charged with common assault and affray, and in May 2008 was jailed for six months. In May 2012 Barton was banned for 12 matches for violent conduct when playing for Queens Park Rangers.
“Throughout my career I am someone who has made mistakes and owned up to those mistakes and tried to learn from them,” Barton said in his statement. “I intend to do that here. I accept that this is one more mess I got into because of my own behaviour. This episode has brought home to me that, just as I had to face up to the need to get help to deal with alcohol abuse, and with anger, so now I need to get help for my issues with gambling, and I will do so.
“As for the scale of my football betting, since 2004, on a Betfair account held in my own name, registered at my home address and verified by my own passport, with full transparency, I have placed over 15,000 bets across a whole range of sports. Just over 1,200 were placed on football and subject to the charges against me. The average bet was just over £150, many were for only a few pounds.
“Raised at the hearing was that between 2004 and 2011 I placed a handful of bets on my own team to lose matches. I accept of course that this is against the rules, for the obvious reason that a player with an additional financial stake in the game might seek to change the course of it for his own personal gain. However I’d like to offer some context.
“First, in every game I have played, I have given everything. I’m confident that anyone who has ever seen me play, or played with or against me, will confirm that to be the case. I am more aware than anyone that I have character issues that I struggle with, and my addictive personality is one of them, but I am a devoted and dedicated professional who has always given my all on the pitch.”
Barton’s ban comes at a time when football has never been more closely intertwined with the gambling industry. Eleven of the 20 current Premier League sides wear the logos of betting companies on their shirts, while the Football League itself is sponsored by a gambling company. The growth in online or ‘remote’ gambling has meant that not just every match but most of the elements within them can now be gambled upon. Recent estimates at the amount of gambling losses accrued in the UK put the total at around £300 per person per year.
Marc Etches, who is the chief executive of GambleAware, the industry-funded body dedicated to the reduction of gambling harm, said of Barton’s statement: “Admitting you have a gambling problem is an essential first step towards fixing it. We welcome Joey’s statement and hope his openness will be seen as an example others feel they can follow. You don’t need to be a professional footballer to find help for what is a recognised mental health condition.”
Thirty ‘most pertinent bets’
At the end of his lengthy statement, Barton listed the 30 “most pertinent bets as determined by the FA”, laid while he was playing for Manchester City, Newcastle United and Queens Park Rangers:
Manchester City v Fulham (28 April 2006) Laid George Samaras not to score first goal £5 (Bet won – £10)*
Manchester City v Fulham (28 April 2006) Backed Joey Barton to score first goal £3 (Bet lost)*
Manchester City v Fulham (28 April 2006) Backed Manchester City to win £600 (Bet lost)*
Newcastle v Tottenham (24 September 2008) Newcastle to win £25 (Bet lost)
Newcastle v Sunderland (1 February 2009) Newcastle to win £5 (Bet lost)
Newcastle v Sunderland (1 February 2009) Newcastle to win 2-1 £2 (Bet lost)
Hull v Newcastle (14 March 2009) Newcastle to win £5 (Bet lost)
Hull v Newcastle (14 March 2009) Newcastle to win (as part of a bet involving other matches) £5 (Bet lost)
Forest v Newcastle (17 October 2009) Newcastle to win £22 (Bet lost)
Newcastle v Derby (28 December 2009) Newcastle to win (as part of a bet involving other matches) £50 (Bet lost)
Stevenage v Newcastle (8 January 2011) Newcastle to win £497.50 (Bet lost)*
Stevenage v Newcastle (8 January 2011) Newcastle to lead at HT and FT £250 (Bet lost)*
QPR v Rochdale (23 August 2011) QPR to win £25 (Bet lost)
QPR v Leeds United (1 March 2014) QPR to win as part of multiple bet £25 (Bet lost)
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QPR v Leeds United (1 March 2014) QPR to win £250 (Bet lost) West Ham v Manchester City (15 April 2006) West Ham to win (Bet won – returns £53.60)
Newcastle v PSV (6 August 2008) Draw at HT and PSV lead at FT £30 (Bet lost)
Newcastle v PSV (6 August 2008) PSV to lead at HT and FT £5.65 (Bet lost)
Newcastle v PSV (6 August 2008) PSV to lead at HT and FT £24.35 (Bet lost)
Newcastle v PSV (6 August 2008) PSV to win £40 (Bet lost)
Newcastle v PSV (6 August 2008) PSV to win 1-0 £10 (Bet lost)
Newcastle v PSV (6 August 2008) PSV to win 2-0 £10 (Bet lost)
Newcastle v PSV (6 August 2008) PSV to win 3-0 £10 (Bet lost)
Newcastle v PSV (6 August 2008) PSV to win £81.67 (Bet lost)
Newcastle v PSV (6 August 2008) PSV to win £158.33 (Bet lost)
Manchester United v Newcastle (17 August 2008) Man Utd to win £300 (Bet lost)
Chelsea v Newcastle (22 November 2008) Chelsea to win £48 (Bet lost)
Newcastle v Chelsea (28 November 2010) Chelsea to win £500 (Bet lost)
Newcastle v Chelsea (28 November 2010) Chelsea to win (as part of multiple bet which includes singles and doubles) £350 (Bet lost on Newcastle but other part of bet paid as a win – returns £435)
Newcastle Reserves v Arsenal Reserves (9 March 2011) Arsenal to win £100 (Bet lost)
* Denotes matches in which Barton played.
Barton, who is registered as a player with Burnley in the Premier League, accepted Football Association charges that accused him of having placed 1,260 bets on football matches between 2006 and 2013. This figure included at least five matches in which he was a player. Professional footballers are banned from making any bets on their own sport.
Despite having admitted to the offences Barton, 34, plans to appeal against the length of his suspension and claims that there was nothing “untoward or suspicious” about his behaviour.
In a lengthy statement posted on his website Barton said: “The decision effectively forces me into an early retirement from playing football. To be clear from the outset here this is not match fixing and at no point in any of this is my integrity in question.
Analysis Joey Barton: a man whose football talent rarely took centre stage
Banned for 18 months for gambling, the 34-year-old’s playing career looks all but over – yet he was never a stranger to controversy and discord
Read more
“Having consulted with my friends and lawyers, I have decided I will be appealing against the length of the ban. I hope that I shall be afforded a fair hearing by an independent appeal panel. If I am, we are confident that the sanction will be reduced to a fair one that both reflects the offences as well as the mitigating factors and the fact that there was nothing untoward or suspicious about the bets I made.”
Barton returned to the Premier League only in January after five years’ absence. His career has taken in spells at six clubs including Manchester City and Glasgow Rangers and he also earned a solitary cap for England during the reign of Steve McClaren. But the Merseyside-born midfielder will be remembered as much for his misdemeanours as for his performances. In December 2004 he was fined six weeks’ wages for stubbing a lit cigar in the eye of a young team-mate during Manchester City’s Christmas party. In May 2007 he was suspended by the same club after a training-ground altercation which later led to assault charges for which he received a four-month suspended jail sentence. Later that year he was arrested in Liverpool city centre after a late-night incident and was charged with common assault and affray, and in May 2008 was jailed for six months. In May 2012 Barton was banned for 12 matches for violent conduct when playing for Queens Park Rangers.
“Throughout my career I am someone who has made mistakes and owned up to those mistakes and tried to learn from them,” Barton said in his statement. “I intend to do that here. I accept that this is one more mess I got into because of my own behaviour. This episode has brought home to me that, just as I had to face up to the need to get help to deal with alcohol abuse, and with anger, so now I need to get help for my issues with gambling, and I will do so.
“As for the scale of my football betting, since 2004, on a Betfair account held in my own name, registered at my home address and verified by my own passport, with full transparency, I have placed over 15,000 bets across a whole range of sports. Just over 1,200 were placed on football and subject to the charges against me. The average bet was just over £150, many were for only a few pounds.
“Raised at the hearing was that between 2004 and 2011 I placed a handful of bets on my own team to lose matches. I accept of course that this is against the rules, for the obvious reason that a player with an additional financial stake in the game might seek to change the course of it for his own personal gain. However I’d like to offer some context.
“First, in every game I have played, I have given everything. I’m confident that anyone who has ever seen me play, or played with or against me, will confirm that to be the case. I am more aware than anyone that I have character issues that I struggle with, and my addictive personality is one of them, but I am a devoted and dedicated professional who has always given my all on the pitch.”
Barton’s ban comes at a time when football has never been more closely intertwined with the gambling industry. Eleven of the 20 current Premier League sides wear the logos of betting companies on their shirts, while the Football League itself is sponsored by a gambling company. The growth in online or ‘remote’ gambling has meant that not just every match but most of the elements within them can now be gambled upon. Recent estimates at the amount of gambling losses accrued in the UK put the total at around £300 per person per year.
Marc Etches, who is the chief executive of GambleAware, the industry-funded body dedicated to the reduction of gambling harm, said of Barton’s statement: “Admitting you have a gambling problem is an essential first step towards fixing it. We welcome Joey’s statement and hope his openness will be seen as an example others feel they can follow. You don’t need to be a professional footballer to find help for what is a recognised mental health condition.”
Thirty ‘most pertinent bets’
At the end of his lengthy statement, Barton listed the 30 “most pertinent bets as determined by the FA”, laid while he was playing for Manchester City, Newcastle United and Queens Park Rangers:
Manchester City v Fulham (28 April 2006) Laid George Samaras not to score first goal £5 (Bet won – £10)*
Manchester City v Fulham (28 April 2006) Backed Joey Barton to score first goal £3 (Bet lost)*
Manchester City v Fulham (28 April 2006) Backed Manchester City to win £600 (Bet lost)*
Newcastle v Tottenham (24 September 2008) Newcastle to win £25 (Bet lost)
Newcastle v Sunderland (1 February 2009) Newcastle to win £5 (Bet lost)
Newcastle v Sunderland (1 February 2009) Newcastle to win 2-1 £2 (Bet lost)
Hull v Newcastle (14 March 2009) Newcastle to win £5 (Bet lost)
Hull v Newcastle (14 March 2009) Newcastle to win (as part of a bet involving other matches) £5 (Bet lost)
Forest v Newcastle (17 October 2009) Newcastle to win £22 (Bet lost)
Newcastle v Derby (28 December 2009) Newcastle to win (as part of a bet involving other matches) £50 (Bet lost)
Stevenage v Newcastle (8 January 2011) Newcastle to win £497.50 (Bet lost)*
Stevenage v Newcastle (8 January 2011) Newcastle to lead at HT and FT £250 (Bet lost)*
QPR v Rochdale (23 August 2011) QPR to win £25 (Bet lost)
QPR v Leeds United (1 March 2014) QPR to win as part of multiple bet £25 (Bet lost)
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QPR v Leeds United (1 March 2014) QPR to win £250 (Bet lost) West Ham v Manchester City (15 April 2006) West Ham to win (Bet won – returns £53.60)
Newcastle v PSV (6 August 2008) Draw at HT and PSV lead at FT £30 (Bet lost)
Newcastle v PSV (6 August 2008) PSV to lead at HT and FT £5.65 (Bet lost)
Newcastle v PSV (6 August 2008) PSV to lead at HT and FT £24.35 (Bet lost)
Newcastle v PSV (6 August 2008) PSV to win £40 (Bet lost)
Newcastle v PSV (6 August 2008) PSV to win 1-0 £10 (Bet lost)
Newcastle v PSV (6 August 2008) PSV to win 2-0 £10 (Bet lost)
Newcastle v PSV (6 August 2008) PSV to win 3-0 £10 (Bet lost)
Newcastle v PSV (6 August 2008) PSV to win £81.67 (Bet lost)
Newcastle v PSV (6 August 2008) PSV to win £158.33 (Bet lost)
Manchester United v Newcastle (17 August 2008) Man Utd to win £300 (Bet lost)
Chelsea v Newcastle (22 November 2008) Chelsea to win £48 (Bet lost)
Newcastle v Chelsea (28 November 2010) Chelsea to win £500 (Bet lost)
Newcastle v Chelsea (28 November 2010) Chelsea to win (as part of multiple bet which includes singles and doubles) £350 (Bet lost on Newcastle but other part of bet paid as a win – returns £435)
Newcastle Reserves v Arsenal Reserves (9 March 2011) Arsenal to win £100 (Bet lost)
* Denotes matches in which Barton played.
February 22, 2017
The bookies who corrupted the most romantic game of the season
Richard Baerlein, the racing correspondent of The Observer, thought Shergar the best horse he had ever seen. And Baerlein was a man to support his judgment.
He backed Shergar for the 1981 Derby at 33-1 and all prices down to even money. When Walter Swinburn steered the stallion home, 10 lengths clear and easing up, Baerlein made enough from his winnings to buy a house in Sussex. He called it Shergar, too.
Being a generous individual, Baerlein shared his insight and conviction with his readers. Tipping Shergar emphatically in one of his previews, he used a phrase that has gone down in racing legend. ‘Now is the time to bet like men,’ Baerlein wrote. Back then, you still could. Try having a man-sized bet now. No bookmaker will take it.
A friend tried to put £10 on Lincoln for the FA Cup. The big firm she went to would only permit a stake of 75p. And that’s a small, mad bet, on a real outsider.
Imagine being a serious punter. Nobody is interested. Kids — that is what they want these days. Students, teenagers, all trying to nick £400 from a two-quid stake and a 10-team accumulator. It’s close to impossible, that’s why they lay it.
If you want to put five grand on something, you won’t get on. They might let you have a 10th of it, if you’re lucky. Rupert Murdoch hasn’t got into the betting game to take on those who know their Cue Card from their Thistlecrack. But if you think the fat goalie might eat a pie, in play — Rupe’s your man.
Stuff the Baerleins of this world, with their knowledge and boldness. Fun bets. That’s where it’s at. Beyonce’s kid to be called Brexit, 300-1. Gary Lineker to wear polka dot pants on Match of the Day, 15-1. Danny Dyer to be the next Doctor Who, 12-1. And Sutton’s big fat goalie to eat a pie while the match is going on. You could have had a bang on that at 8-1.
By the sounds of it, quite a few did: because Sun Bets reported paying out a five-figure sum. So that’s minimum £10,000, maximum £99,999. Quite a wedge, considering it was a punt with no chance of coming in, if everything was above board.
Has Wayne Shaw, Sutton’s reserve goalkeeper, ever consumed a pie during a match before? If so, there is no evidence of it. He may be over 20 stone, he may not be playing, but he’s not a complete oaf.
Nobody’s so hungry that they cannot wait until the final whistle. So it was a stunt. A deal to promote a fledgling betting company — Joseph Kagarlitski started as Joe Coral in 1926, William Hill in 1934, Sun Bets launched in August 2016 — who were also sponsoring Sutton’s shirts and had branding throughout the ground.
If they had to pay out another few grand for the publicity, what the hell? Everyone knows who Sun Bets are now. They’re the bookmakers who corrupted the most romantic football match of the year.
For there are only two explanations. Sun Bets were in on it and were happy to suffer a little damage for the promotion — or Shaw has spied an opportunity and got his friends in on the act. For there is no way a market worth five figures is created otherwise.
How many people do you think will wager that Beyonce gives birth to little Brexit? It’s a headline. It’s five easy quid from some inebriated pillock. It isn’t a 10 grand, minimum market.
Let’s say every bet on Shaw’s pie consumption was worth £5. And let’s go with the minimum payout: £10,000. That means 250 people thought a player engaged in the match of his life would eat a pie while it was ongoing. At £2 per stake that would need 625 gullible punters; at £1, there would be 1,250. People aren’t idiots.
And here’s another strange thing. Sun Bets were very keen to promote their 8-1 pie-eating bet and subsequent pay-out — The Sun newspaper, not so much.
Sun Bets tweeted the promotion, then the picture evidence at 82 minutes, then the news that Shaw had ‘COST US A BELLY FULL’. Yet in the print edition yesterday morning, there was only the image of Shaw scoffing with no mention of the financial bonus to Sun Bets customers.
This could be because, by then, there was a backlash. Shaw’s manager, Paul Doswell, was less than impressed with a stunt that had made Sutton look like a pub team, which they did not deserve; and there was already a rumbling of Football Association action, which could impact on the club, as much as the player.
This is unfortunate. Sutton United were tremendous — swamped by media and sudden interest, but accommodating, friendly and as well organised as any club of their size could hope to be.
Sutton the team were magnificent, giving Arsenal a proper game and losing to them by less than Hull, Nottingham Forest, Chelsea, Ludogorets, Sunderland, West Ham, Basle, Swansea and Southampton have this season.
They merited more than to be depicted as pie-eating amateurs — or in hock to a bunch of start-up online bookmakers.
Think it’s a laugh? Think it was only a bit of fun? Then we could argue the same of spot-fixing, although the company that links Sun Bets to the News of the World didn’t feel that way when Pakistan were accused of it.
Spot-fixing follows the same principle as touchline pie scarfing because the protagonist, or those in the know, can place a bet and have control over the outcome.
Bookmakers stopped offering a price for the first throw-in, because they suspected players and managers had cottoned on. There was money to be made from kicking the ball into touch in the first 10 seconds.
And there was money to be made at Sutton, too. That is why the Gambling Commission are now investigating, as well as the FA.
‘Integrity in sport is not a joke and we must establish exactly what happened,’ said enforcement and intelligence director Richard Watson.
‘We’ll be looking into any irregularity in the betting market and establishing whether the operator has met its licence requirement to conduct its business with integrity.’
So that’s Sun Bets in the dock; the FA, one presumes, will deal with Shaw, whose foolishness has already cost him his job at Sutton.
Forget how small time this looks. Where does it end, that is the crux of the matter? There was inducement for the Sutton goalkeeper to act in an unprofessional way.
And this he did, with 11 minutes of the game to go, having planned for it at half-time. His argument is that Sutton had used all their substitutes and could no longer call on him. So what? Protocol remains.
The substitutes don’t depart for the dressing room, the bookies or the pie shop when the last replacement goes on.
In a competition still celebrating non-League Lincoln’s arrival in the quarter-final, why do we consider the behaviour of Sutton’s players irrelevant?
When Lincoln visit the Emirates, will there be fun bets that day, too? And at what point do they stop being fun and start influencing the game?
English football has never done enough to keep the gambling industry at arm’s length.
The warning was there 10 years ago yesterday, when Craig Bellamy scored for Liverpool in Barcelona and celebrated with a golf swing — a nod to his infamous training-camp bust-up with John Arne Riise. William Hill, offering 100-1 on Bellamy doing exactly that, took a £50,000 hit.
Again it seemed a very big market for a fun wager. Yet the FA have done nothing to prevent a repeat. Indeed, they have strengthened their ties to gambling.
If the FA think Shaw has harmed their Cup tournament, how does that sit with William Hill as their official gambling partner?
Why were there no rules to prevent Sun Bets, or any bookmaker, hijacking their event? Why was its integrity not protected?
How can the FA sit in judgement on Shaw, then turn the other way and take the cash? And when did betting like men become just another pie-eating competition?
The FA made a record profit last year, allowing it to invest £125million in the grassroots game. The future is equally bright, with two deals worth £170m due to start in 2018.
Why the FA accepts £30m of government money is a mystery, particularly when it comes at such a price. Why doesn’t chief executive Martin Glenn return the public cheque, and then he can tell politicians trying to hold football to ransom to get lost?
(The same applies in wheelchair rugby, by the way. No, the RFU does not govern the sport, but even so, a body with an annual turnover of £407.1m could surely make up the government funding shortfall of £750,000, simply as a noble gesture?)
Alexei Smertin has the easiest job in football. He has been charged with investigating something that does not exist.
The former Chelsea midfielder is the Russian federation’s new anti-racism and discrimination inspector. Yet in 2015 he told the BBC there was no racism in Russia.
This conflicted with the findings of campaign group Football Against Racism in Europe who recorded 92 incidents of discriminatory displays and chants by Russian fans in and around stadiums during the 2014-15 season.
Celebrating his new job, Smertin said: ‘I will put every effort into keeping racism and discrimination out of the story of football in my country.’
So will he be addressing racism, or merely stories about racism? Russia has been practising shooting the messenger for a long time now. Just say no.
There is a simple reason why Donald Trump’s Turnberry course has not been named in the latest round of future Open venues — in the current climate the organisers do not want the event to become a target for unrest and protests, as it would if the R&A were seen as high-profile business partners of the President.
It isn’t a political decision, but a pragmatic one. ‘Smart!’ as Trump won’t be tweeting any time soon.
He backed Shergar for the 1981 Derby at 33-1 and all prices down to even money. When Walter Swinburn steered the stallion home, 10 lengths clear and easing up, Baerlein made enough from his winnings to buy a house in Sussex. He called it Shergar, too.
Being a generous individual, Baerlein shared his insight and conviction with his readers. Tipping Shergar emphatically in one of his previews, he used a phrase that has gone down in racing legend. ‘Now is the time to bet like men,’ Baerlein wrote. Back then, you still could. Try having a man-sized bet now. No bookmaker will take it.
A friend tried to put £10 on Lincoln for the FA Cup. The big firm she went to would only permit a stake of 75p. And that’s a small, mad bet, on a real outsider.
Imagine being a serious punter. Nobody is interested. Kids — that is what they want these days. Students, teenagers, all trying to nick £400 from a two-quid stake and a 10-team accumulator. It’s close to impossible, that’s why they lay it.
If you want to put five grand on something, you won’t get on. They might let you have a 10th of it, if you’re lucky. Rupert Murdoch hasn’t got into the betting game to take on those who know their Cue Card from their Thistlecrack. But if you think the fat goalie might eat a pie, in play — Rupe’s your man.
Stuff the Baerleins of this world, with their knowledge and boldness. Fun bets. That’s where it’s at. Beyonce’s kid to be called Brexit, 300-1. Gary Lineker to wear polka dot pants on Match of the Day, 15-1. Danny Dyer to be the next Doctor Who, 12-1. And Sutton’s big fat goalie to eat a pie while the match is going on. You could have had a bang on that at 8-1.
By the sounds of it, quite a few did: because Sun Bets reported paying out a five-figure sum. So that’s minimum £10,000, maximum £99,999. Quite a wedge, considering it was a punt with no chance of coming in, if everything was above board.
Has Wayne Shaw, Sutton’s reserve goalkeeper, ever consumed a pie during a match before? If so, there is no evidence of it. He may be over 20 stone, he may not be playing, but he’s not a complete oaf.
Nobody’s so hungry that they cannot wait until the final whistle. So it was a stunt. A deal to promote a fledgling betting company — Joseph Kagarlitski started as Joe Coral in 1926, William Hill in 1934, Sun Bets launched in August 2016 — who were also sponsoring Sutton’s shirts and had branding throughout the ground.
If they had to pay out another few grand for the publicity, what the hell? Everyone knows who Sun Bets are now. They’re the bookmakers who corrupted the most romantic football match of the year.
For there are only two explanations. Sun Bets were in on it and were happy to suffer a little damage for the promotion — or Shaw has spied an opportunity and got his friends in on the act. For there is no way a market worth five figures is created otherwise.
How many people do you think will wager that Beyonce gives birth to little Brexit? It’s a headline. It’s five easy quid from some inebriated pillock. It isn’t a 10 grand, minimum market.
Let’s say every bet on Shaw’s pie consumption was worth £5. And let’s go with the minimum payout: £10,000. That means 250 people thought a player engaged in the match of his life would eat a pie while it was ongoing. At £2 per stake that would need 625 gullible punters; at £1, there would be 1,250. People aren’t idiots.
And here’s another strange thing. Sun Bets were very keen to promote their 8-1 pie-eating bet and subsequent pay-out — The Sun newspaper, not so much.
Sun Bets tweeted the promotion, then the picture evidence at 82 minutes, then the news that Shaw had ‘COST US A BELLY FULL’. Yet in the print edition yesterday morning, there was only the image of Shaw scoffing with no mention of the financial bonus to Sun Bets customers.
This could be because, by then, there was a backlash. Shaw’s manager, Paul Doswell, was less than impressed with a stunt that had made Sutton look like a pub team, which they did not deserve; and there was already a rumbling of Football Association action, which could impact on the club, as much as the player.
This is unfortunate. Sutton United were tremendous — swamped by media and sudden interest, but accommodating, friendly and as well organised as any club of their size could hope to be.
Sutton the team were magnificent, giving Arsenal a proper game and losing to them by less than Hull, Nottingham Forest, Chelsea, Ludogorets, Sunderland, West Ham, Basle, Swansea and Southampton have this season.
They merited more than to be depicted as pie-eating amateurs — or in hock to a bunch of start-up online bookmakers.
Think it’s a laugh? Think it was only a bit of fun? Then we could argue the same of spot-fixing, although the company that links Sun Bets to the News of the World didn’t feel that way when Pakistan were accused of it.
Spot-fixing follows the same principle as touchline pie scarfing because the protagonist, or those in the know, can place a bet and have control over the outcome.
Bookmakers stopped offering a price for the first throw-in, because they suspected players and managers had cottoned on. There was money to be made from kicking the ball into touch in the first 10 seconds.
And there was money to be made at Sutton, too. That is why the Gambling Commission are now investigating, as well as the FA.
‘Integrity in sport is not a joke and we must establish exactly what happened,’ said enforcement and intelligence director Richard Watson.
‘We’ll be looking into any irregularity in the betting market and establishing whether the operator has met its licence requirement to conduct its business with integrity.’
So that’s Sun Bets in the dock; the FA, one presumes, will deal with Shaw, whose foolishness has already cost him his job at Sutton.
Forget how small time this looks. Where does it end, that is the crux of the matter? There was inducement for the Sutton goalkeeper to act in an unprofessional way.
And this he did, with 11 minutes of the game to go, having planned for it at half-time. His argument is that Sutton had used all their substitutes and could no longer call on him. So what? Protocol remains.
The substitutes don’t depart for the dressing room, the bookies or the pie shop when the last replacement goes on.
In a competition still celebrating non-League Lincoln’s arrival in the quarter-final, why do we consider the behaviour of Sutton’s players irrelevant?
When Lincoln visit the Emirates, will there be fun bets that day, too? And at what point do they stop being fun and start influencing the game?
English football has never done enough to keep the gambling industry at arm’s length.
The warning was there 10 years ago yesterday, when Craig Bellamy scored for Liverpool in Barcelona and celebrated with a golf swing — a nod to his infamous training-camp bust-up with John Arne Riise. William Hill, offering 100-1 on Bellamy doing exactly that, took a £50,000 hit.
Again it seemed a very big market for a fun wager. Yet the FA have done nothing to prevent a repeat. Indeed, they have strengthened their ties to gambling.
If the FA think Shaw has harmed their Cup tournament, how does that sit with William Hill as their official gambling partner?
Why were there no rules to prevent Sun Bets, or any bookmaker, hijacking their event? Why was its integrity not protected?
How can the FA sit in judgement on Shaw, then turn the other way and take the cash? And when did betting like men become just another pie-eating competition?
The FA made a record profit last year, allowing it to invest £125million in the grassroots game. The future is equally bright, with two deals worth £170m due to start in 2018.
Why the FA accepts £30m of government money is a mystery, particularly when it comes at such a price. Why doesn’t chief executive Martin Glenn return the public cheque, and then he can tell politicians trying to hold football to ransom to get lost?
(The same applies in wheelchair rugby, by the way. No, the RFU does not govern the sport, but even so, a body with an annual turnover of £407.1m could surely make up the government funding shortfall of £750,000, simply as a noble gesture?)
Alexei Smertin has the easiest job in football. He has been charged with investigating something that does not exist.
The former Chelsea midfielder is the Russian federation’s new anti-racism and discrimination inspector. Yet in 2015 he told the BBC there was no racism in Russia.
This conflicted with the findings of campaign group Football Against Racism in Europe who recorded 92 incidents of discriminatory displays and chants by Russian fans in and around stadiums during the 2014-15 season.
Celebrating his new job, Smertin said: ‘I will put every effort into keeping racism and discrimination out of the story of football in my country.’
So will he be addressing racism, or merely stories about racism? Russia has been practising shooting the messenger for a long time now. Just say no.
There is a simple reason why Donald Trump’s Turnberry course has not been named in the latest round of future Open venues — in the current climate the organisers do not want the event to become a target for unrest and protests, as it would if the R&A were seen as high-profile business partners of the President.
It isn’t a political decision, but a pragmatic one. ‘Smart!’ as Trump won’t be tweeting any time soon.
March 30, 2016
Martin Demichelis: Man City defender charged for betting offences
Manchester City defender Martin Demichelis has been charged by the Football Association over alleged betting offences.
The Argentine, 35, is accused of committing 12 breaches relating to football matches between 22 January and 28 January 2016.
He has until 17:00 BST on 5 April to respond to the charge.
Demichelis has played 18 times in the Premier League this season, including the recent defeat by Manchester United.
The Argentine, 35, is accused of committing 12 breaches relating to football matches between 22 January and 28 January 2016.
He has until 17:00 BST on 5 April to respond to the charge.
Demichelis has played 18 times in the Premier League this season, including the recent defeat by Manchester United.
January 08, 2015
Gambling in sport: John Hartson on how betting nearly cost his life
A fearless and robust striker, John Hartson's forthright response to being diagnosed with cancer came as little surprise to anybody who knew him well.
But there was one challenge "Big John" repeatedly shirked, his life-threatening addiction to gambling.
"You never think you've got a problem," he explained. "You're a gambler, you enjoy it, you never realise the hurt you're causing.
"Your family know you're addicted, but I used to think they had the problem by questioning me."
Then the questions stopped. Hartson's wife Sarah had had enough of him coming in from trips away, ignoring her and the children, going straight to the TV and turning on a cricket match, golf tournament or horse race he had £5,000 on.
So she packed her bags and told him she was leaving.
"I broke down and said I'd do something about this," the former Arsenal, West Ham and Celtic star remembered, his voice buckling with emotion and regret.
"When I was fighting for my life [with cancer], she was my rock. She was pregnant, she looked after the children, she was incredibly strong, and this scumbag here came out of hospital and carried on with the gambling, after everything she had done.
"I hit rock bottom and it takes that for you to realise - the penny dropped. I will never gamble again as long as I live."
Hartson's last bet was three years, three months and three days ago.
"Everybody is aware that cancer kills. It nearly took my life in 2009," the 39-year-old said, recalling the two emergency operations and more than 60 sessions of chemotherapy he needed when testicular cancer spread to his lungs and brain.
"Cancer takes good people away every day, but, for me, gambling also kills.
"There are four places you can end up as a compulsive gambler: out on the street, in jail, dead, or at Gamblers Anonymous (GA).
"I ended up at GA, thank the Lord, and it's not only saved my marriage and made me a better person, it's also saved my life. If I gamble again, I'll die. I'll lose everything.
"I'm ultra-determined. I don't think about gambling today. I don't buy raffle tickets, I don't buy lottery tickets, I don't go to race tracks - I go to GA twice a week.
"I'll be going until I'm 70. Why wouldn't I? It's my medicine."
Hartson sees a lot of different people walk through the doors of those meetings - there are an estimated 400,000 people in the UK with a problem - but most of them do not come back. They have not reached their nadir yet.
"You're very selfish as a gambler, very deceitful. Compulsive gamblers are compulsive liars - they're very good at covering things up," said Hartson.
So good, in fact, many can appear, swan-like, to be gliding through life, holding down jobs, living in nice houses, with loving families. And a disproportionately large group can feed this destructive addiction whilst playing professional sport.
Hartson's testimony came at a conference organised by the Professional Players Federation (PPF) at Edgbaston Cricket Ground last month.
An umbrella body for the players' associations in cricket, football, rugby union and other leading sports, the PPF wanted to share some research into an issue that has been the stuff of terrace legend.
From jokes about QPR maverick Stan Bowles' inability to pass a bookmaker as well as he could pass a ball, to guesstimates of how many millions golf's favourite rogue John Daly has lost in Las Vegas, the idea that sport's competitive and wealthy young men were cash machines for the gambling industry has been commonplace.
Now, thanks to a study of almost 350 cricketers and footballers, we know sportsmen are three times more likely to have a gambling problem than young men in the general population (6.1% versus 1.9%).
That equates to nearly 200 current professionals in British cricket and football with a serious issue, and another 440 "at risk".
The study had a few more punches to deliver. One in 10 said they gambled to "fit in", one in four said they were encouraged by team-mates to do it, and nearly one in three thought their team's links with the gambling industry "encouraged" them to bet.
For football, in particular, that should be alarming.
A quarter of the Premier League's clubs have gambling logos on their shirts, the Football League's 72 clubs play in competitions sponsored by Sky Bet, William Hill backs the Football Association and pretty much every club has its own "official betting partner".
Sporting Chance's chief executive Colin Bland revealed that seven out of 10 of the footballers that come to the Tony Adams-inspired residential clinic are there because of gambling.
But Hartson is not looking for excuses. He realises the vast majority of people gamble rarely, and when they do, they do it because it is fun.
While he may have been frittering away a reported £50,000 a week - he does not put a figure on it himself, as the amounts addicts gamble is relative to their earnings and it is always too much - his dad takes his business clients to Ffos Las racecourse once a year for champagne and £20 each-way punts. "Not everybody gets drawn in," he noted.
But some who do get it bad: gambling has the highest suicide rate of any addiction.
Sitting alongside Hartson during the conference's main session was Gaelic footballer Niall McNamee. He told a similar tale of the disease's progressive nature - moments of relief that became more fleeting as tolerance to betting's buzz builds.
But he also spoke about bad company, lies, stealing and, ultimately, despair.
"I remember waking up one morning with a knot in my stomach," said McNamee. "It was the most gut-wrenching pain. I had no money to go gambling with, or to buy drink to numb the pain.
"The thought came to me that if I jumped out of the window that would end it all. It terrified me. I have had friends who have died from this addiction."
Thankfully, this was his rock bottom, and he got help. McNamee, who is still one of the game's top forwards, is now a well-respected voice on problem gambling in Ireland, and at 29 is about to launch his own business.
For Hartson, the first symptoms appeared as an 11-year-old potboy at a social club in Swansea. Fascinated by the fruit machines, he memorised the reels and was called over by the adults whenever they had a few nudges.
It sounds innocent enough, but before long he was pouring his money into those machines and begging for money for match fees at the weekend. A decade later he would have accounts with all the top bookmakers and was so consumed by gambling that he would struggle to hold a serious conversation.
"I can concentrate now and focus on what people are saying, but five years ago I couldn't," he admitted. "My life is so much better now. I'm a better husband, a better father, and I've got money coming out of my ears!"
And just as his cancer foundation is helping people deal with that affliction, he now hopes he can persuade a few footballers to think about their futures.
"I was in a lot of trouble physically and mentally when I quit," said Hartson, who went out with a whimper at West Brom.
"I should be living in a £4m mansion on the edge of the Vale of Glamorgan but I'm not because of all the money I wasted. I've got a nice house in Swansea, and it's paid for, but that's what I should have when you think about the money I earned.
"I would like players now to aspire to the big house."
Betting is an integral part of our culture - three quarters of the UK's adult population have gambled, most likely on the National Lottery, in the past year - and betting companies have moved into the sponsorship space vacated by tobacco and, to a lesser extent, alcohol. Without them many sports would struggle.
But listening to the speakers at the conference, it was impossible to avoid the conclusion that British sport needs to look again at its relationship with gambling.
More must be done to protect the vulnerable, identify problems earlier and make sure gambling is a happy mug's game, not a debilitating illness.
Simon Barker, the assistant chief executive of the Professional Footballers' Association, notes that prevention through education is cheaper than emergency interventions. His counterpart at the Professional Cricketers' Association, Jason Ratcliffe, said sport was only "scratching the surface" in terms of what was needed.
The Responsible Gambling Trust's chief executive Marc Etches has managed to persuade the gambling industry to donate more than £6m of its profits to fund education and treatment, but he knows it is not enough.
"We're at a tipping point," said Etches. "The industry needs to recognise that it's in the business of risk, and it needs to take more responsibility."
But there was one challenge "Big John" repeatedly shirked, his life-threatening addiction to gambling.
"You never think you've got a problem," he explained. "You're a gambler, you enjoy it, you never realise the hurt you're causing.
"Your family know you're addicted, but I used to think they had the problem by questioning me."
Then the questions stopped. Hartson's wife Sarah had had enough of him coming in from trips away, ignoring her and the children, going straight to the TV and turning on a cricket match, golf tournament or horse race he had £5,000 on.
So she packed her bags and told him she was leaving.
"I broke down and said I'd do something about this," the former Arsenal, West Ham and Celtic star remembered, his voice buckling with emotion and regret.
"When I was fighting for my life [with cancer], she was my rock. She was pregnant, she looked after the children, she was incredibly strong, and this scumbag here came out of hospital and carried on with the gambling, after everything she had done.
Hartson's last bet was three years, three months and three days ago.
"Everybody is aware that cancer kills. It nearly took my life in 2009," the 39-year-old said, recalling the two emergency operations and more than 60 sessions of chemotherapy he needed when testicular cancer spread to his lungs and brain.
"Cancer takes good people away every day, but, for me, gambling also kills.
"There are four places you can end up as a compulsive gambler: out on the street, in jail, dead, or at Gamblers Anonymous (GA).
"I ended up at GA, thank the Lord, and it's not only saved my marriage and made me a better person, it's also saved my life. If I gamble again, I'll die. I'll lose everything.
"I'm ultra-determined. I don't think about gambling today. I don't buy raffle tickets, I don't buy lottery tickets, I don't go to race tracks - I go to GA twice a week.
"I'll be going until I'm 70. Why wouldn't I? It's my medicine."
Hartson sees a lot of different people walk through the doors of those meetings - there are an estimated 400,000 people in the UK with a problem - but most of them do not come back. They have not reached their nadir yet.
"You're very selfish as a gambler, very deceitful. Compulsive gamblers are compulsive liars - they're very good at covering things up," said Hartson.
So good, in fact, many can appear, swan-like, to be gliding through life, holding down jobs, living in nice houses, with loving families. And a disproportionately large group can feed this destructive addiction whilst playing professional sport.
Hartson's testimony came at a conference organised by the Professional Players Federation (PPF) at Edgbaston Cricket Ground last month.
An umbrella body for the players' associations in cricket, football, rugby union and other leading sports, the PPF wanted to share some research into an issue that has been the stuff of terrace legend.
From jokes about QPR maverick Stan Bowles' inability to pass a bookmaker as well as he could pass a ball, to guesstimates of how many millions golf's favourite rogue John Daly has lost in Las Vegas, the idea that sport's competitive and wealthy young men were cash machines for the gambling industry has been commonplace.
Now, thanks to a study of almost 350 cricketers and footballers, we know sportsmen are three times more likely to have a gambling problem than young men in the general population (6.1% versus 1.9%).
That equates to nearly 200 current professionals in British cricket and football with a serious issue, and another 440 "at risk".
The study had a few more punches to deliver. One in 10 said they gambled to "fit in", one in four said they were encouraged by team-mates to do it, and nearly one in three thought their team's links with the gambling industry "encouraged" them to bet.
For football, in particular, that should be alarming.
A quarter of the Premier League's clubs have gambling logos on their shirts, the Football League's 72 clubs play in competitions sponsored by Sky Bet, William Hill backs the Football Association and pretty much every club has its own "official betting partner".
Sporting Chance's chief executive Colin Bland revealed that seven out of 10 of the footballers that come to the Tony Adams-inspired residential clinic are there because of gambling.
But Hartson is not looking for excuses. He realises the vast majority of people gamble rarely, and when they do, they do it because it is fun.
While he may have been frittering away a reported £50,000 a week - he does not put a figure on it himself, as the amounts addicts gamble is relative to their earnings and it is always too much - his dad takes his business clients to Ffos Las racecourse once a year for champagne and £20 each-way punts. "Not everybody gets drawn in," he noted.
But some who do get it bad: gambling has the highest suicide rate of any addiction.
Sitting alongside Hartson during the conference's main session was Gaelic footballer Niall McNamee. He told a similar tale of the disease's progressive nature - moments of relief that became more fleeting as tolerance to betting's buzz builds.
But he also spoke about bad company, lies, stealing and, ultimately, despair.
"I remember waking up one morning with a knot in my stomach," said McNamee. "It was the most gut-wrenching pain. I had no money to go gambling with, or to buy drink to numb the pain.
"The thought came to me that if I jumped out of the window that would end it all. It terrified me. I have had friends who have died from this addiction."
Thankfully, this was his rock bottom, and he got help. McNamee, who is still one of the game's top forwards, is now a well-respected voice on problem gambling in Ireland, and at 29 is about to launch his own business.
For Hartson, the first symptoms appeared as an 11-year-old potboy at a social club in Swansea. Fascinated by the fruit machines, he memorised the reels and was called over by the adults whenever they had a few nudges.
It sounds innocent enough, but before long he was pouring his money into those machines and begging for money for match fees at the weekend. A decade later he would have accounts with all the top bookmakers and was so consumed by gambling that he would struggle to hold a serious conversation.
"I can concentrate now and focus on what people are saying, but five years ago I couldn't," he admitted. "My life is so much better now. I'm a better husband, a better father, and I've got money coming out of my ears!"
And just as his cancer foundation is helping people deal with that affliction, he now hopes he can persuade a few footballers to think about their futures.
"I was in a lot of trouble physically and mentally when I quit," said Hartson, who went out with a whimper at West Brom.
"I should be living in a £4m mansion on the edge of the Vale of Glamorgan but I'm not because of all the money I wasted. I've got a nice house in Swansea, and it's paid for, but that's what I should have when you think about the money I earned.
"I would like players now to aspire to the big house."
Betting is an integral part of our culture - three quarters of the UK's adult population have gambled, most likely on the National Lottery, in the past year - and betting companies have moved into the sponsorship space vacated by tobacco and, to a lesser extent, alcohol. Without them many sports would struggle.
But listening to the speakers at the conference, it was impossible to avoid the conclusion that British sport needs to look again at its relationship with gambling.
More must be done to protect the vulnerable, identify problems earlier and make sure gambling is a happy mug's game, not a debilitating illness.
Simon Barker, the assistant chief executive of the Professional Footballers' Association, notes that prevention through education is cheaper than emergency interventions. His counterpart at the Professional Cricketers' Association, Jason Ratcliffe, said sport was only "scratching the surface" in terms of what was needed.
The Responsible Gambling Trust's chief executive Marc Etches has managed to persuade the gambling industry to donate more than £6m of its profits to fund education and treatment, but he knows it is not enough.
"We're at a tipping point," said Etches. "The industry needs to recognise that it's in the business of risk, and it needs to take more responsibility."
August 01, 2014
Football betting: FA ban on players & coaches takes effect
New rules which prevent players and coaches from betting on any worldwide footballing activity will help in the fight against match-fixing, says Football Association general secretary Alex Horne.
Players from the top eight tiers of the English game are banned from betting on the sport under new rules which came into force on Friday.
"We are really proud of the integrity of the game in this country and it is really important people trust... what is happening on the pitch," said Horne.
"We want to keep our message as simple as possible - and it cannot be more simple that as a player you cannot bet at all on football."
The new betting rules in summary:
The FA's betting rule change applies to the top eight tiers of English football
Players, managers, club employees and match officials are prohibited from betting on any football matter worldwide
Bets on results, goalscorers, in-game play, player transfers, manager changes or promotions and relegations are banned
The FA is undertaking pre-season club visits to talk players and staff through the new rules
Club employees and match officials are also restricted by the new rules, which prevent gambling on any football-related matters, including results, goalscorers, in-game play, player transfers, manager changes or promotions and relegations.
The Football Association will visit all clubs to talk about the fresh regulations and have produced a number of educational videos.
Players and stakeholders from clubs in the Premier League down to the Northern and Southern and Isthmian Leagues are affected.
The rules apply to bets made in person, online, on the telephone or with friends. Participants are also not allowed to instruct any third party to place any bet on their behalf.
Previously, participants were prohibited from betting on a match or competition in which they were involved or could influence.
Tottenham's Andros Townsend, Cameron Jerome - on loan at Crystal Palace from Stoke last season - and Dan Gosling, who has joined Bournemouth this summer, are among those who have breached current betting regulations.
Winger Townsend was fined £18,000 by the FA in June 2013, striker Jerome £50,000 last August and midfielder Gosling £30,000 in March.
Players from the top eight tiers of the English game are banned from betting on the sport under new rules which came into force on Friday.
"We are really proud of the integrity of the game in this country and it is really important people trust... what is happening on the pitch," said Horne.
"We want to keep our message as simple as possible - and it cannot be more simple that as a player you cannot bet at all on football."
The new betting rules in summary:
The FA's betting rule change applies to the top eight tiers of English football
Players, managers, club employees and match officials are prohibited from betting on any football matter worldwide
Bets on results, goalscorers, in-game play, player transfers, manager changes or promotions and relegations are banned
The FA is undertaking pre-season club visits to talk players and staff through the new rules
Club employees and match officials are also restricted by the new rules, which prevent gambling on any football-related matters, including results, goalscorers, in-game play, player transfers, manager changes or promotions and relegations.
The Football Association will visit all clubs to talk about the fresh regulations and have produced a number of educational videos.
Players and stakeholders from clubs in the Premier League down to the Northern and Southern and Isthmian Leagues are affected.
The rules apply to bets made in person, online, on the telephone or with friends. Participants are also not allowed to instruct any third party to place any bet on their behalf.
Previously, participants were prohibited from betting on a match or competition in which they were involved or could influence.
Tottenham's Andros Townsend, Cameron Jerome - on loan at Crystal Palace from Stoke last season - and Dan Gosling, who has joined Bournemouth this summer, are among those who have breached current betting regulations.
Winger Townsend was fined £18,000 by the FA in June 2013, striker Jerome £50,000 last August and midfielder Gosling £30,000 in March.
April 10, 2014
FA wants total ban on football betting for players
The Football Association has proposed that from next season any player in league football and the top four tiers of the non-league system will be banned from betting, either directly or indirectly, on any football match or competition anywhere in the world.
The changes to FA Rules from the start of the 2014-15 season would also see a worldwide prohibition on betting on any other football-related matter, for example, the transfer of players, employment of managers or team selection. The passing of inside information to somebody that uses the information for betting remains prohibited.
Having received a unanimous recommendation by The FA Council on Wednesday and The Football Regulatory Authority in March, the Betting Rule changes would need to be agreed by FA shareholders at their AGM on 21 May before coming into force.
The proposal follows consultation with the Premier League, Football League, Professional Footballers’ Association, League Managers’ Association and Football Conference.
Currently, FA Rules state that no participant can bet on a match or competition in which they are involved that season, or which they can influence, or any other football-related matter concerning the league that they play in. They are also prohibited from using or passing inside information for betting. The proposed rule changes would see these prohibitions retained for Participants below Step 4 of the National League System.
Darren Bailey, The FA’s Director of Football Governance and Regulation, said: “The FA constantly evaluates its rules and regulations to ensure that they meet the needs of the modern game. The proposed betting rule adjustment to encompass all aspects of world football provides a simple and straightforward message to all participants on where the line is drawn.
“It is important to stress that the rules form only one part of the overall framework for the regulation of betting and maintaining the integrity of the English game. In addition to the monitoring of betting markets throughout the world, education remains a key part of our work.
“Building on previous education programmes, we will continue to communicate to all levels of the game not only the Rules on betting, but also the restrictions in place on the use of inside information and the reporting obligations on Participants. In doing so, we will further stress the collective responsibility that all those involved in football have in upholding the integrity of football in England and beyond.”
Established by The FA Council, The Football Regulatory Authority performs the regulatory, disciplinary and rule-making functions in relation to football played in England in accordance with the Laws of the Game. The FA Council is made up of representatives from across the game, including the Premier League, Football League, County FAs, affiliated leagues and associations, clubs, referees, supporters, inclusion bodies and independent members.
The extended ban has been pushed after numerous breaches of the current betting rules clearly in the hope that simplifying the rules with a blanket ban will get the message across to the sport’s participants. The latest to breach the rules was Tranmere Rovers manager Ronnie Moore, who has subsequently been sacked for his actions.
The changes to FA Rules from the start of the 2014-15 season would also see a worldwide prohibition on betting on any other football-related matter, for example, the transfer of players, employment of managers or team selection. The passing of inside information to somebody that uses the information for betting remains prohibited.
Having received a unanimous recommendation by The FA Council on Wednesday and The Football Regulatory Authority in March, the Betting Rule changes would need to be agreed by FA shareholders at their AGM on 21 May before coming into force.
The proposal follows consultation with the Premier League, Football League, Professional Footballers’ Association, League Managers’ Association and Football Conference.
Currently, FA Rules state that no participant can bet on a match or competition in which they are involved that season, or which they can influence, or any other football-related matter concerning the league that they play in. They are also prohibited from using or passing inside information for betting. The proposed rule changes would see these prohibitions retained for Participants below Step 4 of the National League System.
Darren Bailey, The FA’s Director of Football Governance and Regulation, said: “The FA constantly evaluates its rules and regulations to ensure that they meet the needs of the modern game. The proposed betting rule adjustment to encompass all aspects of world football provides a simple and straightforward message to all participants on where the line is drawn.
“It is important to stress that the rules form only one part of the overall framework for the regulation of betting and maintaining the integrity of the English game. In addition to the monitoring of betting markets throughout the world, education remains a key part of our work.
“Building on previous education programmes, we will continue to communicate to all levels of the game not only the Rules on betting, but also the restrictions in place on the use of inside information and the reporting obligations on Participants. In doing so, we will further stress the collective responsibility that all those involved in football have in upholding the integrity of football in England and beyond.”
Established by The FA Council, The Football Regulatory Authority performs the regulatory, disciplinary and rule-making functions in relation to football played in England in accordance with the Laws of the Game. The FA Council is made up of representatives from across the game, including the Premier League, Football League, County FAs, affiliated leagues and associations, clubs, referees, supporters, inclusion bodies and independent members.
The extended ban has been pushed after numerous breaches of the current betting rules clearly in the hope that simplifying the rules with a blanket ban will get the message across to the sport’s participants. The latest to breach the rules was Tranmere Rovers manager Ronnie Moore, who has subsequently been sacked for his actions.
December 10, 2013
FA chief: Spot-fixing 'isn't a big issue'
The Football Association's general secretary Alex Horne has insisted match-fixing is not widespread in the game but has warned against complacency.
Horne was among representatives from five sports - football, cricket, tennis and the two rugby codes - who attended a summit with ministers in Whitehall on Tuesday morning for talks on tackling fixing.
It followed the arrest of six people, including Blackburn striker DJ Campbell, following an investigation into spot-fixing in football by the National Crime Agency (NCA).
Horne, who was at the meeting with culture, media and sport secretary Maria Miller, said the "general consensus" was that fixing was not a widespread problem. Representatives from the Premier League, Football League and British Horseracing Authority (BHA) were also present.
He insisted however that the FA took the issue seriously and will study measures against fixing already in place in cricket and horse racing.
Horne said after the meeting: "I think the general consensus around the room was this isn't a big issue. The intelligence that we have says this isn't a wide-scale issue at the moment but, again, we don't want to be complacent.
"It's clear that, as Britain, we are very proud of our sporting product, of the sport that we play in this country and we all want to do all we can to protect the integrity of that sport.
"We are never complacent on this issue and there's a lot we can learn from other sports. Some of the education programmes that cricket have put in place are very far advanced, and the integrity unit that the BHA have in place is very far advanced so there's lots of learnings that are open to all sports."
The FA has its own integrity unit and education programmes, but fixing has been an issue for a longer time for horse racing and cricket.
Horne added: "We don't want to see this in our sport and so, therefore, we are doing everything we can, we are looking at all measures we can across sport but also with the agencies.
"We really welcome the recent impetus from the NCA. I think that is going to be a really important body for all of us in reminding people that these are criminal activities and the criminal nature of activities shouldn't be underestimated and all power to the NCA."
Horne was among representatives from five sports - football, cricket, tennis and the two rugby codes - who attended a summit with ministers in Whitehall on Tuesday morning for talks on tackling fixing.
It followed the arrest of six people, including Blackburn striker DJ Campbell, following an investigation into spot-fixing in football by the National Crime Agency (NCA).
Horne, who was at the meeting with culture, media and sport secretary Maria Miller, said the "general consensus" was that fixing was not a widespread problem. Representatives from the Premier League, Football League and British Horseracing Authority (BHA) were also present.
He insisted however that the FA took the issue seriously and will study measures against fixing already in place in cricket and horse racing.
Horne said after the meeting: "I think the general consensus around the room was this isn't a big issue. The intelligence that we have says this isn't a wide-scale issue at the moment but, again, we don't want to be complacent.
"It's clear that, as Britain, we are very proud of our sporting product, of the sport that we play in this country and we all want to do all we can to protect the integrity of that sport.
"We are never complacent on this issue and there's a lot we can learn from other sports. Some of the education programmes that cricket have put in place are very far advanced, and the integrity unit that the BHA have in place is very far advanced so there's lots of learnings that are open to all sports."
The FA has its own integrity unit and education programmes, but fixing has been an issue for a longer time for horse racing and cricket.
Horne added: "We don't want to see this in our sport and so, therefore, we are doing everything we can, we are looking at all measures we can across sport but also with the agencies.
"We really welcome the recent impetus from the NCA. I think that is going to be a really important body for all of us in reminding people that these are criminal activities and the criminal nature of activities shouldn't be underestimated and all power to the NCA."
June 04, 2013
Andros Townsend: Spurs midfielder fined over betting
Tottenham midfielder Andros Townsend has been fined £18,000 by the Football Association for breaching betting regulations.
The 21-year-old was also suspended for four months backdated to 23 May although three of those months have been suspended until 1 July 2016.
Townsend had already voluntarily withdrawn from the England squad for the European Under-21 Championship.
It is believed he was not accused of betting on games he had involvement in. However, the FA has strict betting rules that forbid gambling on a wide spectrum of fixtures laid out in its regulations.
The length of the up-front ban, coupled with the fact that he withdrew from the England Under-21 squad, mean he will not miss a game.
The midfielder, who was on loan at QPR for the second half of the season, is a product of Tottenham's academy and signed as a trainee in 2008. He has had loan spells at Yeovil, Leyton Orient, MK Dons, Ipswich, Watford, Millwall, Leeds, Birmingham and, most recently, with former Spurs manager Harry Redknapp at QPR. Townsend made his Premier League debut for Spurs in September 2012 before joining Rangers in January, where he made 12 Premier League appearances, scoring twice.
The 21-year-old was also suspended for four months backdated to 23 May although three of those months have been suspended until 1 July 2016.
Townsend had already voluntarily withdrawn from the England squad for the European Under-21 Championship.
It is believed he was not accused of betting on games he had involvement in. However, the FA has strict betting rules that forbid gambling on a wide spectrum of fixtures laid out in its regulations.
The length of the up-front ban, coupled with the fact that he withdrew from the England Under-21 squad, mean he will not miss a game.
The midfielder, who was on loan at QPR for the second half of the season, is a product of Tottenham's academy and signed as a trainee in 2008. He has had loan spells at Yeovil, Leyton Orient, MK Dons, Ipswich, Watford, Millwall, Leeds, Birmingham and, most recently, with former Spurs manager Harry Redknapp at QPR. Townsend made his Premier League debut for Spurs in September 2012 before joining Rangers in January, where he made 12 Premier League appearances, scoring twice.
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