Is It Illegal for Footballers to Gamble?
Betting on sports is a Billion Pound industry, enjoyed right over the world and is clearly a major source of income for the football industry. Football is, in all probability, the largest market for sports betting, especially since it is the most popular and most often played sport in the world.
For this very reason, institutions like FIFA protect the beautiful game from those who might be unscrupulous enough to take advantage of it. They stand to lose a fortune, but the game of football would be dragged down in disrepute should players willingly throw games to affect the outcome of a game by placing a bet at an online bookmaker.
Can Footballers Place Football Bets?
Unlike your average Joe or Josie, who is free to gamble on football, horse racing, down the local casino or even playing at home on popular online casinos such as Amazonslots.com. Footballers have some restrictions to follow. They cannot bet on their own team or any other football team they might have inside knowledge of. The reason for this is rather obvious. If any player could bet on a match on which they could have an effect, they might try to influence the outcome. Players are not permitted to participate in any football-related betting activities whatsoever. Furthermore, they are not even allowed to hold shares or interest in companies or entities that broker, promote or conduct betting activities.
These restrictions on footballers are not just set in place by institutes such as FIFA and the FA but also stipulated in the contract that they must sign with their clubs. More often than not, these prohibitions extend to any football matches played anywhere in the world. Players who make themselves guilty of such offences might face disciplinary action and do incalculable harm to their reputation, irrespective of their skill.
Passing on inside information regarding teams and players or disclosing any information to third parties could land them in serious trouble with their club and the law. Match-fixing is punishable under the Gambling Act 2005 and is often used to prosecute individuals involved in match-fixing.
Can Footballers Gamble On Other Sports?
Footballers may not be able to bet on their own sport, but they can put down a punt on other sports. There are no restrictions on footballers to place a wager on sports like horse racing, rugby, tennis, or a huge selection of other sports.
This is because they have no control or inside information that could provide them with an unfair advantage. Like everyone else, footballers have no restrictions beyond those imposed on them by the laws of their country when placing wagers at casinos and slots or online bookmakers, as long as they avoid betting on football.
To summarise, footballers may gamble on other sports, but they are not allowed to gamble on any football-related markets. They may not pass on any information to a third party, allowing them to place a bet or gamble using this knowledge. Finally, they are not allowed to be part of or have any interests in entities or companies that promote or partake in football betting. As you can see, it’s a dangerous road for any footballer who attempts to break these rules.