UK Football Players and Their Involvement in the Online Casino Industry
One of the most popular forms of online gambling in the UK is sports betting. With football being a well-loved sport in the UK, naturally, football players have formed an association with UK casino sites to increase their earnings, among other factors. Football athletes are already paid a handsome amount of money, but there is only a limited number of games that an athlete can play in one year. Therefore during their free time, several footballers involve themselves with online casinos, typically taking part in some form of promotion. Due to their association, they often receive a substantial fee for being part of an advertising campaign.
Players can earn passive income as more and more people play the football slot or any other casino game for that matter they are associated with. Since most footballers already have a huge online following, they can earn by advertising certain gambling platforms. For these reasons, slot machine owners are willing to spend money on professional footballers as their endorsement can attract new customers.
Many English footballers have been involved in the online gambling industry, and some have also been heavily criticised for dabbling in gambling. We have shortlisted the most prominent UK football players engaged with the online casino industry.
Ivan Toney
Ivan Toney is a Premier League striker who was charged with 232 alleged breaches of gambling rules. Even though the endorsement of online casino games is allowed, football players in the UK are not allowed to gamble under Football Association (FA) rules. This applies to online gambling and slot machines as well. Reportedly, the bets took place between 2017 and 2021, but no specific details have been disclosed by the FA yet.
Even though these reports date back to when Toney was not part of the Brentford squad, the player was not selected to participate in the World Cup despite his good form. There is no proof that he was not selected due to the ongoing investigation, but many fans believe this to be the case.
Daniel Sturridge
Daniel Sturridge is a former Liverpool player charged with providing inside information for gambling. As a result, he was banned from competing for four months. His fine was also doubled for disclosing sensitive information to his friends and family. Initially, he faced 11 charges in 2018, of which nine were dismissed. Sturridge was found guilty of two additional charges when the FA challenged this decision.
Daniel Sturridge was also found guilty of telling his brother what bets to place regarding which club he would move to next. He received a six-week ban, which was reduced to two weeks later. Despite being an excellent player, Sturridge’s football career faced many problems due to online gambling. There was a possibility of further bans for Sturridge, but he was able to continue his career with injuries plaguing him more than his gambling habits.
Wayne Rooney
Wayne Rooney was one of the first UK football players involved in online gambling. He signed a deal with 888poker in 2014, and his endorsement made the company extremely popular among fans. Without a doubt, his involvement with the company led to the company gaining a foothold in the UK gambling market. After Rooney signed the deal, the customer base of 888poker increased significantly.
Rooney was involved in gambling even before the online casino industry became popular. He did not hesitate to bet real money on card games, and his gambling journey was not a fruity one. He lost a large amount of money due to his gambling addiction. Thankfully spending a decade-plus as one of the best-paid footballers in the world would have helped him overcome his gambling issues.
Keith Gillespie
Keith Gillespie is a former football player from Northern Ireland. During his career, he was involved in all forms of gambling, ranging from poker to online gambling and visiting bookies. He labelled himself a ‘stupid gambler’ because of the money he lost in his endeavours. Even though he steered clear of football gambling, he was involved in other forms of online gambling, including slot machines.
His gambling journey started when he was resting due to a knee injury in Las Vegas, which is famously considered the hub of gambling. He played with Manchester United, Newcastle United, the Premier League, and many other clubs before retiring in 2013.
In Conclusion
Several different UK football players have been involved in the online casino industry. Most have received backlash due to their unhealthy gambling habits and addiction, which caused them to lose a large amount of their money. Considering the vast amount of money these players made during their careers, many couldn’t understand why gambling was such a temptation for them.