FA consider outright ban on footballers gambling
Mon 20th Sep 2010 | Legal
In light of the recent betting allegations in cricket, the FA are considering whether to tighten the rules about players betting on matches.
At present, current regulations mean a footballer can gamble on any competition which his team is not involved in.
However, according to the BBC, the Football Association is considering whether to stop players placing wagers on football altogether.
Representatives of the FA, Premier League, Football League, players' union and League Managers Association are due to discuss the issue on Monday.
The FA says the meeting has been in the diary for some time and is not a response to the current spot-fixing allegations in international cricket.
Nonetheless, those claims have increased the pressure on administrators in all major sports to ensure the risk of corruption is minimised.
But not all sectors of the game are behind the outright ban. The Professional Footballers Association is not yet convinced that a total ban is the best way forward.
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 live, PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor said such a ban could be "a sledgehammer to crack a nut" and prove very difficult to police.
"I wonder if zero tolerance...will lead to problems with compliance, whether there will be more exposes, whether it would possibly drive it underground and leave the current situation diminished.
"At the moment we have a good link-up with the betting industry and if there are any particular patterns of betting on the game, warning signals are sent out," he commented.
However, the PFA is launching a programme for young players to warn them about the risks of gambling.
The sessions will be funded by the betting industry and led by Josh Apiafi, a former chief executive of the Professional Jockeys Association.
He said the course would build on the success of gambling awareness education in horse racing.
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