Why Are Footballers Addicted to Gambling?
Football players are like victims of the gambling ecosystem in the sports industry. They receive heavy penalties if they are involved in gambling, while clubs and competition organizers reap huge profits from gambling sponsors.
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The following article was translated using both Microsoft Azure Open AI and Google Translation AI. The original article can be found in Mengapa Pesepak Bola Kecanduan Judi?
Aston Villa player, Nicolo Zaniolo (right), during a match against HSK Zrinjski in the Europa Conference League in Birmingham on October 5, 2023. Zaniolo, along with several other young Italian footballers, is embroiled in a gambling scandal.
In the past week, a gambling scandal involving three young players, namely Nicolo Fagioli (22), Sandro Tonali (23), and Nicolo Zaniolo (24), opened a new chapter in problems in Italian football. Fagioli and Tonali have admitted they often place bets on football matches, while Zaniolo told prosecutors that he only played poker and blackjack.
Fagioli, a player from Juventus, has been given a seven-month suspension. Meanwhile, Tonali is at risk of getting a one-year ban from active football. Tonali's punishment is longer because he has admitted to placing bets on an AC Milan match while still wearing the team's jersey.
Also read: Tonali Case Puts a Burden on Newcastle's Shoulders
In addition to the three players mentioned, media outlets in Italy have also mentioned the names of players such as Nicolo Barella, Federico Gatti, Nicola Zalewski, Nicolo Casale, and Stephen El Shaarawy who are being investigated by the prosecutor for the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) and the city of Turin. In Italy, players are prohibited from betting on professional matches under the control of FIGC, UEFA, and FIFA.
Before the gambling scandal rocked Italy, Ivan Toney, Brentford striker and member of the English national team, had served an eight-month ban from football due to his addiction to betting on football matches. The English Football Association (FA) found evidence of Toney's involvement in placing bets on several teams he was playing for from February 2017 to January 2021.
Newcastle United player, Sandro Tonali, is preparing for the Champions League match against AC Milan at San Siro Stadium in Milan on September 19, 2023. Two English league players, Tonali and Aston Villa player, Nicolo Zaniolo, are being investigated for alleged involvement in illegal gambling on a platform.
The cases that have befallen football players in Italy and England show how risky it is for professional players to get entangled in the world of gambling. Although gambling or placing bets is not considered taboo in European social circles, there are binding rules for certain professionals, such as athletes. Athletes are forbidden from placing bets on sports events that are their primary source of income.
Gambling has truly become an inseparable part of soccer players. In several countries, especially in England, clubs and competitions receive great financial support from betting houses. Additionally, the psychological aspect of athletes who are used to a competitive environment, enjoy challenges, and are fond of taking risks also make them highly susceptible to gambling addiction.
Also read: The Real Threat Behind the Zaniolo and Tonali Gambling Scandal
"They are naturally competitive. Gambling with teammates increases their risk. If there is a gambling culture within a team, it will be detrimental to the players," said Kieran Murray, author of the journal "Predictors of Adverse Gambling Behaviours Amongst Elite Athletes (2023)" to BBC.
In a survey entitled Gambling among Sports People (2020)conducted by the National Center for Social Research in England, it was revealed that athletes are more open to gambling than the general public. As many as 39 percent of athlete correspondents fall into the category of being at risk of gambling addiction. As for the general public, only 18 percent have the potential for gambling problems.
Juventus midfielder Nicolo Fagioli was banned for seven months in a gambling case during the Champions League match against Paris Saint-Germain in Turin, Italy on November 2, 2022.
Then, there are four factors that underlie the culture of gambling among athletes, namely support from gambling companies (31 percent), attraction to sport betting sponsors (27 percent), influence from teammates (25 percent), and personal willingness (10 percent).
Former Arsenal captain Tony Adams has said that the main problem facing professional footballers today is not alcohol and illicit drugs, but gambling. Alongside his non-profit organization, Sporting Chance, which he established in 2001, Adams has been helping professional athletes to overcome the risks of negative behavior addiction.
In my experience with Sporting Chance, many players are now addicted to gambling. This problem has become an epidemic in professional football.
”In my experience with Sporting Chance, many players are now addicted to gambling. "This problem has become an epidemic in professional football," said Adams, who has 66 caps with the England national team, to The Times.
Also read: Online Gambling Money Turnover Reaches Hundreds of Trillions of Rupiah Per Year
Double standards
Athletes, especially football players, find it difficult to avoid the gambling culture that is inherent in European society. Placing bets on horse racing, for example, is known to be a part of the lifestyle of the upper class in England.
English Translation: English striker Ivan Toney from Brentford (right) trains with the England team players at the Tottenham Hotspur Training Ground facility in Enfield, London, on March 25, 2023. Toney was given an eight-month playing ban for a gambling case.
As a result, the treatment towards gambling activities presents a double standard. Players receive heavy punishment, while clubs and competition operators earn big money from gambling houses through sponsorship agreements.
The prohibition of players involved in football betting, especially those conducted online, is due to concerns of players being involved in illegal match-fixing activities. By placing bets on their team's match, players can potentially adjust their performance according to the bets they have placed.
The phrase concerning score manipulation is what has caused Toney, Fagiolo, and (perhaps) Tonali to be sidelined from the green field for a long time. They can still practice, but cannot appear in matches.
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In addition to distancing them from football, the punishment is also accompanied by psychological counseling so that they can break free from their gambling addiction. Of course, not just football gambling, but also gambling activities in casinos or other sports. Note: Do not translate the words PBB, PKS, PPP as they are forbidden words.
James Grimes, founder of Big Step who actively campaigns for a ban on gambling advertisements in football, considers the punishment for football players involved in gambling scandals to be hypocrisy.
Newcastle United midfielder, Sandro Tonali, ahead of the Champions League match against AC Milan in Milan, Italy on September 19, 2023. Tonali is facing severe punishment due to a gambling case.
"The players were forced to become walking billboards of the online casino, but they would lose their jobs if they used the product. It doesn't make sense," Grimes said to BBC.
The football industry is actually very friendly to gambling companies. The Financial Times said eight Premier League clubs currently earn an average income of 60 million pounds (Rp. 1.15 trillion) from gambling house sponsors. According to the Gambling Commission report, turnover from online gambling in the UK amounts to around 2.3 billion pounds (Rp. 44.37 trillion).
Also read: Deadly Duet of Loans and Online Gambling
Of that amount, about 46 percent or 1.05 billion pounds (Rp 20.41 trillion) came from betting on football matches. This amount has surpassed horse racing bets (33 percent), followed by other sports such as tennis (4 percent), cricket (2 percent), and golf (1 percent).
Outside of the club, the second-tier competition in England, the Championship, has been partnered with the gambling house Sky Bet since 2013. Entering its tenth season, the English Football League (EFL) operator and 24 Championship clubs receive revenue of 40 million pounds (IDR 771.7 billion) per year from the partnership. The cooperation will last until the end of the 2023-2024 season.
The size of the money turnover from gambling houses has become a concern for many parties in England. The FA has issued a rule that gambling companies will no longer be allowed to appear on team jerseys starting from the 2026-2027 season.
Brentford's striker, Ivan Toney, celebrated his goal against Arsenal in a Premier League match at Emirates Stadium, London, on Saturday (11/2/2023). Toney was handed an eight-month ban from playing due to a gambling case.
”Football is a great sport and a family game, but it is being tainted by gambling companies. "This is the time to take important policies to prohibit the presence of gambling, such as (advertising) cigarettes in Formula 1," said former England national team goalkeeper, Peter Shilton, as reported by the Financial Times.
Unlike in England, Italy has banned gambling sponsors since 2019. Torino, through SportPesa, became the last team sponsored by a gambling company in the 2018-2019 season.
With such conditions, it is difficult for players and clubs, as well as football stakeholders, to break free from the addiction (money) of gambling.
Well, they absorbed the lyrics of the song Judi by Rhoma Irama, "Even if you win/ It's the beginning of defeat". Fagioli, Tonali and Toney have admitted their "defeat" and are temporarily divorcing football which is the breath of their lives.
