Football is one of the biggest sports in the world. In fact, with close to 4 billion fans, it stands on the top of the sports hierarchy. The FIFA World Cup remains the most watched and anticipated sporting event worldwide, and the European National Leagues are broadcast around the globe every year.
When a sport gets to be as popular as that, it shouldn’t surprise anyone to learn that it has a healthy betting industry. Indeed, football betting is one of the most profitable forms of wagering. Yet, there is a group of people that is banned from betting on the sport; the athletes themselves.
Can Football Players Bet on Football?
The simple truth of the matter is that footballers are not allowed to wager on the game. Now, this rule has often led to a lot of confusion among fans. They’ve wondered if footballers are barred from joining websites like the Novibet football betting sportsbook.
The truth is that there are some national laws that prohibit players from wagering on the sport. However, the Football Association has a worldwide ban, which states that anyone involved in football, including managers, directors, licensed agents, and of course, players, must not participate in betting.
Some may believe that this restriction is quite harsh. However, there is a very good reason for this being the case. In this article, we explore why footballers, and anyone involved in the sport, is not allowed to bet on the game.
Ethical Concerns
One major concern is the ethical implication of allowing insiders to bet on the sport. Football is a small world, as one sporting justice lawyer once mused. The people involved in the sport, for the most part, know each other. So, if they were allowed to wager, some could be tempted to rig the game in their favor.
Not only would this be an obvious breach of ethics, but it also completely shatters the integrity of the game. That is why, the Football Association has instituted this worldwide ban. The main goal is to preserve the game’s integrity, and maintain a strict code of ethics.
Can Footballers Bet at All?
Some have completely misunderstood the Football Association’s rules, and believe that those involved in football are not allowed to wager on sports at all. However, that is not quite true. Footballers are free to wager on any sport they wish, aside from football.
In fact, there are plenty of popular players, managers, and other insiders who famously enjoy wagering on the ponies or gambling at casinos. Cristiano Ronaldo, for example, famously enjoys playing poker when he is traveling the world. He has been spotted numerous times at casinos around the globe.
Final Say
The Football Association takes its ethical standards very seriously. They’ve punished a lot of players throughout history, who’ve breached this code of ethics. Usually, the punishment entails a few years of suspension, and sometimes the FA may even impose quite a hefty fine. For that reason, most footballers stick to obeying the rules.
Kenneth is a an avid soccer follower, fan and writer. He is a consistent follower of the sport and is a fan of Chelsea FC.