Football
ESPN staff 7y

Gambling Commission believes insider betting is rife within football

Former FIFA and Interpol adviser Chris Eaton has told BBC Sport that 53 footballers that have been reported for breaching betting rules are only "the tip of the iceberg."

Eaton, who is now a sport integrity expert, added that only "naive or careless players" would be caught and highlighted specifically ones who use their own name and account.

BBC Sport obtained the numbers from the Gambling Commission's Sports Betting Intelligence Unit (SBIU) after making a Freedom of Information request.

SBIU confirmed it received 53 allegations of footballers placing bets on matches between Aug. 1, 2014 and Dec. 23, 2016, but that figure is reported to relate to uncorroborated reports rather than confirmed instances of rule breaking.

However, SBIU also confirmed more alleged breaches were being investigated as a result of its own intelligence work.

As a measure against corruption in football, new rules came into effect as of August 2014 that applied to not just players but anyone involved in football.

Wayne Shaw, who was asked to resign from his position as Sutton United goalkeeper and fitness coach, is one player currently being investigated following a potential breach of betting rules.

^ Back to Top ^