Toon should set right Ton

THE sight of “gambling addict” Sandro Tonali playing in front of adverts luring fans to get betting is a perverse one.

The Italian awaits his punishment from the Italian FA after confessing the extent of his football wagers – players are not allowed to gamble on games – to the prosecutor of Turin last week.

Meanwhile, Newcastle United continue to take cash from three betting partners, Fun88, Sportsbet.io and BETMGM.

It would be a powerful statement in support of Tonali, and other sufferers, if the club scrapped these partnerships.

Why? After all the Betting and Gambling Council, representing the industry, state an “overwhelming” majority of the 22.5million people in the UK who bet each month do so “safely and responsibly”.

Premier League clubs have already voluntarily taken a lead on gambling ads. They’ve banned matchday front-of-shirt sponsorship deals with gambling companies from the summer of 2026, so clearly they know some harm is being done.

Indeed Dr Matt Gaskell, a consultant psychologist who runs the NHS’ northern gambling service, says: “The evidence is clear that gambling advertising drives consumption, which increases harm.”

But logos will be allowed on sleeves and advertising boards. So in reality, only the positioning of the betting promos have been changed.

Last season the collective value of eight front of shirt betting deals of Premier League teams totalled a huge £60m.

Betting sponsorship is worth £40m to EFL clubs, which is backed by Skybet. Football is raking in cash from the betting industry.

Star players, like £200k-a-week Tonali, are having their wages part paid by the gambling firms.

That will inevitably lead – just like promoting smoking leads to excess cancer and deaths – to punters who get into trouble.

Tonali is discovering the pain betting can bring. So why does football, and Newcastle United, not feel embarrassed that he is part of the promotional push?