Charity calls for football to address gambling

A LEADING charity has urged Scottish football to look again at its ‘unsustainable’ relationship with gambling. GambleAware deputy chief executive Iain Corby insists the SPFL, SFA and clubs must accept greater responsibility to help deal with problem gambling among fans and players if they are earning significant money from the betting industry. And he has warned that public attitudes could turn against those lucrative tieups unless more is done. Bookmakers provide title sponsorships for the Premiership, Scottish Cup and League Cup, while Celtic, Rangers and Hibernian are among the teams to have the names of betting firms on their shirts. Gambling troubles are

believed to have played a part in Parkhead striker Leigh Griffiths stepping away from football for an indefinite period to resolve ‘ongoing issues’. That high-profile case helped bring a spotlight back onto the game’s links with betting. And Corby argues it is time for an open debate about whether the current state of affairs is healthy. His organisation has launched the ‘Can We Have Our Ball Back’ initiative, which they are promoting in a new partnership with the Scottish Football Supporters Association’s 2018 National Fan Awards. ‘We are concerned about the relationship between Scottish football and gambling,’ Corby told Sportsmail. ‘We don’t think it’s a sustainable relationship. ‘I think anyone who is making money out of gambling, whether that be a gambling company, a football club or a league, needs to consider what their responsibilities are. ‘The most obvious one is making sure people know where to go for help. It is about running awareness campaigns on the risks of gambling and funding treatment for people who get into difficulty. We know that players are at a higher risk of gambling addiction than the ordinary person on the street. ‘It is also about being very selective in the gambling companies you work with, only working with those who really do take reducing harm seriously. ‘Obviously, we would like support for the cost of the work we do. There are probably around 230,000 problem gamblers in Scotland. ‘We provide free treatment. It’s a phone call away through the National Gambling Helpline, but all of that costs money. And there is a lot of money going into sport from gambling.’ Worried by the ‘normalisation’ of children seeing gambling promotions through football, Corby feels there is a pressing need for the sport to prove it is serious about recognising the potential consequences. He pointed to the public pressure that contributed to the government deciding to cut the maximum stake on fixed odds terminals from £100 to £2, ignoring pleas from bookmakers. ‘I think if there was a vote tomorrow, whether it was devolved to the Scottish Parliament or took place in Westminster, you wouldn’t have a vote to protect gambling advertising around football,’ said Corby. ‘It would go tomorrow. ‘If football wants to maintain that level of income on a sustainable basis, then it has to do something quite radical and demonstrate to politicians and parents that it takes its responsibilities seriously.’

VOTING for the 2018 National Fans Awards is open until midnight on January 13, 2019. Votes can be cast by visiting scottishfsa.org/fans-awards