Sports Betting 💰🎰
Betting is where you “gamble” money on the outcome of an event. So basically, you pay a certain amount of money with the intent of winning more money. Bets can be placed on a race, a card game, and yessss… a football match. I’m sure many of us have placed light-hearted “bets” on the outcome of an event amongst friends and family, whether or not we paid up 💵😚.
The world football governing body’s website highlights how much betting is growing as an industry and how it estimates that the total global turnover from betting on football tournaments is worth “billions” (…. and I’m sure that’s not naira!). It also states that “While this industry represents a source of funding for the game, it represents a risk to the integrity of football.” This is because football matches can be manipulated and the outcome of competitions influenced by one or more parties to that competition who intend to gain from the result of that match. For instance, this could be players picking up cards, goalies allowing balls through the net and/or referees penalising players for phantom fouls, all these done intentionally to ensure a desired outcome is achieved.
Those bound by the FIFA Code of Ethics – all officials, referees, players, football and match agents, are subject to the following code:
🎯They are forbidden from participating in, either directly or indirectly, betting, gambling, lotteries or similar events or transactions related to football matches or competitions and/or any related football activities;
🎯They shall not have any interests, either directly or indirectly (through or in conjunction with third parties), in entities, companies, organisations, etc. that promote, broker, arrange or conduct betting, gambling, lotteries or similar events or transactions connected with football matches and competitions.
Direct involvement is where a bet is placed on any football match, and indirect involvement is where, for instance, someone bound by the code funds and receives the winnings of a bet, even though the bet may not have been placed in their name. It could also be where someone involved in football shares “inside” information, which they have privileged access to based on their position in the game, to a third party and the third party uses that information in placing a bet.
These codes are (or should be) implemented and enforced by each Member Association 👍🏽.
An interesting case is the one below involving Ghanaian clubs, Ashgold SC and Inter Allies 🇬🇭. The match ended 7-0 to Ashgold 🤦🏽♀️
The unfortunate thing is that, aside leaving the integrity of the game in tatters, fans suffer, players suffer, the club’s employees suffer, and the league suffers!
Last week, The FA charged West Ham’s Lucas Paquetá with breaches of Rule E5.1. which could land him a 10 year ban. Let’s see how that unfolds…
Ref: FIFA website
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