Why players betting on games is a serious offence

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How do you find out that a footballer is betting on the game?  They don’t walk into bookies and hand a slip over at the counter, this stuff is all done on smartphones or by telephone.

Betting information is protected by the Data Protection Act, the SFA have no authority to ask and bookmakers have no authority to tell, even if they know a player is breaking SFA rules.

Even if a player sits in the dressing room, and announces that he’s just bet on the match about to take place, and all his team-mates reported him, he would be able to dismiss the charge on the basis that his comments were a joke.  No one could prove otherwise.

But, very specific charges are levelled at players.

The betting industry survives on the quality of their information being better than that of their customers.  “Are you likely to win at the weekend?”, “Any inside info on who the new manager will be?”, “Who’s struggling to be fit for Saturday (and therefore unlikely to be first scorer)?”

If you are a player, you have the inside line on a market worth hundreds of millions each year.  Football has an unhealthy relationship with bookmakers, at some clubs, the betting partner has their own lounge and has full access to the players’ lounge.  Many players are big gamblers and some have big incomes.  They are both significant clients for bookies and potential sources of inside information.  Like many big gamblers, they are offered special odds, not available to the general public.

Let me tell you one way of catching a player who is gambling on football.  He is tempted away from his old bookie to one who has become friendly with, possibly after giving his former bookie a bum steer on a striker who was supposed to be injured.  The former bookie then ‘discovers’ that the name on one of their accounts doesn’t match the name on the linked bank account, and that this account holder is a footballer.

The bookie is now officially concerned that illegal match fixing is going on.  With the possibility of criminality (even if it is without basis), they can alert the authorities.  That would teach the player a lesson for leaving, while making money through advantageous odds and feeding bum information back, and destroy whatever competitive advantage the other bookie has.

Does anyone know of any other way a specific charge of gambling on football could be raised?

Maybe the players are all just daft laddies.  Maybe the SFA decline to release reports into players gambling because there is nothing to see in them.  Maybe you can break the rules on betting but not be punished because it’s a silly rule.

You don’t need to be match fixing to be involved in serious criminality when dealing with a bookmaker.  The football watching public need transparency from the SFA on this issue, no matter how much money floods into the game from the gambling industry.

Book your tickets now for the CQN11 St Patrick’s Day event at the Kerrydale Suite on Friday 13 March.  It’s going to be another great Celtic night.  You can buy tickets direct near the bottom of this page or email me, celticquicknews@gmail.com

 

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1,618 Comments

  1. 16 roads - Celtic über alles... on

    Betfred offering odds of 6/1 for Arsene Wenger to wear a coat v Brighton.

     

     

    New customers only.

     

     

    HH.

  2. canamalar

     

     

    11:58 on 24 January, 2015

     

     

    No that’s not me being presumptuous that’s my opinion which I am entitled to hold.

     

    As for me stating the majority would prefer it no to be published,please point me in the direction I said that I think you will find that I said the majority were unaware of it and couldnt give a damn about i

     

     

    It’s not like things to get twisted in here eh

  3. Tom McLaughlin

     

     

    12:12 on 24 January, 2015

     

     

    The discussion, here, today, which you are objecting to, is about the ad.

     

     

    If the Celtic Board had done the right thing there would be no ad.

     

     

    It follows, going on past experience, that the discussion, here, today would be about the game.

     

     

    That’s not delusion. That’s logic.

  4. Did Stefan not have a head wound on Wed against Motherwell? That would explain his abscence, |H H Hebcelt

  5. mighty tim supporting wee Oscar on

    Happy birthday winning captains and thanks to you and the other bhoys for the ad.

     

    To all who think that a group of Celtic supporters telling the truth about a dead club is going to be the cause of untold violence and rioting imo is a load of shite.

     

    The facts are that the same thugs that followed the dead club now follow the newco and bring their hatred of all things Celtic, Roman Catholic and Irish with them.

     

    I have followed Celtic for 50 years I will be 56 this year. In that time I have went toe to toe on several occasions with the huns even on days when there was no glasgow derby just a coming together on way back from games. I have witnessed their mob klan mentality from Barcelona to Manchester and loads in between. There were no adverts in any papers to agitate the mob to any of these violent acts it just came natural to them. If there is trouble next week when Celtic play a new formed team with a couple of years history, it will not be because of an advert in the Sunday Herald it will be because it is in the nature of the huns support.

     

    For what it’s worth I will never recognise the newco as old rangers. I will never recognise the old firm. I will never attend any game we play them until it is clear that they are new club.

     

    As for watching the game next week I chose to work a 12.5 hour shift.

     

     

    Vive Le CQN ad bhoys and never be scared of orcs.

     

     

    HH

     

     

    KTF

     

     

    UTLR

  6. blantyretim is praying for the Knox family on

    New article up bhoys

     

    ⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️

  7. A Ceiler Gonof Rust on

    Gearoid, read again my celtic friend. My strobe like exit last night was in homage and in the style of my wee pal weefrathe tim.

     

     

    Mon the hoops 3 nil and weebgfc become the cqn all time greatest tipster.

  8. Winning Captains

     

     

    If you are about…..although I am a bit miffed you bhoys didn’t consult the green man regarding that article:)

     

     

     

    HH

  9. If the majority are unaware of it, how the hell can anyone say the majority don’t give a damn, the fact the meeja readership is dying sorta tells you they do give a damn and are sick of the lies, your twisting yourself into knots trying to dress your presumptions as only your opinion.

  10. .bawsman @11:46

     

     

    Not like thing to get exaggerated in here eh

     

    I point you in the direction of the official club website

     

    http://www.celticfc.net/tickets/away

     

     

    Record returns and Huge numbers ????????

     

     

    Ps this big game hunter never took up his offer for the Milano game maybe you want to quantify that as record returns and huge numbers

  11. Joe Filippis Haircut on

    Canamalar. It is entirely up to the individual poster wither after stating there opinion if the want to enter a debate or not. If we believe in freedom of speech which I do we are going to come across opinions from others with which we do not agree but I would never try to stop another person giving there opinion as over the years it has been a hard won right. H.H.

  12. pedrocaravanachio67 on

    First chance to watch sportscene from last week, the Hamilton game.

     

    Paddy bonner : that will be KC’s last game.

     

    Don’t know who talks mer keech :

     

    1)Alfie

     

    2)Ernie

     

    3)Mickeybhoy1888

     

    4) paddy

     

     

    It’s option 3 for me.

  13. canamalar

     

     

    Are you trying to tell me that the decline in readership figures of the printed press over the years is down to what appears in the sports pages

     

    Aye Ok then you win

  14. Really looking forward to the game, going for 3-0 to the hoops!

     

     

    If Fletcher is indeed a possibility I hope it’ll be on a pay as you play basis.

     

     

    He may realise that he will have ample opportunity to step straight into a coaching role if he were to finish his career with us, it could be a good platform for him taking his first steps into coaching / management. Time will tell, still think he’ll end up at West Ham

  15. Darren Fletcher would be a great asset in the dressing room, probably more so than on the pitch. Football south of the border and in Europe would notice the signing. It’s been a while since that has happened por cierto.

     

     

    #egocsc

  16. Regarding next week’s game, I think we need to keep the heid on and off the park. Let’s be disciplined on the pitch and we should win. Off the pitch, let’s not give anyone the opportunity to tar us with the same brush, irrespective of result.

  17. Big Georges Fan Club - Hail, Hail, Wee Oscar on

    Hello this is WEE BGFC. Sorry about my prediction guys but who cares we won anyway. :D Thanks Hamiltontim and have a good birthday weekend. :)