League of Ireland players face being slapped with bans if they bet on ANY football worldwide.
And PFA Ireland boss Stephen McGuinness has called on former internationals ‘to lead by example’ and avoid working with betting companies.
Up to now, players in Ireland were not allowed to gamble on matches and competitions they were directly involved in. But a wager on an English Premier League game, for example, was permitted.
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Not any more.
On the back of a FIFA regulation, standard player contracts have been updated this month to reflect the global betting ban and will be enforced by the FAI going into the 2023 League of Ireland season.
McGuinness believes the stricter measures - which now mirror those in England - will be a wake up call in Irish dressing rooms.
But the PFA Ireland chief told Mirror Sport: “I agree with it. You can’t have any grey areas. It should be black and white that you can’t bet on any football - end of story.
“The new rule came in on December 1 and is very simple - no player in the League of Ireland can bet on any football, anywhere in the world.
“It's not widely known, and we don’t want a player getting caught on the basis that they didn’t know. It's why we will be visiting all clubs before the season starts to spell it out.”
McGuinness continued: “I used to get fellas ringing me saying ‘can I bet on the Champions League tonight’ and we would say ‘no, you played in the early rounds’.
“But now it goes further and the accumulator you might have done on a Saturday afternoon with Manchester United and Liverpool is gone - all of that is over.”
Player found to be betting on global football will face an FAI probe and with the potential for disciplinary action.
McGuinness said: “There’s obviously a range of severity.
“If you played in a game and bet on your own team to lose, that’s far more serious than betting on some game in Bolivia. But now you could be put out of football for both.
“Bans are one thing but the damage to your reputation is huge. Clubs looking to sign you might hear of a gambling background and think twice.
“That can damage your career, so we need players to realise and understand that they can’t make that mistake any more.”
Shamrock Rovers’ sponsorship deal with betting firm 888 has just expired after two years and won’t be renewed.
It means Dundalk’s contract with Bet Regal is the only active shirt deal with a betting firm going into the 2023 campaign.
As the head of the players’ union, McGuinness has dealt with many gambling cases in the league and admits it’s still a huge problem.
“I’ve seen it damage and destroy people I played with, people I played against and people I represent now,” he continued.
“Some of the league’s top players down the years have battled with it.
“The problem we have is that gambling companies make it look like you have to have a bet to enjoy a match. It’s becoming a cultural thing and it’s terrible.
“If I’m honest, I’m disappointed to see lots of former internationals hooking up with betting companies. I think it’s wrong and I don’t think they should be doing it.
“I’ve seen dressing rooms destroyed - and recently too - because of gambling on anything and everything from football to horses to greyhounds.
“It’s causing huge problems at clubs and I don’t think high profile players should be promoting betting companies.
“I appreciate people have to make a living but there are better ways. They could lead by example."
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