‘Nearly 1 in 3 Scots footballers’ bet on games

AROUND a third of Scottish footballers surveyed by players’ union FIFPro have admitted to betting on games despite the SFA’s zero tolerance approach to football gambling.

Around 1 in 3 Scotland-based players admitted betting on football in the survey. Picture: TSPL

The survey, entitled Don’t Fix It, looked at attitudes and experience of gambling and corruption across nine European countries.

Of the Scottish players surveyed, 32 per cent said they had bet on games despite knowing it was against the rules. More than 80 per cent of players reported knowing the rules on betting in Scottish football.

Scottish football has a zero-tolerance approach to all football betting, in contrast with rules in England which prevent players from betting on games, leagues and competitions in which their team are involved.

Rangers midfielder Ian Black was banned for three games and hit with a £7,500 fine last year after being found guilty of betting on 160 games over a seven year period.

Michael Moffat, then at Ayr United, was banned for six games in January for betting on games. The Dunfermline Athletic striker saw his ban cut to four games on appeal.

103 professional players in Scotland were contacted for the survey, with the vast majority surveyed plying their trade in either the SPFL Premiership or SPFL Championship.

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