Football / Soccer / Calcio / Futebol / Fußball

It's abhorrent that gambling companies have their clutches deeply embedded in the sport. Youngsters are growing up with the perception that gambling is a normalised activity. This sets a perilous precedent.

I've personally grappled with a gambling addiction. Believing that one can simply "stop" is akin to telling a heroin addict to abruptly cease using the needle. It's an illness, and certain personality types are more susceptible to it.

I popped a bottle of champagne the day the maximum bet for Fixed Odds Betting Terminals (FOBTs) was capped at £2 per spin. By then, I had overcome my addiction, but I knew many who frequented these machines and lost substantial sums. The government's sluggishness in updating regulations underscores the deep entanglement of gambling firms in politics. The decision to limit bets was straightforward, yet these bookmakers contended, "But the average person only loses £20 an hour," which is complete nonsense. A mere visit to a betting shop at that time revealed the rampant nature of gambling addiction. I've seen numerous instances where individuals, in frustration, smashed FOBT machines, and the staff hardly reacted, seldom even calling the police.

Nevertheless, online gambling remains largely unregulated. Individuals can still easily wager up to £1,000 per spin on roulette from their own homes. It's alarming how many might be struggling with addiction in private.

Gambling should be drastically curtailed in terms of its advertising, particularly in relation to sports, and online gambling needs to be either banned or stringently regulated to prevent people from falling into this trap. Football, in particular, should sever its extensive ties with gambling. Even if this leads to financial losses for the sport, it would be a sacrifice for a commendable cause. Perhaps then footballers won't receive such exorbitant salaries.