Newcastle United Set to Strengthen Gambling Education on Team Level

The club has used the most recent scandal to pivot towards strengthening its gambling education on a team level and help players better understand the pitfalls of gambling, as is Tonali’s case.

Don’t Punish as an Example, Educate as an Example

Apart from the ten-month ban, Tonali will also have to go through an eight-month rehabilitation period, putting a crimp on his career, but also raising awareness for how gambling can impact professional athletes.

Edie Howe, Newcastle’s head coach has welcomed the opportunity to introduce education as a way forward for players to better familiarize themselves with the dangers of gambling:

In the academies, getting that information through to the players and developing good habits in your life is so important as a professional athlete, so you can give yourself the best chance of having the longest career possible. As a club, it’s our duty to do that.

Edie Howe, Newcastle’s head coach

Giuseppe Riso, Tonali’s manager, has confirmed that his client is battling gambling addiction and is now looking to get better. Newcastle United, though, is using this as an opportunity to raise awareness about the problem of gambling and betting on sports by professional athletes in general.

Newcastle United may become the first team in the United Kingdom to fully prohibit its players from placing wagers on the outcome of sporting events. This would be a first for a professional soccer team in the United Kingdom but may set an important trend that safeguards players against the perils of gambling better.

Betting Has Already Proved a Problem for Prominent Players  

Education, however, always seems to do a better job in the long term, as soccer players in England may actually place bets on all sports but their own. However, the Professional Footballers Association in the country has cautioned that there are risks.

“Studies have shown professional athletes are more likely to develop problem gambling habits, so think carefully before placing any bets,” the organization stated.

Tonali is hardly the only person to have run into similar issues, as Kieran Trippier previously grabbed headlines after he too was found to have bet on games. He is also in the company of other prominent soccer players, including Ivan Toney who was recently found in 232 breaches of the Football Association’s betting rules