Scottish FA Hands Down 14 Notices of Gambling-Related Offenses

Soccer is coming under more scrutiny, as the Scottish FA handed down 14 notices of gambling-related offenses. Gavin Swankie, one player who will be investigated, is now facing nine allegations of breaching the association’s rules.

Players Receive Notices from Scottish FA Over Breaches of Rules

The Scottish FA has charged a player with seven breaches of an association rule that are related directly to gambling. Two other allegations have to do with betting on soccer games. According to Scottish FA, Arbroath winger Gavin Swankie has received a notice of complaint which implicates him in nine breaches of the active Scottish FA gambling regulations. 

The allegations span over a decade. The first rule under which Swankie is being investigated mandates that “no club, official, team, official or another member of team staff, player, match official or another person under the jurisdiction of the Scottish FA shall gamble in any way on a soccer match.”

Under rule 31, Swankie has been charged with seven violations. The other two pertain to different rules, to wit rule 22 and rule 33, which have to do with betting on football. To resolve the issue, the Scottish FA has set a preliminary hearing date for February 18 and will consider whether there is enough substance to charge the player officially and issue the appropriate penalties.

Crime and Punishment in the World of Sports

If Swankie is found guilty, he may receive a three-match ban, the minimum penalty his offenses entail, or be suspended from play for 16 games, as are the current Scottish FA penalties for such offenses. Swankie is not the only party named in similar offenses. The Scottish FA issued its notice on Friday, January 14, naming fourteen instances as potentially related to gambling fraud. 

Sports betting and gambling-related offenses by professional athletes have been commonplace in most sports worldwide. Evander Kane, an NFL player, was suspended from playing in almost two months of games because of having gambled on sports.