Italian Authorities Investigate 13 Footballers in Illegal Betting Ring
The Italian authorities have announced they are investigating 13 football players who have allegedly been involved in illegal online gambling. US soccer star Weston McKennie is one of the footballers who has been named as one of the players.
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE:This comprehensive investigation follows admissions on betting on sports by Sandro Tonali and Nicolo Fagioli in 2023 which highlighted the widespread use of illegal betting sites by many footballers. Tonali and Fagioli both received lengthy bans from football after admitting betting on sports, in particular football games and even matches they took part in.
Included in the list of players being investigated is Weston McKennie who has represented the USA more than 60 times and is a key member of the Italian football giant Juventus. Another player under scrutiny is Junior Firpo the current Leeds United defender.
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Players not Accused of Betting on Football
Areas of focus of the current probe come from testimony provided during the investigation of Tonali and Fagioli. It has found there is a network of players who use illegal betting sites to play poker and place wagers on sports. However none of the players are accused of betting on football games and not on matches they were involved with.
This means the potential punishment for the players will probably be minor and the maximum fine they face is likely to be €250, but there is no likelihood of a suspension. The authorities that run football feel that players using illegal online gambling platforms is not good for the image of the game.
Additionally there seems to be an issue with players including Tonali and Fagioli putting pressure on other players to participate in placing wagers with unlicensed betting sites. There is a problem with players recruiting and encouraging other players to play at unlicensed gambling sites.
The revelation that Sandro Tonali was suffering from gambling addiction in 2023 meant that the footballing authorities had to address players gambling activities.
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