Lewis Walker believes that the ugly truth of betting will ruin the beautiful game.
As a football fan, I’m surrounded by stories of people winning huge sums of money on luck; yet the darker side of betting is never truly revealed… Addiction.
The NHS reports that the amount of gamblers associated with addiction linked to football has risen by 27% over the last two years. The finger tends to be pointed at the huge sponsorship deals that linger and lure over clubs. In truth, fans couldn’t avoid the betting advertisements if they tried.
Notts County defender Matt Tootle recently came out and said that he was pressured by betting companies not to revile his addiction problems.
It’s called problem gambling but actually the only problem are the companies that promote it.
However it’s not as simple as that. Betting is written into football folklore as being something naturally done on match day. It’s not just that it’s part of football culture; it’s part of English culture in general.
In fact sponsorships can give the clubs money that can help them live another day. However it could be said that clubs shouldn’t have to rely on money from betting companies to survive. It could be said that these companies have the teams eating the palm out of their hand.
In conclusion, online betting and non-stop talk of “accas” only fuels the inescapable fire that is addiction.
The Corner Quadrant 