English Premier League player Ivan Toney was accused of committing gambling violations by an Independent Regulatory Commission. In the process, Toney was also diagnosed with a gambling addiction.
Toney plays for Brentford FC and is one of the most prolific attacking players in the league. He's totaled 32 goals and nine assists over the past two seasons.
He was found to have placed 232 wagers, with 126 wagers coming in the league that he participated in. Toney placed 16 wagers on his team to win and 13 on his team to lose, but he wasn't found to have engaged in match-fixing.
The forward was never in the squad that competed in a game in which he bet against his own team.
Additionally, Toney's ban was reduced due to his gambling addiction diagnosis.
Toney's situation represents an uncomfortable reality in the world of sports betting, and he's far from the only individual that's dealing with similar troubles. A 2020 UK study found that 1.4 million people were problem gamblers.
The report also found that the stigma surrounding gambling issues contributed to people not seeking assistance — even when they knew that there was a problem.
This is a common issue associated with gambling addiction. It's an addiction that can commonly be referred to as an "invisible" one, both because there's a stigma frequently associated with it and because, on the surface, you can hide a gambling addiction.
This only contributes to problem gambling issues, and it emphasizes why educational resources and transparency in the industry are crucial.
For information on responsible gaming, including resources and educational pieces, you can click here. For a full list of problem gambling helpline phone numbers by state, click here.
