Why do professional footballers gamble?
Gambling and football have always been inextricably linked. Whether it is the football pools, a punt on who will win the FA Cup final, or a spread bet on the number of yellow cards to be handed out during the next World Cup, gamblers love betting on the outcome of football matches. But there are also good psychological reasons that encourage top players to gamble – particularly if looked at from the player’s perspective. It is the night before a big match. Premiership players are confined to staying in a hotel. No sex. No alcohol. No junk food. To pass time, footballers may watch television, play cards, or play a video game, believing these are ‘healthier’ for them. The difficulty in detecting gambling addictions is likely to be one factor in its growth over other forms of addiction especially as many players are more health-conscious and the testing for alcohol and drugs is now more rigorous. However, any of these ‘healthier’ activities – when taken to excess – can cause problems. Eng
