Tonali & Zaniolo questioned by Italian police for illegal betting activities | Tonali charged by FA for betting while at Newcastle

[C'est Moi Cantona]

Nah, assuming you mean banning bookies I think it would just drive it underground and make the issue worse. Needs a lot more education, safeguarding and legislation though. It's a horrible business I agree. They prey on vulnerable people and induce addiction as a core part of their strategy.

Exactly, and it is what is happening right now with horse racing, the government are on a mission to ruin the sport with intrusive financial checks, and so the betting turnover is down at the established bookies, which will take money away from the racing industry, and in the long run cost alot of people their jobs.

What the people who bring these rules in fail to understand is that the lost turnover is simply been taken up by the unregulated bookies, who don't then put the money back into the sport they are making their money from, and are been used by the people these new rules are trying to protect.

 

[Fortitude]

Because the industry is built on finding more and more ways to suck money from the public through ads and easy entry points, ruining lives and families in the process?

Because it produces degenerate gamblers who harass players and coaches when their parlays don't hit?

Because it bans more knowledgeable gamblers from even playing, capping their wins but not their losses?

Because players can't even gamble? If the very presence of gambling threatens the integrity of organized sport, why allow gambling on organize sport at all?

As with any other multi-billion dollar industry, the reason is obvious. As with any vice, blame goes both ways.

For all the addicts, there are also millions betting responsibly

 

[B20]

Since his ban in Italy was effective in multiple leagues, I really think his violations across multiple leagues should be considered additions to his existing punishment rather than a separate case.

 

[ForeverRed1]

I mean gambling addiction is really sad, and an absolutely terrible thing.

But, objectively speaking - looking at it from a solely Newcastle United POV... this is pretty hilarious

I doubt he’s betting everything he is like some do. He could bet big big money and it only be a days wage for this guy. He’s just plainly cheating being in his position. It’s pure greed.

 

[Berbaclass]

Anyone think that Milan could have leaked the information after he left

 

[Karel Podolsky]

You have been able to order alcohol to your door within 30min of ordering it for quite some time now. Cigarettes, too. Sign of the times.

Betting, alcohol and cigarettes wouldn't have happened under Sharia league

 

[adexkola]

As with any other multi-billion dollar industry, the reason is obvious. As with any vice, blame goes both ways.

For all the addicts, there are also millions betting responsibly

And the millions are still getting ripped off.

Short of banning it outright I'd cap the amount you're able to bet as a function of your annual income and debt profile. I'd also invalidate illegitimate bets placed. No payout, no loss. Criminalize knee capping, bet ads, bet sponsors, and so on.

 

[Bright_Eyes]

No it wouldn't

(Most) people aren't going to find Paulie the bookie who'll kneecap you if you don't pay the weekly vig

There is a huge gambling crisis BECAUSE of the ease of access.

It isn't the most people who gamble within their means who need protection. It's the (large) minority who get addicted, called "whales" by the industry. Those people will end up finding your Paulie the bookie, or Paulie finding them is perhaps the better way to put it.

Underground gambling is already a massive industry (half a trillion dollars per year just in the US ) and as bad as the legal gambling industry is, the underground one is worse. That's where addicts will go and be made if you just ban the bookies.

The US has a much bigger problem with gambling addiction than the UK, at least partly because the legal industry in the US is a lot less regulated. For example, the UK has more stringent advertising laws.

Ease of access is a problem, but one that won't be solved when it's so easy to bet through illegal avenues. That's where you'll end up channelling the people who need help. And if drugs are anything to go by, good luck policing that, I don't think we have either the appetite or the resources, we'll just end up with more lost people. Put more resources into regulating stuff like advertising, education and mental health care instead and try to stop the pull of gambling before it starts.

(This doesn't necessarily have much directly to do with Tonali. He could be an addict, he could just be greedy/stupid. This is just a topic I have interest in as I've seen how horrid gambling addiction can be.)

 

[soapythecat]

Milan doing Newcastle a kipper is a wonderful thing. TheFA need to punish him and continue to send a message, just like they did with Toney.
Addiction is horrendous and needs addressing, but that is for the club and the player to sort out. He has the wealth and capacity to seek this help, way more than your average Joe who has probably been left with nothing following a serious gambling problem.

 

[RedRocket9908]

Tonali basically got off with a fine, Ivan Toney will be livid

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[Annihilate Now!]

Tonali basically got off with a fine, Ivan Toney will be livid

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That's ridiculous.

 

[V.O.]

Tonali basically got off with a fine, Ivan Toney will be livid

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Because they're completely different cases. Tonali simply hadn't been in England long enough to rack up the number of offences Toney had.

Judging from the reporting, Tonali made ~50 bets and the few times it was on Newcastle, he only bet on them to win. Toney made hundreds of bets and bet on his own team to lose multiple times (albeit when he wasn't playing).

 

[Chipper]

Tonali basically got off with a fine, Ivan Toney will be livid

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Tough one to call for me. Might be wrong, but I was under the impression it was basically one period of gambling that started in Italy and continued in England. That once he was charged by the Italian FA he stopped betting in England?

18th October - announced he was under investigation in Italy
26th October - banned for 10 months
March - Charged with breaking the English FA's betting rules between 12th August-12th October

Two different jurisdictions, and they do have the power to come down heavy on him in both. At least to me though, it would partly feel like one long offence. The possibility of two bans seems like it could be harsh, almost like getting punished for the same thing twice.

Is it better to remain at one club and break the gambling rules for a period of time over starting to break them in one country, move, and continue to break them elsewhere for the same length of time altogether?

Going down my line of thinking would require the Italian FA to punish him sufficiently to begin with, a let them deal with it approach. I'm not sure how many breaches of the rules there were in Italy off the top of my head and don't know how his punishment there compared to other cases so can't comment on that. 10 months is a considerable length of time though. I think the absolute best thing to do should have been one big joint-investigation by both authorities, with one punishment. If not legally possible then at least do everything at the same time. Not sure why that didn't happen, otherwise you get a lot of questions!