Gambling addiction is one of the biggest problems affecting the League of Ireland but players are afraid to raise the issue for fear of being connected with match-fixing, according to the players’ union.
Stephen McGuinness, the general secretary of the Professional Footballers’ Association of Ireland, said that only a small number of players had ever come forward to seek help for gambling addiction.
“We have six players getting help from us at the moment for mental health because that stigma has been broken down,” Mr McGuinness said. “Gambling is not the same because they know there is a suspicion they’re involved in betting on their own games and match-fixing if they talk about it.
“Even if they do come forward they’re worried about the reputational damage. If they go to a support group and someone is wearing a club jacket or scarf, what will they think?”
Mr McGuinness said that the PFAI had structures in place to deal with addiction but they were rarely used. Only one player is in contact with the union despite a strong gambling culture in the league.
Advertisement
“In my visits to the clubs it is one of the first things I speak to players about,” he said. “Lads understand that they can’t have a bet on the league, but they don’t understand what the repercussions of betting are.”
The Gaelic Players Association has regularly raised concerns about the level of gambling addiction among its members.
Sean Potts, the association’s spokesman, has said that the decision by high-profile Gaelic football players such as Niall McNamee and Oisín McConville to go public with their gambling addiction problems had helped others to come forward.
Mr McGuinness said that he would like to see similar progress in football, but the widespread nature of match-fixing in the sport globally meant this was more difficult because it would damage a player’s future career options.
“We’ve had the case of James Chambers, a high-profile player here who went public with his depression and now he’s playing in America because he could move on with his life,” he said. “That wouldn’t happen with gambling. If you were a professional footballer who said you were a gambling addict your career would be as good as over because the suspicion would be that you couldn’t be trusted on the pitch.”
Advertisement
Mr McGuinness said that gambling sponsorship and advertising should be curtailed in the league but added that it was a difficult issue because the League of Ireland could not afford to turn down any sponsorship.