Survey finds high number of footballers and cricketers are ‘problem gamblers’

The survey found 6.1% of those polled could fit in the 'problem gamblers' category compared with 1.9% of the wider public. Photograph: Graeme Robertson

Professional sportsmen are three times more likely to be problem gamblers than people in the general population, new research has found. Questionnaires returned by 178 professional cricketers and 170 footballers for NatCen Social Research on behalf of the Professional Players Federation found that 6.1% would be classified as problem gamblers, compared to a recognised figure of 1.9% in the wider public.

The researchers estimate that around 192 footballers and cricketers in Britain may have gambling problems, with a further 440 cited to be vulnerable to gambling at a level that “compromises, disrupts or damages family, personal or recreational pursuits”. Just under 3% of the footballers and cricketers who responded said they had sought help for gambling.

The PPF, an alliance of the unions representing footballers, cricketers, golfers, jockeys, rugby and snooker players, described sportsmen as “at risk”, calling at a conference in Edgbaston for more recognition and help to be made available for those whose gambling has become a problem.

A number of sportsmen, particularly footballers, have admitted to gambling problems in recent years, including the former Newcastle United and Cardiff City striker Michael Chopra and Matthew Etherington of Stoke City. Etherington said he had lost £1.5m on greyhounds, horses and poker, and described becoming withdrawn socially, obsessed with his next bet.

General features of problem gambling cited in the research for the PPF finds that it is more prevalent in young men and those with less rigidly structured work routines, a group which effectively includes all sportsmen.

Heather Wardle, of NatCen Social Research, suggested that sportsmen’s greater incidence of problem gambling may be due to a betting culture within professional sport, and that top players’ competitive personalities might make them more inclined to persistent gambling. Concern has grown in the last decade about the ease with which people can now bet large amounts of money very quickly online and via smartphones, and the dominance of gambling companies in sponsoring and being associated with modern sport.

Almost a third of those responding to the questionnaires, 31%, said that gambling companies “encourage sports people to bet”, which is thought to include the courting of high-earning players with hospitality and other introductory offers. Gambling sponsorship was cited by 27% as a factor which has an impact on the levels of problem gambling, while a quarter of the players said they were encouraged to gamble by team-mates.

Brendon Batson, chair of the Professional Players Federation, said of the findings: “There is an urgent need to break down the stigma attached to problem gambling in sport. Sportsmen are a clear ‘at risk’ group and the whole of professional sport has a duty of care to these young men. We all need to work together to expand and improve the good practice that exists on education and treatment for problem gambling.”


read more  :  www.theguardian.com

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