Bookmaker Ladbrokes has increased the exclusion period for an unnamed Scottish Premiership footballer.A warning was sent to company staff explaining that the player must no longer be served in betting outlets after a 12-month exclusion agreement came to an end, but Ladbrokes opted to extend the ban due to concerns about the symptoms of serious gambling addiction that the player had displayed.
Leak
The news of the ban, and the memo that was sent to staff, has not become public due to Labrokes, with Chiefs saying:“Client confidentiality is a fundamental bedrock of our business.“We are actively investigating whether this document is genuine and, if so, how it has been obtained and disclosed.“Once those investigations are complete, we will take appropriate action.“We would never publicly discuss any customer’s activity, especially in relation to self-exclusion.”.”
Epidemic
Kevin Twaddle, himself a former Hearts player and former gambling addict, has described gambling issues in the Scottish game as an epidemic, saying:“I know big players who are struggling and possibly their clubs don’t know.“He will be one of many Scottish Premiership players with gambling issues.“The online industry is such a problem now, you can’t escape it. Footballers have so much spare time so will turn to gambling. These are measures bookies need to take more often. It’s probably a good thing.”Marc Etches, Chief Executive of GambleAware has called on football clubs to provide better support to players, saying;“Footballers are three times more likely to have a gambling problem so it’s vital clubs and players all have access to advice about the risks of gambling.“Problem gambling is a mental health condition.“Clubs have a responsibility to make sure players are given the training to help them, should they need support, by knowing where to find BeGambleAware.org.”