Gambling, sports psychiatry, and disciplinary sanctions in English professional football

Abstract

This paper critically examines the broader implications of the recent case involving the professional football player, Ivan Toney, who was sanctioned by the English Football Association for gambling-related offences. Gambling and English professional football have many interconnections, underscored by the prominent betting culture within the sport and athletes’ distinctive risk factors for pathological behaviours. Common punitive measures for betting-related offences, like complete bans from “all football-related activity”, may inadvertently exacerbate extant vulnerabilities, particularly in cases where gambling disorder has been noted as a mitigating circumstance. Accordingly, this article recommends holistic approaches to such incidents, emphasising the need to balance applicable punishments with the provision of sufficient mental health support informed by current evidence. Moreover, a wider reconsideration of the potentially harmful intersections between gambling and English professional football may be necessary, involving proactive initiatives to expand prevention schemes, increase psychoeducation, and reduce mental health stigma in football.