Tonali/Toney & Gambling

[Sammyffc]

im sure many of you have seen the news about Tonali being caught gambling in Italy and many people are calling for his head and wanting the same punishment for him as Toney got, even though the facts of the cases are completely different... but thats the modern world.

What should football associations be doing to help players with gambling addictions? is there anything that can actually be done?

[RaySmith]

Tony Adams founded a charity to help with gambling and other addictions, Sporting Chance, not sure if it's still going, but presume there is other help available - a lot more so than in the past, now that addictions are recognised as often being related to  mental ill health.

Can't comment on the two cases - don't really know much about them, so not sure of your point re these two players.

[Sammyffc]

Tony Adams founded a charity to help with gambling and other addictions, Sporting Chance, not sure if it's still going, but presume there is other help available - a lot more so than in the past, now that addictions are recognised as often being related to  mental ill health.

Can't comment on the two cases - don't really know much about them, so not sure of your point re these two players.

Interesting, i never knew about that. surprised his charity isn't spoken about more!

And Toney was found guilty of multiple sports bets on football, on his own team etc

Tonali has been relentlessly playing roulette and poker on a banned gambling website in Italy. As far as we know as of now there were no sports bets involved

[MikeTheCubed]

Players with a first or last name beginning with 'Ton' seem to be at greater risk.

[sunburywhite]

Players with a first or last name beginning with 'Ton' seem to be at greater risk.

Macedo was ok

[toshes mate]

Like all addicts gamblers have to help themselves first and there is never a guarantee that any change they may succeed in making will make any difference to the addiction. Often if you play your life backwards from the present there are hints that may help in understanding where and why the addiction began but it is very hard to do without complete honesty.

Out of all addicts I have known, alcoholics have it worse because it will kill them if they don't stop. Smoking is probably the easiest since it is all about not smoking that next fag - the exact reverse of how they became addicted. It is the hard answer to all addictions but it seems some are more complex than others.       

[alfie]

Like all addicts gamblers have to help themselves first and there is never a guarantee that any change they may succeed in making will make any difference to the addiction. Often if you play your life backwards from the present there are hints that may help in understanding where and why the addiction began but it is very hard to do without complete honesty.

Out of all addicts I have known, alcoholics have it worse because it will kill them if they don't stop. Smoking is probably the easiest since it is all about not smoking that next fag - the exact reverse of how they became addicted. It is the hard answer to all addictions but it seems some are more complex than others.       

Giving up smoking for me was tough, certainly not easy, I haven't smoked for 40 years, but strangely I still on the very odd occasion fancy a smoke, never give in though.

[Nero]

The difference between the 2 is Toney lied and tried to cover up his betting to the FA, Toneli has admitted it and passed over evidence

[Cumbrian White]

im sure many of you have seen the news about Tonali being caught gambling in Italy and many people are calling for his head and wanting the same punishment for him as Toney got, even though the facts of the cases are completely different... but thats the modern world.

What should football associations be doing to help players with gambling addictions? is there anything that can actually be done?

I suspect that admitting to a gambling addiction helps.reduce any ban.

These could just be wealthy men, too much time, bored and a bit arrogant to think rules don't apply to them.

Amazing these days how so many people caught doing something wrong claim addiction.

[HillingdonFFC]

With what's going around at the moment, I think that might be the least of Tonalis problems

[Deuce]

Players with a first or last name beginning with 'Ton' seem to be at greater risk.

Im willing to bet on it

[General]

I have to admit for some reason I think it's a different issue entirely if you're betting on your own team to win or lose as Toney did, instead of constantly betting on your team to win..

You're backing yourself to get the very best result every time and your also doing that in a weird way to incentivise yourself to win a competitive match of football, which should be the aim..

Also, with a top team like AC Milan, surely the odds are also pretty low in terms of returns because I imagine you're expected to win most games.

Obviously I've no idea what the economies of scale are for Tonali and I do get the point of ruling out gambling if you're involved in the sport as you could get a number of conflicts of interests and ones which can be particularly damaging to people, fans, teams and pundits alike.. plus if you give it room to breathe then where does it stop, refs? League officials, new league's where profits go to very few teams?

I don't like what corruption does to sport and would happily see the back end of it, it does seem particularly bad in Italy though.. but definitely a difference in my view between what Tonali did and what Toney did.

I imagine clubs and league's probably need to do some enforced train of sorts to boost awareness of A) not betting on games you're involved in or in the league you're in, or perhaps even the sport your in and maintaining the integrity and fairness of the game, but also B) giving a wider context of what it can mean by giving a perspective to players of what gambling can do to people's mental health, their general finances and wellbeing, but also the criminal aspect of it.

[RaySmith]

im sure many of you have seen the news about Tonali being caught gambling in Italy and many people are calling for his head and wanting the same punishment for him as Toney got, even though the facts of the cases are completely different... but thats the modern world.

What should football associations be doing to help players with gambling addictions? is there anything that can actually be done?

I suspect that admitting to a gambling addiction helps.reduce any ban.

These could just be wealthy men, too much time, bored and a bit arrogant to think rules don't apply to them.

Amazing these days how so many people caught doing something wrong claim addiction.

Obviously unscientific whether or not someone is an addict, but if the person has a need, rather than choosing, to do something, even if it's causing them distress and  harm - like losing all your money, and severely affecting your life and relationships, then that seems a sign of addiction.

I don't think  someone can just claim to be an addict, in a situation  of breaking rules, and everyone just accepts that.

[Free Elvis Hammond]

Tonali has been relentlessly playing roulette and poker on a banned gambling website in Italy. As far as we know as of now there were no sports bets involved

Guardian now reporting he's also accused of betting on Milan games

An interesting aspect of this is this guy Fabrizio Corona...Italian paparazzo who extorted loads of footballers in the 00s. Basically offered them the chance to buy the rights to compromising photos, for huge fees, otherwise he'd sell them to magazines. He got Adriano, Gilardino, Trezeguet, a few others. Ended up doing jail time for extortion

Football Italia have reported that it was his evidence that led to the Tonali and Fagioli (at Juve) investigations, although I saw the case against Zaniolo at Villa isn't being pursued

Corona is also threatening to out gay footballers at the moment too, by the way

[Somerset Fulham]

Banned for ten months.

[Fulham 442]

Banned for ten months.

Is that just in Italy or the UK too? Now just seen it's for both...

[Somerset Fulham]

Yep, across all games.

You have to wonder if there was something dodgy going on with that transfer from Milan really.

[copthornemike]

Quite a significant number Italian clubs, players and match officials have been found guilty of betting and/or match fixing.
Wonder if Tonali, Tonali's club & Newcastle were aware of the investigations at the time of the transfer?
If only Newcastle were kept out of the loop some legal eagles are going to get pretty wealthy!
Newcastle now have an expensive player who cannot play this season & presumably uses up a player registration place in the meanwhile.
I imagine  Newcastle are feverishly looking if they can get some recompense.

[davew]

Think he should bet on us scoring 2 goals in a PL game, good odds will be available!!

[Cumbrian White]

im sure many of you have seen the news about Tonali being caught gambling in Italy and many people are calling for his head and wanting the same punishment for him as Toney got, even though the facts of the cases are completely different... but thats the modern world.

What should football associations be doing to help players with gambling addictions? is there anything that can actually be done?

I suspect that admitting to a gambling addiction helps.reduce any ban.

These could just be wealthy men, too much time, bored and a bit arrogant to think rules don't apply to them.

Amazing these days how so many people caught doing something wrong claim addiction.

Obviously unscientific whether or not someone is an addict, but if the person has a need, rather than choosing, to do something, even if it's causing them distress and  harm - like losing all your money, and severely affecting your life and relationships, then that seems a sign of addiction.

I don't think  someone can just claim to be an addict, in a situation  of breaking rules, and everyone just accepts that.

So in the Italians case, there are 40 addicts? Its a betting ring pure and simple, claiming addiction is indeed a way of reducing the penalties.