Gambling poses one of the greatest mental health risks in elite sport, player associations warn

Exclusive: In a series of interviews with The Independent, the PFA, PCA and RPA have all expressed concern over the rising accessibility of gambling and the psychological impact it’s having on today’s athletes

The Independent has learned of the damage inflicted upon the lives of numerous current and former sportspeople as a result of their gambling addictions (Getty)

A host of leading player associations have identified gambling as one of the most pressing mental health challenges currently present within sport, as it is revealed that 42 per cent of surveyed professional cricketers gamble on a monthly basis.

In a series of interviews with The Independent, the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA), the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) and the Rugby Players Association (RPA) all expressed concern over the rising accessibility of gambling and the psychological impact it’s having on today’s athletes.

“The biggest [mental health] issue at the moment is gambling,” Michael Bennett, head of the PFA, told The Independent. “The first part for me goes back to it’s easily accessible. On your iPhone, on your iPad, laptop, Mac, whatever. You click. ‘Are you 18?’ Yes, and you’re in.

“The other issue is that players have got so much time on their hands. You’ve got younger players in digs, that are finishing training at 1/2/3pm. They go home, they have a sleep, wake up 5pm and go ‘what do I do now?’ So it’s become something to fill that time.

“And you’ve got players with large amounts of money. It’s not an issue them losing it, because they’re on decent money, but they’re beginning to chase monies they’ve lost which becomes an issue.

“The other issue is that players are trying to replace the buzz of football. They’re not in football anymore, maybe, they’re trying to chase that buzz of football and gambling seems to give them that buzz. That leads to the slippery slope of getting addicted.”

As part of The Sporting Mind investigation, The Independent has learned of the damage inflicted upon the lives of numerous current and former sportspeople as a result of their gambling addictions.

In one incident, a former professional footballer, who was 22 at the time, gambled away £11,000 after missing a penalty in an FA Cup qualifier. According to a source with inside knowledge of the case, “the theme that was coming out of this was that it was virtual money, it wasn’t money in his hand, it was on the screen. So when he lost it, it didn’t feel like he’d lost the money.

“It only dawned on him when the texts and emails started coming through.”

In another case, one Premier League footballer, who recently retired and was earning in excess of £24,000 a week, has been forced into living on friends’ sofas as a result of his gambling addiction.

The Independent has also been alerted to betting firms offering footballers free credit, via their agents, to endorse their services.

“I remember at my old agency being approached by a private betting firm,” one agent told The Independent. “The credit they would offer just to get these guys through the doors, I’m talking tens and tens of thousands, and the first 10 grand was free. That sort of stuff. I’d never pass on that message as it’s obscene. Toxic. Very irresponsible.”

Away from the world of football, The Independent understands one Warrington Wolves player, who had developed a particularly severe addiction, was accidentally transferred £8,000 by the Rugby Football League, having previously applied for a hardship fund. After initially denying he had received the money, the player later admitted to spending all of the money in one weekend at a local casino.

In figures shown exclusively to The Independent, cricket’s gambling issues have also been laid bare.

In the most recent nationwide PCA gambling survey, in which 384 players and 32 coaches were spoken to, it was revealed that:

• 76% of players feel gambling is a problem in cricket
• 78% of players felt that either they personally, or somebody close to them, gambles more than they should
• 51% of players believe there is a gambling culture at their club
• 15% of players admit to gambling every day
• 22% of players admit to gambling weekly
• 42% of players admit to gambling monthly

“Gambling is a challenge – and it’s a big challenge,” said Ian Thomas, director of development and welfare at the PCA. “It’s a big challenge in all sports, but one thing that has been evident to me is that players gambling issues have probably started when they were 16. They’ve started probably younger than people think. It’s very accessible for a young school lad to get into gambling.”

Caroline Guthrie, a senior personal development manager at the RPA, said the issue was being similarly addressed within rugby union.

“It has to be on our radar,” she told The Independent. “The demographic we’re dealing with are young men, they have some spare time on their hands, they’d be earning more than they would at university or the general salary.

“It has to be and is something we’re very aware of because previously if you go out and get drunk or take drugs you get tested for, there’s some visibility to it. Gambling, you can do it very quietly and under the radar.”

According to research by EPIC, an independent gambling harm-minimisation consultancy, sportspeople are “five times more likely” to develop a gambling problem than the general population.

The organisation conducted the PCA’s survey and has carried out similar work for the RPA.