A leading bookmaker has stopped taking bets on player transfers.
Betway is removing odds on transfers and is calling on other gambling firms to follow suit.
It comes after two high-profile cases which saw former Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge banned for four months after breaking strict Football Association rules on gambling after a series of bets were placed in January 2018 on a potential transfer when he left Anfield.
The FA has also charged England full back Kieran Trippier who did not place a bet himself but blamed some light-hearted banter with some close friends on a series of bets being placed on him joining Atletico Madrid last summer.
Trippier has pleaded his innocence, promised to clear his name and has until next week to respond to the FA charge. The ex-Spurs full back could face a lengthy fine and hefty ban if found guilty.
Under strict FA rules, no football employee is allowed to place a bet for fear they may use insider knowledge and gambling on transfers have become a real issue for football after the Sturridge and Trippier cases.
It is difficult to prove if friends or gossip has been involved and online gambling firm Betway are now taking a strong stance on the issue.
Betway’s Head of Corporate Communications and PR, Alan Alger said: “By eliminating football transfer betting from our platform we hope we can encourage a shift-change across the industry and get these markets closed.
“Sports fans get great enjoyment from betting on their favourite game, but we want that to be focused on what happens on the pitch. It is better for the players, better for the fans and further reinforces the industry’s commitment to promote responsible gambling.”
Betting firms now use hi-tech anti-terrorism-style software to track down suspicious betting patterns and have also struck up a relationship with the FA so that betting firms flag up bets to the Gambling Commission.
Despite often having a low threshold on bets, questionable bets can be relatively easy to spot if punters open new accounts.
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