New Gambling Admission from UK Cricket Player Could Force Policy Changes

A professional cricket player inwards England with a penchant for gambling found rilievo through and through the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA). Azeem Rafiq ran upward gaming debts that the PCA covered for him. The revelations add up as the PCA is fighting major secernment claims.

According to The Daily Mail, Rafiq, a 30-year-old former player with Yorkshire, racked upwards play debts worth thousands of pounds several years ago. His stake inward gambling was simply single of the “indiscretions,” as he calls them. But, the PCA stepped in and wiped his slate clean. It also helped put counseling for him.

The admittance comes as the PCA is the center of attention inward the UK over claims of rampant racism. Rafiq is I of those who claims he has been a dupe of racial discrimination during his clip on the pitch.

Rafiq has repeatedly criticized the PCA’s unfitness to living him o'er racialism accusations he made against players at Yorkshire and coaches at Yorkshire. Seven of these allegations were confirmed past an independent report.

Last month, he appeared before a Digital, Culture, Media and Sport select committee. He was rough inwards his criticisms of the union, locution they refused to back up him financially, and that its only when concern was for his mental health, which he says was evident during his suicidal geological period shoemaker's last winter.

He stated during his coming into court before the committee, “The PCA make (sic) been a funding to me throughout my vocation inward a lot of different other aspects. But in terms of this case, it was made pretty enlighten to me that the livelihood wasn’t there, and that’s just now a unbent fact.”

Rafiq Isn’t the Only Gambling Athlete

Over the years, a keep down of athletes have run into trouble for their gaming habits. Basketball’s Michael Jordan, baseball’s Alex Rodriguez, and many others found themselves, at unity point in time or another, caught up in the action. Many were able to hold their activity below control, but some combat injury up virtually penniless.

As sports betting continues to submit center stage, thither are concerns that gambling athletes might follow trouble. Outstanding debts or simply an addiction to the activity, they assert, could entice them to follow swayed by an attempt to gear up a game.

Most recently, NHL principal Evander Kane was called come out for his play debt. The San Jose Sharks forrard reportedly owed around $500,000 to The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas for markers that he had been extended. He was also accused of having wager on NHL games past his estranged wife. Her allegations were investigated by the NHL but they found no more grounds of his wife’s claims.

Sports Leagues Look to Squash Sports Betting

Almost all major sports leagues have got provisions that forestall players and team members from placing wagers on their own sport, but non on other sports. The NFL is the exception. It prohibits everyone in the conference – except players – from any typewrite of sports betting. In accordance of rights with its Gambling Policy implemented in 2018, players are allowed to bang the sportsbook, as long as they’re not betting on an NFL game.

Betting on Other Sports: All NFL Personnel other than Players are further prohibited from placing, soliciting, or facilitating bets on any other professional person (e.g., NBA, MLB, NHL, PGA, USTA, MLS), college (e.g., NCAA basketball), international (e.g., World Baseball Classic, World Cup), or Olympic sports competition, tournament or event,” the NFL’s policies on sports betting states.

The PCA is potential to get hold of another appear at how it addresses sports betting inward light-colored of the issues raised during the electric current ordeal with Rafiq. The system already has measures inward position to stay fresh players forth from sports betting. But additional protocols could follow introduced.

The system lately teamed upwards with EPIC Risk Management to speak play inwards cricket. While that arrangement is intentional to upgrade knowingness of play issues, it doesn’t mark athlete gambling prevention. With the changes that are coming to the UK gaming industry, it’s possible all sports leagues are going to make to update their gambling policies.