Dylan Duffy, a footballer from Lincoln City, has received a fine from the Football Association (FA). He acknowledged multiple violations of anti-betting regulations.
Officials fined the League One player £4,000. Half of that amount is suspended for 12 months. This decision comes after Duffy admitted to the charge at the earliest opportunity and fully cooperated throughout the investigation.
Between August 18 of the previous year and April 23 of this year, the 22-year-old forward confessed to placing 30 bets on football matches. Duffy informed the FA that he made the bets on behalf of his younger brother in Ireland, who is under 18. He clarified that he did not use the account himself but only provided his passport to set it up.
In an interview, Duffy revealed that he used another account to place 22 bets. He would call an undisclosed person to place the bets on his behalf.
Upon reviewing the betting accounts, investigators found that someone placed six bets on matches involving competitions in which Duffy’s clubs participated during the relevant seasons. This includes bets on Lincoln City.
They have since referred him to Sporting Chance, a UK-based charity founded by former Arsenal and England captain Tony Adams. This provides support to professional athletes facing mental and emotional health challenges.
Lincoln City commented on the investigation. They said that the club has supported Dylan throughout this process and will continue to do so privately.
The issue of current players betting on football is on the rise. Last August, one of the most remarkable cases concluded when Newcastle United announced the return of Italian midfielder Sandro Tonali. He had served a 10-month ban from professional football for betting on matches.
Furthermore, this issue impacts the integrity of the game. This was evident in May when the FA charged Lucas Paquetá of West Ham United with misconduct for allegedly breaching FA Rules E5 and F3 related to betting.
