York City Player Suspended and Fined over Illegal Betting

A York City FC player has been suspended for a month from soccer and fined following evidence that he had placed illegal bets, the Football Association reported. A probe opened into Joshua King established that the player, who joined the club in August 2019, had placed over 139 bets on two season matches and events.

The pandemic has given many professional soccer players plenty of time to spend, and some have been tempted to bet, and King found himself tempted to place wagers as well.

Coloring Outside the Lines of Professional Football

This constitutes a violation of the rules set out by the association which prohibits betting on the same sport as professional soccer players. According to the probe launched by the FA, King placed 45 bets in the 2019/2020 bets to the tune of £170.41 around $233, and turned a £24.02 or $33 in total profit.

Next season, King would bet even more with 94 bets placed across numerous events, with 13 of those directly on competitions or matches in which City participated. According to the FA, King made a total of £872.52 or $1,200 in wagers but posted a net loss of £475 or $653. In one instance during the season, he was present at the pitch as an “unused substitute” but he could have potentially participated in the match.

King appeared in front of a FA panel and admitted that he had a betting account. His Sky Bet account, though, was shared out with some friends who were responsible for placing those wagers. The panel took King’s word but launched a further investigation to establish the veracity of the statement.

The Panel Turns Down King’s Explanations as “Lacking Credibility”

During that investigation, the panel found out that the majority of the disputed bets were placed directly through King’s own phone service provider or his own Wi-Fi was used to carry out the bets.

King explained that his friends and he met on regular basis close to his home and that’s why said friends would borrow his phone to make the bets. The panel turned down this explanation questioning its credibility. As a result, he was found guilty of having placed the majority of the disputed bets and was handed a month’s suspension from football along with a £750 fine, around $1030.

This is not the first instance of a York City player making bets against the code of conduct of the FA. Previously, Michael Woods, another City player, was fined £250 or $343 in July for having placed 71 total bets.

Woods, though, was furloughed at the time when he was placing the bets and he was a delivery driver instead, arguing during his hearing, that he thought of himself as a former footballer. Micky Cummins, assistant manager at York City, is also being investigated by the FA.

The club issued a stern rebuke in all instances but argued that it would support the people involved throughout the process. Earlier this year, former amateur player Richie Paxton shared his story of struggling with addiction and betting.