Betting in football: what are the rules for players and supporters?

Ivan Toney has been charged for allegedly breaching the English Football Association’s betting rules on 232 occasions.

Betting in football is legal for both fans and players.

The FA introduced a worldwide betting ban on football for all those involved in the sport at Premier League, English Football League and National League. It also applies to those at clubs in Northern, Southern and Isthmian leagues.

The ban covers every match in every tournament around the world. The only exemption is for participants at Step 5 or below in the National League system.

FA looked into a suspicious betting activity involving an Arsenal player last season. Daniel Sturridge was banned for four months for breaching betting rules. Matt Le Tissier tried to manipulate spot bets to make a few quid on the time of the first throw-in. Lincoln City defender Bradley Wood was also banned after intentionally picking up yellow cards in their cup run. Keith Gillespie lost £52,000 betting on Newcastle's match against Stoke City.

Fans are able to bet on almost anything in football. There is no regulation on this issue. A bookmaker will offer any market that they feel will yield a profit.

Bets can start from as little as 1p. The maximum amount that can be placed on a bet depends on the customer.

The UK's betting laws are considered to be the most liberal in the world. In Europe, laws vary hugely from country to country, while in U.S. it varies from state to state. Football betting markets are large in Asia despite laws banning gambling in countries such as China.

Odds are set by a bookmaker based on algorithms, data and human input. They represent the ratio between the stake and the winnings on a particular outcome.

An exchange is a peer-to-peer bet. Customers are matched on a particular offer and the platform takes a commission fee.