Player accused of violating Premier League sports betting rules 375 times

The Football Association (FA) has accused Nottingham Forest defender Harry Toffolo of breaching the FA’s rules for sports betting on 375 occasions. The accusations refer to a period between January 2014 and March 2017, when Toffolo was signed by Norwich.

Last season, Toffolo made 21 appearances for Nottingham Forest. He has been given until 19 July to respond to the allegations made by the Football Association. If found guilty, he could face a suspension of several months.

According to the statement issued by the FA, the defender violated rule E8 of the entity’s regulations, which prohibits players from engaging in betting on matches, requesting that others do so on their behalf or sharing privileged information for the purpose of betting.

While under contract at Norwich, Harry Toffolo was loaned out to clubs in the lower divisions of English football, including Swindon, Rotherham, Peterborough and Scunthorpe. Currently, Toffolo is part of Nottingham Forest, a club that is in the elite of English football, the Premier League.

It is not the first case of violation of sports betting rules in the Premier League

The case has similarities with that of striker Ivan Toney, who represents Brentford and the England national team. Ivan Toney admitted to breaking the same betting rules on 232 occasions and was suspended for an eight-month period.

The violations occurred during the period between February 25, 2017 and January 23, 2021, when the player played for clubs Scunthorpe United, Wigan Athletic, Peterborough United and the current Brentford.

FA Rule E8 prohibits players from engaging in sports betting on matches or sharing information for that purpose. Toney is certainly not the first player to violate these rules in history. In December 2020, English defender Kieran Trippier was banned by the FA for 10 weeks for providing information for third parties to bet on his transfer from Tottenham Hotspur to Atlético de Madrid, Spain.