Ivan Toney diagnosed with a gambling addiction

He’s been diagnosed with a gambling addiction. 

Brentford striker Ivan Toney was given a reduced ban from football because of a diagnosed gambling addiction.

Toney, 27, was banned for eight months for breaking Football Association betting rules – including betting against his own team.

A psychiatry expert who gave evidence to the FA’s regulatory commission diagnosed Toney with a gambling addiction and concluded he needed help.

As a result, the commission reduced an 11-month sanction by three months.

In its written reasons explaining its sanction, published on Friday, the commission said Toney had admitted repeatedly lying during his initial interviews with the FA.

It added he had since ceased gambling on football, though not on other sports, and is “determined to address his gambling problem with therapy”.

The FA initially wanted to impose a 15-month ban on Toney because he attempted to conceal his betting, knowing it was against FA rules.

Ivan Toney earns a weekly salary of R500k , according to Sportrac, which works out to almost R26.5 million a year.

He signed a five year R132.5 million deal with the club in 2020.

But he has been betting nonstop many times against his own team , stupidity and greed. 

‘Of those 29 bets, there were 13 bets on Mr Toney’s own team to lose in 7 different matches between 22 August 2017 and 3 March 2018,’ the association report says.

‘Mr Toney did not play in any of those matches where he placed bets against his loan club as he was not in the match squad or against his parent club as he was on loan.’

‘Of the 13 bets 11 were against Newcastle whilst Mr Toney was on loan at another club. The other 2 bets related to a game between Wigan v Aston Villa whilst the player was on loan at Wigan but he was not part of the squad.’

The report goes on to say that the footballer was not ‘in a position to influence his own team to lose when he placed bets against them winning – he was not in the squad or eligible to play at the time’.

On a further 15 occasions, it is said Toney bet on himself to score before it became public knowledge that he was set to play.