To become a professional footballer requires commitment, discipline and consistent training. As a result, most footballers have both physical and mental strength. However, some footballers are vulnerable to gambling and struggle with addiction.
To address gambling addiction among professional footballers, the Thai Health Promotion Foundation teamed up with the Stop Gambling Foundation to organise the "Enjoy Watching Football Without Gambling" forum in conjunction with UEFA Euro 2024 which kicked off on June 14 in Germany, with the final set for July 14.
In addition to footballers, a study discovered Thais who watch football also engage in gambling. The Thai Health Promotion Foundation reported that according to records, 3.8 million Thai people participate in football betting and monetary circulation involved in football betting amounts to 181.1 billion baht in a year.
Thanakorn Komkris, president of the Stop Gambling Foundation, gave an example of renowned footballer Peter Shilton, a former English goalkeeper once ranked among the top 10 by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics. Shilton represented England at the World Cup in 1982, 1986 and 1990. Despite his massive success, Shilton revealed he was a gambling addict in his book Saved: Overcoming A 45-Year Gambling Addiction.
"Shilton confessed he became addicted to gambling at the beginning of his career as a teenager. He did not realise he was a problem gambler until he tried to quit, but could not. He said that when he initially tried to quit, it was painful. It took great discipline to overcome it," Thanakorn said.
According to a study by Delamere, a nonprofit organisation that assists addicted gamblers in the US, sports people have a four-times higher prevalence of gambling addiction than other professionals. The Professional Footballers' Association in the UK reported that 6.1% of footballers were addicted to gambling. Moreover, the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) in the US reported that most students in sports universities engage in gambling and liked to bet on the results.
"Around 4% of students in the NCAA gamble every day and 6% admitted that they had lost over US$500 [18,400 baht] a day because of gambling. Another 6% of student athletes were addicted to gambling which is why the Stop Gambling Foundation is interested in such groups," explained Thanakorn.
Thanakorn raised the question as to why mentally strong and disciplined sports people develop a gambling addiction. He explained by referring to the example of Shilton as well as Paul Merson, another former English footballer.
"Both Shilton and Merson said that when they played football, their bodies generated adrenaline. After the games, they needed something similar to have that adrenaline rush and gambling was the answer," Thanakorn said.
At the forum "Enjoy Watching Football Without Gambling", Teeratep "Leesaw" Winothai, a former national footballer, said he has colleagues who are addicted to gambling. One of them even changed his hair colour to disguise himself from debt collectors. However, Teeratep did not know why his colleagues became gamblers. He guessed that it may be because they have a stable income which allows them to gamble and friends who influence them.
"My friends who were gamblers tried to borrow money from me, but I never loaned to anyone. I have never tried gambling. Gambling never makes anyone rich. It also affects a footballer's performance. I work hard, so I want to spend money that I earn on things that I want, not waste it on gambling," said Teeratep.
A host asked if it is possible for footballers to get inside information about matches, which encourages them to make a bet. Teeratep said it is possible, but he believes that football is unpredictable.
"Footballers who engage in gambling end up in debt. This means they did not make the right bet. Football is unpredictable. On the day that I thought the team would win, we still lost," said Teeratep.
Krisana Payung, a former reporter for Siam Sport and YouTuber for GOAT TV, confessed that when he was a young reporter, he once tried football gambling. However, after he lost the bet, he decided not to do it again.
"At that time, my salary was only 7,000 baht a month. I wanted to earn extra cash, so I made a bet. However, after I lost, I had to work extra to pay off the debt. I was disheartened and learned from that experience," Krisana said.
"When I established my YouTube channel, I got sponsorship offers from many gambling websites. They offered me anywhere from 20,000 to 50,000 baht. However, I did not accept them. Everybody wants money, but I prefer jobs with integrity and a life that I can be proud of. Moreover, my channel does not provide in-depth analytical information that viewers can use to make bets."
Teeratep revealed he knows someone who runs a gambling website. Although this person earns a lot of money, he does not live a peaceful life.
"The owner of a gambling website has to be invisible. He can't take photos with anyone. He cannot reveal his identity to anyone. Eventually that person was arrested, so what was the point of having all that much money if you cannot use it to enjoy your life?" said Teeratep.
Thailand National Sports University has a total of 17 campuses and 13 sports schools under the Ministry of Tourism and Sports. Chatchai Sangsukeelux, vice-president for Student Affairs and Special Programmes at the university, admitted some student athletes were involved in gambling, but they have never found a serious case.
"There is no record of any student being chased down by debt collectors due to gambling. However, some students had a book on football analysis and would discuss it. Since this can potentially lead to gambling, instructors should guide students on how to use the book in a constructive way and not for making bets," he said.
Anecha Pieanthong, the director of Student Affairs and Special Programmes, added that while students enjoy watching games, they may make bets about the result of the match for fun. However, this fun can lead to gambling addiction in the future.
"When students are in trouble and need help, advisers at the Student Affairs Department can assist them. If they are caught gambling, they do not always have to be punished. Though they should receive guidance and be warned to strictly adhere to the university's rules," explained Chatchai.
Now, gambling websites try to entice young people with catchy slogans and guaranteed winnings for new players. Anecha said those catchy slogans are deceiving. No one ever becomes rich from gambling. Young footballers should look up to successful sports stars like Teeratep, who is not involved in gambling.
"I admire Teeratep, who works diligently. Football is a popular sport that young people should watch for fun and consider well-behaved footballers as role models. Young people should embrace only things that benefit them. They should believe that they can be cool without gambling."
