The English Football Association (FA) has issued a charge against Austen Booth, a defender for Torquay United, due to his involvement in betting on football matches.
Torquay United’s website states that Booth breached FA Rule E1.2 by placing 289 bets on football matches between 5 August 2017, and 7 July 2021, before joining the club.
The statement said: “Torquay United confirms that the Football Association has charged Austen Booth with Misconduct under FA Rule E1.2 in respect of 289 bets placed on football matches between 5 August 2017 to 7 July 2021, prior to him joining the Club.
“Austen is cooperating fully with the FA’s investigations. The club will be supporting Austen throughout this process and will provide further updates at the earliest opportunity.”
The 26-year-old, who transferred to the club from Taunton Town in February, is the son of Jon Gittens, a former Torquay and Exeter defender who passed away in May 2019.
Meanwhile, higher up in the English football league system, numerous prominent players have been suspended over the past year due to betting infractions.
In May 2023, Brentford striker Ivan Toney was handed an eight-month suspension for betting rule violations. Later that year, in September, Nottingham Forest‘s Harry Toffolo was also suspended for five months under similar circumstances.
Additionally, West Ham’s Lucas Paqueta has recently faced charges from the FA for breaching betting regulations, with accusations suggesting that the Brazilian midfielder deliberately sought to receive yellow cards in four Premier League matches.
Gambling has been a major issue in football this year, with numerous players and club staff facing fines and suspensions for breaching betting regulations. Despite this, many clubs have continued to boost their sponsorship deals with gambling-related firms.
However, leagues and organisations are starting to tighten rules in this area. Following calls for drastic changes, the Premier League announced that front-of-shirt sponsorships with gambling companies will be banned from the 2026/27 season.
Furthermore, English football agreed terms on a code of conduct governing such partnerships, covering all levels of both the men’s and women’s professional game last month.
