Arsenal partnership with the gambling industry is safe despite Xhaka controversy

Financial analyst and football pundit, Kieran Maguire, insists that Arsenal’s relationship with the gambling industry will not be affected by the recent Granit Xhaka booking controversy.

According to The Daily Mail, Xhaka is being investigated by National Crime Agency for his suspicious booking against Leeds United last season.

The midfielder could be punished if the investigation finds him to have committed a crime.

However, Maguire insists Arsenal is well-protected and only Xhaka will get a punishment for the outcome of the probe.

And this means Arsenal can continue its relationship with the gambling industry.

He tells Football Insider: “Arsenal are exempt from any issues to do with the individual himself.

Adding: “My understanding is that the proposals with regards to sponsorship are likely to be diluted. It might just be a voluntary ban as far as the Premier League are concerned.

“That’s what the Government wants. They are under a lot of pressure and have been lobbied extensively by the gambling industry. So, I suspect that Arsenal will just carry on as before and take the biggest cheque.”

Just Arsenal Opinion

If Xhaka had caused his booking for betting purposes, the midfielder should face the music and that has nothing to do with Arsenal as an organisation.

Betting firms are a major source of revenue for Premier League clubs, and Arsenal cannot be forced to stop their relationship with the industry because of the action of one of their players.

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9 Comments

  1. The Daily Mail article in your link does not say Xhaka is being investigated. It says the yellow card is being investigated and, in fact, goes out of its way to say there is no suggestion that Xhaka is personally under investigation.

    Seems like an important point that’s been missed in a JA article (for the second time)

    1. TBF why would a player who earns 100 k plus a week even think of something so daft just to make a few Extra quid , but whoever made the bet did so because he believed it would happen so they should pay out nothing wrong doing IMO,just a punter trying his luck .

      1. People do all sorts of crazy stuff. Things like this usually involve someone else being involved who has leverage over the player.

        The great White Sox baseball betting scandal from 1919 (where 8 players conspired with the mob) was even covered up by the baseball authorities iirc. It does happen.

        I’m not saying anything untoward happened on this occasion btw.

    2. Neverthe less it is hard to fathom HOW any person betting on a yellow card in the last ten minutes can win, without help from the player. And remember, that until SOMEONE is proven guilty, it is legally speaking, rash for a newspaper to accuse someone without actual proof and the MAIL is too canny to fall into that trap.
      Assuming – though perhaps at this stage we should not assume – that SOMEONE unknown IS guilty, as nothing is yet proven either way. Suspicions are not proof!
      Please make no definite assumptions from this comment as I DO NOT.
      But my comment makes perfect sense, if you care to really think about it. Though even when comments make perfect sense, there is often another plausible reason for whatever happens.

      The case for Xhaka being ENTIRELY innocent is based on such a wealthy player being foolish to put his career at risk for such a comparitively small amount, relative to his salary. But it’s certainly a puzzle, Id say!!

  2. Of course, the person placing the bet might also be relying on another source for the booking to be made – but let’s not contemplate that idea, when Xhaka can be suggested as the source!!!

    I have to say as well, all the reports have emphasised that Xhaka is not under suspicion.

  3. this player answers to no one, so anything is possible, but I would hate to paint him with that “cheating” brush until something definitive is offered up

  4. “If Xhaka had caused his booking for betting purposes, the midfielder should face the music and that has nothing to do with Arsenal as an organisation.”

    Not sure I agree with that. If (and I stress the IF) he was involved then Arsenal will have a lot to say about it, for example:

    – How many times did it happen in the past?
    – How many suspensions did it lead to?
    – How many substitutions?
    – How many lost games e.g. due to playing with 10 men?
    Etc etc

    Why would someone bet £65k unless they are sure they’re going to win? Unless they’re so rich that £65k is nothing to them – which is possible of course.

    Lots of unknowns, but I can see why it’s being investigated.

    P.S. Glad to see Martin calling them “betting companies” rather than “gambling” companies – because it’s not really gambling, anyone who understands even a little about statistics (in the mathemnatical sense) knows that over time you will certainly lose, there’s no real gambling involved at all.

  5. People do stupid stuff just for the sheer hell of it. Go back to the late 1990’s and early 2000’s when there was a spate of wealthy Arabs stealing items from shops to the value of a less than £50.
    It’s not the stolen object that drove them to steal. It’s the risk involved in doing it that’s the buzz.
    However. I can’t imagine Xhaka doing it, but you never know. He might be doing it for friends to earn a few thousand or more likely, he’s totally and 100% innocent.
    #COYG

  6. Sad that so many bet to get some buzz out of sport. There are so many addicted to gambling, who in effect, can never bring that addiction into the open and it does incredible damage to their lives. My heart goes out to them.
    Regarding Xhaka, people know how I feel about him. He is not needed at Arsenal and holds us back in many ways. He should be sold, quickly…..he has lost us many games through being dismissed or giving away penalties (Brighton, under Emery cost us 4th place and CL, and was the pinnacle of stupidity).

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