EPL: Ivan Toney opens up on addiction to gambling, ban from football

Brentford forward, Ivan Toney has opened up on his addiction to gambling and his eight-month ban from football.

Toney is banned until January 16, 2024, after admitting 232 breaches of the Football Association’s betting rules.

In a tell-all interview with YouTube channel, Toney revealed that he no longer gambles.

The 27-year-old also admitted that he initially lied to investigators.

Toney, however, recalled that the scandal led to him being turned away by car insurers and restaurants.

He said, “I remember at the time when there were allegations, I wanted to go to a restaurant and they were like ‘no you can’t – we are not taking you.’

“I was like ‘what do you mean?’ And then it was ‘the allegations, we are not allowing you in’ or something like this. I was actually so confused. I was thinking “for starters, it is allegations and second of all you are a restaurant how can you not let someone in because of bad press?

“I was just baffled, and my car insurance, they would not insure me due to the whole scandal.”

Toney then admitted he started having a ‘little flutter’ in gambling when he was 15-years-old.

He continued: “The impact it (betting) would have is waiting for payday. I’d pay for everything I need to sort and then I would be like ‘I’ve got this much to play with’.

“I took care of what needed to be taken care of then in my head it is like “my money is my money and I can spend it how I want”.