Bet365 rejects pundit job for footballer over gambling attitude issues
Online sports betting giant Bet365 has banned footballer Steven Caulker from its sponsored sporting events because of his outspoken talk about gambling.
The experienced centre-back is currently without a club and is seeking a new career as a television and radio pundit. He took to LinkedIn on Monday to complain about his treatment by Bet365.
I finally got a job in television, or at least I thought I did," he wrote. "You know what's coming back today? Bet365 (the main sponsor of the TV channel) rejected my profile because they were "nervous about some of my positive work related to problem gambling".
"People often tell me it's great that players can now talk openly about their problems. Can they really do that? I would never encourage that."
Spoiled Career
Caulker, who played for Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool, QPR and Cardiff City, opened up about his battles with gambling, alcoholism and depression, which affected him career. He told ESPN last April that he had a gambling problem since he was 15 and had been in and out of rehab since he was a teenager.
Caulker said his demons have plagued him throughout his career, causing him to miss opportunities and fail to reach his potential as an athlete.
The defender played for England in 2012 and scored a goal on his debut. But this was his first and last game for the national team. His promising career never really took off. He currently captains the Sierra Leone team, for which he qualified through his grandfather.
"Negative Experience"
Bet365 said in a statement to the Guardian that Caulker had applied to take part in an untitled video series sponsored exclusively by the gambling company on the online video platform and produced by one of its sports publishing partners.
"During the guest approval process, we became aware of Mr. Caulker's negative experiences with gambling, which he has spoken about publicly," the gaming giant said.
We commend Mr Cork for the excellent work he does to raise awareness of problem gambling. However, as a bookmaker we consider it inappropriate for Mr Caulker to appear on a series of programs of this nature sponsored by Bet365. In explaining these circumstances, we regret that our media partners misrepresented our position to Mr. Caulker. "
Fortunately, expertise is not a long-term goal for Caulker, who is currently in the early stages of coaching training and plans to become a manager. He told ESPN that he believes his experience as an addict will make him a better coach because he understands the pressures young players can face.
"I look back at football - my career - with great regret, and I didn't want to be a coach," he said.
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Source: www.casino.org
