Lineker Questions Leicester Urging Fans To Bet On Back Of Tripper Ban

Gary Lineker pointed a finger at the Football Association and suggested they are targeting the wrong people when it comes to betting as clubs, such as his old team Leicester, can encourage fans to bet without consequence. 
Lineker was a vocal critic of Kieran Trippier's 'ridiculous' ban after upheld the FA verdict to hand the England international a 10-week punishment for advising a friend by text message to 'lump on' his move to from .
On Tuesday, Lineker was left bemused when promoted Parimatch UK, their official betting partners, on the eve of their game against Chelsea with the social media post urging fans to 'Back the Foxes' in betting markets. 
Gary Lineker questioned whether it is 'worse' for clubs to promote betting markets to supporters than picking on individual players in wake of Kieran Trippier's 10-week ban
Tripper was handed a 10-week ban worldwide after he was ruled to have breached Football Association betting rules regarding his move from Tottenham to Atletico Madrid
Lineker questioned the difference between Trippier's case and Leicester's social media post
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'Trippier gets a 10 week ban for telling his mates about an impending transfer, yet our football clubs, including the one I support, W88 can have betting partners encouraging fans to lump on their games,' Lineker wrote, including a thinking emoji. 

The Match of the Day presenter received a number of replies that said that what clubs are doing comes without guarantee whereas Trippier was in the knowledge that his move would go through and as such his friend would profit on any bets made. 
In response to one critic of his tweet, Lineker wrote: 'I'm well aware of that, but in some ways it's worse, encouraging your own fans to inevitably lose money in the long run.' 
When fans pointed out Trippier had control over the outcome, Lineker said this felt 'worse'
The FA found Trippier guilty of four of seven alleged breaches of its betting regulations. All occurred in July 2019, around the time of the 30-year-old's £20million move from  to Atletico. 
He was banned from all football and football-related activity until February 28 and fined £70,000. Atletico Madrid's appeal was dismissed and the Spanish giants are now contemplating taking the ruling to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Trippier had denied all seven charges against him, which were first made in May. Three of them were dismissed after a personal hearing in October but the other four were found proven. 
In published evidence from the FA investigation, Trippier was found to have breached FA rules in a WhatsApp group chat with friends.  
On July 14, three days before his move to Atletico was confirmed, Trippier was asked by a friend: 'Shall I lump on you going there (Madrid)?' 
Trippier replied: 'Can do mate.'
In one WhatsApp thread, Trippier was found to have told a friend to 'lump on if you want mate' 
In another exchange, Trippier told a friend the deal was almost done and the friend bet on the move happening shortly after - Trippier didn't appear to encourage a bet in that discussion
The friend continued: '100% Tripps?'. Trippier replied: 'Yeah mate,' before adding, 'Lump on if you want mate.' 
Atletico have been left incensed at the ban, which will see him miss nine games, while Lineker believes bookmakers 'prey on the uninformed' and should 'stop offering odds on players moving' so as to avoid others following Trippier into a ban.
Lineker said: 'Ridiculous that he should have been punished. Ridiculous.
'Can they tell their families they might be getting a move without having to warn them against betting? If bookies object then they should stop offering odds on players moving, but they won't do that because they prey on the uninformed.' 
Lineker's strong stance against betting companies and their growing stranglehold on football is nothing new.  
, Lineker said he was becoming increasingly concerned at the visibility of betting around the game.
More than half of clubs currently playing in the Premier League and Championship are sponsored by gambling firms, including West Ham (pictured in action against Fulham)
He said: 'What worries me is all the betting advertising and sponsorship in sport. All you ever see is commercials for gambling and apps, it is really dangerous and I think we need to do something about both of them, alcohol and gambling.
'Gambling is just too easy to do now and as a parent I worry about it, all those ads bombarding you with in-play betting.'
Many clubs generate millions from their official betting partners and  Premier League and Championship sides stand to lose £110million per year if a Government review of gambling, launched on December 8, leads to a ban on betting companies sponsoring football shirts.
Eight out of 20 clubs in the Premier League are currently dependent upon shirt sponsors from the gambling industry, which brings in around £70m. In addition, the EFL, clubs benefit from £40m in sponsorship and commercial arrangements with the league
In the Premier League this season, West Ham, Wolves, , Southampton, Leeds, , Newcastle and all have betting companies on the front of their shirts, while  and West Bromwich Albion have gambling firms on their shirt sleeves.
Betting Company Premier League Shirt Sponsors 2019/20 Club Sponsor Value  (£m) West Ham UnitedBetway  10 Everton SportPesa 9.6 Wolves ManBetX 8 Burnley LoveBet 7.5 Crystal Palace ManBetX 6.5 Newcastle United Fun88 6.5Watford Sportsbet.io 6.5 Aston Villa W88 6 Norwich City 



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