Betway has warned PSL players about the dangers of placing bets ahead of the Betway Premiership, especially after an incident involving Orlando Pirates goalkeeper Sipho Chaine.
In May last year, Chaine got in hot water at Pirates after a video of dressing room banter surfaced on social media, in which he boasted about placing a bet on the English Premier League match.
FIFA prohibits professional players from placing bets, and the Soweto giants quickly issued a statement clarifying that the player had not placed any wagers.
Since the new Premiership headline sponsor is a betting company, concerns have been raised about the integrity of matches being compromised if players place bets, since the exposure to betting will have increased.
According to Betway's Head of Marketing Mark Rowles, they have a database that ensures players and stakeholders do not bet on their platform and have plans to educate and engage them.
"We already have a database of the entire football ecosystem," Rowles said on Mamelodi Sundowns' YouTube channel's The Pitchside Podcast.
It has happened around the world [where players place bets]. There is a lot of money involved. We have built into the contract the right to engage with every single club.
Besides bringing the industry into disrepute, it also hurts the player. We need to engage with the players, administrators, so that they understand the dangers. We should be able to put our best foot forward and tell them: "Gents and ladies, you should not do this. Once you're involved in the game, betting is actually not for you." Rowles added.
If found guilty of placing bets or participating in similar kinds of gambling, players or anyone involved in football would be fined at least CHF 100, 000 (R2 million) or banned from football activities for a maximum period of three years.
Match officials, agents, and club officials are also prohibited from betting on the game.
Furthermore, those involved in the game are not allowed to place bets through third parties, a conduct that FIFA has the power to investigate.
