Leading online bookmaker Betway is today stopping player transfer betting on football, in all territories in which it operates.

The initiative will see player transfer odds removed from Betway’s website. This move signals the company’s strong commitment to responsible gambling and are calling on all other bookmakers to follow their lead and close transfer markets.

Football professionals are bound by strict rules in relation to betting and the passing of inside information to others, so the mere existence of player transfer markets has the potential to create integrity issues for them. Footballers are prevented from discussing possible employment moves with family members and those involved in the Premier League and English Football League can be found in breach of FA rules for informing a contact of a career move even if they did not know it would be used to bet.

Betway’s Head of Corporate Communications and PR, Alan Alger said: “By eliminating football transfer betting from our platform we hope we can encourage a shift-change across the industry and get these markets closed.

“Sports fans get great enjoyment from betting on their favourite game, but we want that to be focused on what happens on the pitch. It is better for the players, better for the fans and further reinforces the industry’s commitment to promote responsible gambling.”