The gaming climate is changing in America, as more and more sports fans are opening themselves up to the array of gambling possibilities at some of the emerging operators in the country. Fans aren’t alone in betting either, with sports stars occasionally placing bets too, although that has changed for UFC fighters after a recent addition to the promotion’s Code of Conduct.
While the news is a shock to many of the fighters who have wagered on the sport previously, it’s a move that has mirrored other sports. Many athletes in other much-loved competitions have been forced put down their betting slips and delete their sportsbook apps, although there have been some who have ignored the rules. For example, betting is strictly prohibited in football, but plenty of footballers still get banned for betting. Stars from the sport, such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar, have been banned from appearing in any gambling-related advertisements in the UK, too.
The UFC fighters who bet
The latest addition to the UFC’s Code of Conduct isn’t just limited to the athletes either, but also to their respective teams. This could certainly ruffle a few feathers, particularly as the likes of James Krause, Glory MMA’s head coach, gives betting advice ahead of major fights. Even fighters bet too, with Justin Jaynes losing a bet after backing himself against Charles Rosa at UFC Fight Night 190. Jaynes is open about his commitment to betting, although that will now have to change. If Jaynes, and others, fail to follow the new betting rules, then they could face a similar type of punishment to the one that Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley was on the receiving end of after he broke similar betting rules in American football. Ridley was suspended by the NFL for a year – a severely damaging amount of time for any athlete to be absent from their respective sport.
Sean O’Malley regularly promotes gambling
The ban on gambling will also potentially have rocked Sean O’Malley’s camp and the big sponsors he has behind him, such as Nelk. O’Malley, who beat Petr Yan after a brawling slugfest on the same night that Islam Makhachev shocked the world by seeing off Charles Oliveira at UFC 280, is sponsored by the YouTube group and has several affiliations with gambling-related companies. For example, Nelk predict his fights and offer betting tips to audiences, with O’Malley known for backing himself on several occasions, too. In fact, the sport is filled with gambling-related content at this moment in time. Now, though, we could see less of it.
Fighters could still bet anyway
Although betting is prohibited for many stars from other sports, there have been several well documented rule breaks. This could certainly occur in the UFC too, especially when factoring the evident emergence of gambling-themed content around the sport. In the same way stars of both the British and the American version of football have been caught breaking the rules, the same could potentially happen in the UFC, especially as Dana White appears to be firmly behind the recent move. After UFC 280, he said: “Yeah, well, gambling is opening up everywhere in every state, and the people who regulate gambling don’t think it’s a good idea for fighters to be betting on themselves, and I agree.”
Punishments could be strong
While there are ways in which fighters can place bets, perhaps by enlisting the help of a friend or a family member, the strong punishments that have been dished out in other sports will surely put most fighters off. Not every fighter will necessarily abide by the rules, though, especially when factoring in the growth of betting in the sport, but it will surely halt the temptation for many. Dana White and the UFC hierarchy backing the move is impossible to ignore, too.