Wycombe forward Scott Kashket has been banned from all soccer activity for two months and has been suspended for an additional four months following his admission that he had broken betting rules. This according to the Football Association.
According to reports, Kashket admitted to placing 183 bets, 65 of which were placed on matches where his own club was involved. This includes 19 on Orient games and an additional 10 on games where he was betting against his own club. He placed these bets from September 3, 2014, through August 22, 2016, while a member of Leyton Orient.
The 23-year-old was suspended from all football activities starting on January 21, making him eligible to return as early as March 21. However, there is an additional four months suspension hanging over his head should he violate any rules. In addition, Kashket was fined £3,446.13. The amount is the combination of the £946.13 he won betting on Orient plus the initial £2,500 the league levied.
While acknowledging his rules violations, the league made it clear that they found no evidence that he had either fixed matches or used inside information to help in his wagers. They also pointed out that he did not play in any of the matches where he placed bets.
At the time, it appears that both Wycombe and Kashket are not appealing the decision, but neither has said they had ruled that possibility out.
In a statement, Kashmet apologizes for his breach of the rules. “I regret my actions and will learn from the experience to improve myself both as a person and a player. I am thankful to Wycombe Wanderers for their ongoing support and am determined to come back stronger.”
Wycombe, the League One promotion-chasers, said that they do not condone “rule breaches of this nature,” however, they said that they fully support Kashket. They added that they stand behind him during a “difficult period in Scott’s career.”
These kinds of issues are becoming a growing problem in sports. On January 30, a hearing will be conducted to determine the fate of Hamilton Academical head coach Brian Rice, who self-reported breaking the Scottish FA’s betting rules.
In December, rugby assistant coach Rob Howley was suspended for 18 months, after it was discovered that he had bet on thousands of matches. This occurred over a four-year period of time.
