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The Football Association has fined professional footballer Tom O’Connor £4,200 after he admitted to breaching betting regulations by placing multiple wagers on football matches over a four-year period.
An independent FA Regulatory Commission found that O’Connor placed 16 bets on football between April 2017 and May 2021, in violation of FA Rule E8, which prohibits participants from betting on the sport. Five of those bets related to competitions involving his own club. At the time of the offences, O’Connor was registered with Southampton FC and later Gillingham FC.
The case was heard on the papers following O’Connor’s admission of all charges. He waived his right to a personal hearing and submitted written mitigation to the commission, which was chaired by Ms Sally Clark and included Ms Sally Davenport and Mr Alan Hardy as independent panel members.
In his submissions, O’Connor apologised to the FA and accepted that he had been educated on betting restrictions during his time as a scholar at Southampton. He described his actions as “naïve and stupid”, stating that the bets were small-stake wagers placed to “alleviate boredom” and were not based on any inside information. He also stressed that he was never involved in first-team matchday squads at the time and that there was no prospect of him playing in any matches he had bet on.
The commission noted that the total amount staked across all bets was £147.66, resulting in an overall net loss of £73.66. It also took into account that O’Connor had not placed any bets on football since May 2021 and that this was his first offence under the betting rules.
However, the panel treated as an aggravating factor the fact that one bet was placed on O’Connor’s own team, even though it was a bet for the team to win.
After considering the FA’s sanctioning guidelines, O’Connor’s early admission, and his football-related income, the commission concluded that a financial penalty and formal warning were sufficient. It ruled that the misconduct did not warrant any sporting sanction, such as a suspension.
In addition to the £4,200 fine, O’Connor has been warned as to his future conduct. The FA did not seek costs, and both parties will bear their own expenses, with the FA covering the costs of convening the commission. The decision, dated 7 January 2026, remains subject to appeal under FA regulations.
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