Notts County Defender Banned For Betting Breaches

Notts County defender Lewis Macari has been sanctioned by an independent FA Regulatory Commission after admitting to more than 350 breaches of the Football Association’s betting regulations.

The 23-year-old was found to have placed 354 bets on football matches between February 2020 and December 2022, contravening FA Rule E1(b). Macari admitted the charge and apologised for his actions during a personal hearing earlier this month.

The Commission handed down a three-month suspension from all football and football-related activity, which has been suspended for 12 months, alongside a £750 fine and a formal warning.

The written reasons published by the FA detail the case, which involved bets placed while Macari was a scholar and later a professional player with Stoke City. He later joined Notts County, where he now plays in League Two.

The Commission noted that although the number of bets was “substantial,” they were not “prolific,” and that Macari had shown genuine remorse and full cooperation with the FA investigation. It also acknowledged that the player stopped all football-related betting in December 2022, before the charges were brought.

In its decision, the Commission said a financial penalty and a suspended sporting sanction were appropriate, citing “clear and compelling reasons” to suspend the ban.

The ruling stated that Macari “has admitted the charges and is warned as to his future conduct.” It added that the three-month suspension would only be activated if the player commits another betting breach within the next 12 months.

Each party will bear its own costs, while the FA will cover the costs of convening the Commission.

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