Newcastle urged to stand by Tonali by removing betting ads from St James' Park

Newcastle have been urged to ‘stand in solidarity’ with ‘gambling addict’ Sandro Tonali by removing betting advertising from St James’ Park.

The Toon’s £52million summer signing faces a year-long ban after reportedly admitting to betting on matches involving his former club AC Milan.

Tonali, 23, will still be available for selection by Newcastle until his suspension is confirmed. That means he faces the prospect of playing Crystal Palace on Saturday in front of pitchside hoardings advertising gambling, even though his agent has said he is fighting an addiction.

Newcastle currently have partnerships with three online betting firms – Fun88, Sportsbet.io and BetMGM.

Aston Villa loanee Nicolo Zaniolo, 24, is also embroiled in the investigation into illegal betting being carried out by Italian authorities.

The winger, whose lawyer said may have ‘played poker and blackjack on illegal online platforms’, is forced to wear the logo of gambling firm BK8 on the front of his club’s shirt. Villa have a further partnership with betting brand Duelbits.

‘Newcastle United and Aston Villa should stand in solidarity with their players and review their relationship with gambling firms,’ said The Big Step, part of charity Gambling with Lives. ‘We wouldn’t force someone with a drug addiction to work somewhere with wall-to-wall advertising of the dealer's number - why isn’t it the same for gambling?’

Brentford striker Ivan Toney was banned for eight months in May for breaching the FA’s betting rules and was diagnosed with a gambling addiction. Yet the England international will wear the Bees’ sponsor Hollywood Bets on his shirt when he returns in January.

‘Football shirts, stadiums, and broadcasts have become saturated with advertising for highly addictive gambling products,’ added The Big Step in a statement to Mail Sport. ‘If clubs and leagues continue to force young footballers to endorse these products, do not be surprised if they become addicted.

‘Newcastle's partnerships with three online casinos mean that when Tonali next plays he'll be surrounded by thousands of adverts for the thing that is destroying his life. It is arguably even worse for Zaniolo, who will be forced to be a walking billboard for gambling. That's not fair on them or the next fan or player who will inevitably become addicted.’

The Premier League have banned gambling advertising from front of shirts from the end of the 2025/2026 season following Government pressure. However, advertising will still be allowed in stadiums and on TV broadcasts.

Meanwhile, a Sky Bet tweet featuring Gary Neville has been banned for breaking rules on gambling adverts. The UK's Advertising Standards Authority ruled the former Manchester United defender was ‘likely to be of strong appeal to under-18s’.