Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has thrown his support behind a ban on gambling in society, on the back of a recent betting controversy involving Joey Barton.
The Burnley player was hit with an 18-month ban after he admitted to breaking the Football Association's (FA) gambling rules earlier this week.
Barton is alleged to have placed over 1,200 bets on "the result, progress, conduct or any other aspect of, or occurrence in, football matches or competitions between 26 March, 2006 and 13 May, 2016."
The midfielder issued a statement after receiving the ban, claiming that he was 'very disappointed at the harshness of the sanction,' while Burnely have said they plan to 'appeal the length of this suspension.'
Wenger has since weighed in on the subject of gambling, and suggests that a complete ban in society is the best way to tackle the issue.
Speaking at a press conference ahead of Arsenal's Premier League derby against Spurs this weekend, Wenger said.
"It is a little bit (concerning) I must say (it is) the general problem in our society everywhere. It's like smoking or with alcohol, if you don't want people to drink, you don't sell alcohol. It's the same if you don't want people to bet, you don't bet and don't make betting official.
"But everywhere, you incite people to bet. Out of 100 people, you get five who are addicted to betting, so if you don't want to have that problem you forbid betting in the society, which I would support personally."
When asked if he thinks the FA could be doing more to prevent gambling among the players, he said:
"No, I think football tackles the problem very well. But, if you have some people who are addicted, they are addicted and they get punished for it, which is natural. If you don't observe the rules, you get punished."
Download the brand new OffTheBall App in the Play Store & App Store right now! We've got you covered!
Subscribe to OffTheBall's YouTube channel for more videos, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for the latest sporting news and content.
