Sandro Tonali: A Betting Ban, a Treatment Plan and Two Federations

Timeline

1. Jul 2023Tonali joins Newcastle United from AC Milan for a reported £55 million.
2. Aug 12–Oct 12, 2023According to the FA, Tonali places 50 football bets while a Newcastle player, including four on Newcastle to win.
3. Oct 2023Turin prosecutors name Tonali, Nicolò Fagioli and Niccolò Zaniolo in a probe into illegal betting channels; Tonali and Zaniolo leave the Italy squad.
4. Oct 17, 2023Fagioli is banned for seven months after a plea agreement.
5. Oct 20, 2023Tonali self-reports breaches of FA betting rules.
6. Oct 26, 2023FIGC plea agreement: 18-month ban, eight months commuted to a recovery programme and 16 public meetings, €20,000 fine.
7. Oct 27, 2023FIFA extends the ban worldwide; it takes effect immediately.
8. Mar 25, 2024The FA charges Tonali with breaching Rule E8.1.
9. Apr 25, 2024An FA Regulatory Commission imposes a £20,000 fine and a two-month ban suspended until the end of 2024-25.
10. Aug 2024Tonali's FIGC ban ends and he becomes eligible to play again.
11. Aug 28, 2024Tonali returns for Newcastle in a League Cup tie at Nottingham Forest after his ban ends on August 27.
12. May 2026Tonali and Fagioli reach plea agreements in Milan over illegal betting platforms; Tonali agrees to a €78,250 fine.

The ethical issues

• Integrity versus addiction: football treats betting by players as an integrity threat, but the sanction also treated Tonali's conduct as a health problem.
• Betting on one's own team: even bets on a team to win create perceived conflicts of interest.
• Rewarding self-reporting: the FA suspended its sanction largely because Tonali reported himself.
• Club due diligence: Newcastle said it had no knowledge of the conduct when it paid a large fee.
• Consistency across federations: the same player faced two rulebooks with different penalty scales.

Stakeholders

Stakeholder	Interests & obligations
Sandro Tonali	His career, recovery and reputation.
Newcastle United	A major investment unavailable for most of a season; its duty of care to the player.
AC Milan	Reputational exposure from bets placed while he was their player.
FIGC and The FA	Deterrence, consistency and the credibility of betting rules.
FIFA	Ensuring national bans are enforced worldwide.
Teammates, opponents and fans	Confidence that players' interests are aligned with honest competition.
Young players and amateur clubs	Education about gambling harm, including through Tonali's public talks.

The case

In the summer of 2023, Sandro Tonali was a 23-year-old Italy international midfielder at AC Milan. In July, Newcastle United paid a reported £55 million to sign him, making him the club’s second most expensive player.^[2] Within four months he was banned from football worldwide, not for fixing matches, but for betting on them.^[1][2]

Background

In October 2023, prosecutors in Turin opened a criminal investigation into the use of illegal betting channels, naming Tonali, Juventus midfielder Nicolò Fagioli and Aston Villa’s Niccolò Zaniolo. Tonali and Zaniolo were sent home from Italy’s training camp before European Championship qualifiers against Malta and England when the news broke. On October 17, Fagioli was banned for seven months after a plea agreement with the Italian federation, having admitted betting on football.^[5]

According to ANSA’s sources, Tonali admitted during questioning by Turin prosecutors that he had bet on football matches, including games involving AC Milan, and had told the federation’s sporting prosecutors the same thing. His lawyers said he had “exhaustively clarified his position” and was cooperating fully. Newcastle said he and his family would continue to receive the club’s full support.^[5] The cases of the three players diverged. Two days after Tonali’s ban, the FIGC said no disciplinary proceedings had been opened against Zaniolo because “there is no information or charge that he has gambled on football matches.”^[6]

The rules and governance

Italian football’s disciplinary code (Article 24 of the Codice di Giustizia Sportiva) prohibits players from betting on football events organized by the federation (FIGC), UEFA and FIFA.^[1] In England, FA Rule E8.1 prohibits any participant from betting, directly or indirectly, on “the result, progress, conduct or any other aspect of, or occurrence in or in connection with, a football match or competition.” The FA’s sanction guidelines group offences by category, with betting on matches in which a player’s own club is involved treated more seriously, and betting on one’s own team to lose carrying a range of six months to a lifetime ban.^[3]

Because players move between countries, FIFA can extend a national federation’s sanction worldwide, so a ban imposed in Italy also applied in England.^[2]

The Italian plea agreement

On October 26, 2023, the FIGC announced a plea agreement between its federal prosecutor and Tonali. He received an 18-month suspension and a €20,000 fine for breaching Article 24. Eight months of the ban were commuted to what the federation called a personal recovery programme: a therapy plan of at least eight months and at least 16 public meetings in Italy at amateur sports associations, federal regional centres and gambling-addiction recovery centres. The prosecutor’s office would monitor compliance, and a breach would allow it to cancel the agreement and resume disciplinary proceedings.^[1] The FIGC said the plan was to help with “recovery from gambling addiction.”^[2]

The following evening, FIFA granted the FIGC’s request to extend the ban worldwide, effective October 27. Newcastle’s manager, Eddie Howe, had said that morning that Tonali was in contention to play that weekend because the club had not been notified. Howe said the club had “no idea that this was even a possibility” when it signed him, calling it “a valuable lesson.”^[2]

The English case

On October 20, 2023, before the Italian deal was announced, Tonali self-reported to The FA that he had also broken English betting rules. He told investigators he had placed 40 to 50 football bets between August 12 and early October 2023, after joining Newcastle, including up to four bets on Newcastle to win: accumulators involving matches against Brighton or Burnley, Brentford and West Ham, and a single bet on Newcastle to beat Manchester City. He played in three of the four matches he bet on. He said no single stake exceeded €10,000. The FA contacted UK-licensed betting operators and found no accounts in his name showing breaches; its case rested entirely on his own admissions.^[3]

The FA charged him on March 25, 2024 with breaching Rule E8.1 by placing 50 bets, and he admitted the charge. His lawyers argued that his cooperation was “extraordinary, unprecedented,” that he had received FA betting training a month after arriving but had understood little of it because his English was then very limited, and that betting only on his own team to win did no damage to integrity. They asked for no further sporting sanction.^[3]

The Regulatory Commission, chaired by Abdul Iqbal KC, rejected the argument about winning bets. It said the perceived impact on integrity was “vitally important” and that betting on matches in which he was directly involved was “a significant aggravating factor.” It also concluded that the total stakes must have been “well in excess of €100,000,” another aggravating factor. From a starting point of three months, it raised the sanction to four. It then reduced the sanction to two months because his self-referral and admissions provided “very strong mitigation,” and suspended the entire two months until the end of the 2024-25 season, saying a shorter suspension period would not deter. It also fined him £20,000 and issued a formal warning, noting that he had voluntarily taken reduced wages from Newcastle during his Italian ban.^[3][4]

Double punishment?

The written submissions show how far apart the two sides were. Tonali’s lawyers argued that he faced a “double punishment” that arose only because he had transferred in July 2023. Had his Italian offences been committed in England, they said, they would have been in the FA’s 0-to-6-month category, so he had in effect already served the English sanction. They compared his ban to time served on remand in criminal sentencing.^[3] They also pointed to four earlier FA cases in which players who placed between 150 and 375 bets had received short or wholly suspended bans, and argued that 50 bets was “relatively low.”^[3]

The FA rejected the time-served argument as “misplaced.” It said the English breaches “formed no part of the case against ST in Italy,” that the commission should not “speculate” about how Italian conduct would have been treated in England, and that any sanction should not depend on when his Italian ban ended.^[3] It pressed several aggravating points. Tonali had begun betting nine days after receiving FA training, and within weeks of the FA sending the club guidance material translated into Italian. At up to €10,000 a bet, the potential total staked was “as high as 500,000 euros.” It accepted that his cooperation was “extraordinary and unprecedented in many respects,” and agreed that there were “clear and compelling reasons” to suspend the sanction, but asked for a ban near the middle of the range.^[3]

The commission split the difference. It held that the cited cases were “comparative tools” but not binding, and that a sporting sanction was “inevitable.”^[3] It found that Tonali knew the rules: he had told investigators that betting on football was “illegal” and that the rules were the same as in Italy. It treated his Italian conduct as neither prior proven misconduct nor a clean record, since he “continued to bet on football matches in breach of the regulatory rules when he signed for NUFC.”^[3] The final sanction let him return when the Italian ban allowed. If he committed any further betting breach before the end of the 2024-25 season, he would serve the two months on top of any new penalty. He was also ordered to pay the commission’s costs.^[3]

Aftermath

Tonali missed the rest of the 2023-24 season. Newcastle announced that the FIGC had formally confirmed his sanction would run “up to and including” August 27, 2024, and that he would return to selection the next day.^[7] On August 28 he started a League Cup tie at Nottingham Forest, his first appearance since October 2023, and played about an hour as Newcastle won on penalties.^[8]

The criminal case

The sporting bans did not end the matter. Milan prosecutors investigated a network of unauthorized online betting platforms used by footballers between 2021 and 2023. Tonali and Fagioli were accused not only of using the platforms but of promoting them to other players, an offence that, according to the Italian betting-industry daily Jamma, carries up to three months’ arrest as well as a fine.^[9][10] In May 2026 both reached plea agreements before the Milan court. Tonali agreed to a fine of €78,250. Fagioli, by then at Fiorentina, accepted a one-month sentence of arrest, suspended so that it would apply only if he reoffended. Under the plea procedure the penalties were reduced by a third.^[9][10] Jamma reported that 18 other people closed their cases by paying €258 each for gambling, mainly at online poker, on unauthorized sites.^[10]

The core dilemma

Football bans players from betting on the sport because the conflict of interest threatens trust in every match. Tonali’s case shows how that integrity rule meets a second reality: some players bet compulsively. The Italian federation turned part of the punishment into treatment and public education; the FA credited his honesty in reporting himself. Do these approaches strike the right balance between protecting the game, deterring others and helping a player with an addiction?

Competing values

• Deterrence vs. rehabilitation: commuting part of a ban to therapy may help the player but could weaken the message to others.
• Integrity vs. intent: betting on your own team to win involves no attempt to lose, yet still blurs a player’s interests.
• Self-reporting vs. accountability: heavy credit for disclosure encourages honesty but means penalties depend partly on whether a player confesses.
• Club investment vs. player welfare: Newcastle lost a costly signing while also owing him support.

Strongest arguments

For the outcome: the Italian deal paired a long ban with treatment and public education about gambling harm, which may do more to protect young players than punishment alone. The FA’s approach rewarded the self-reporting that made its case possible, which encourages future disclosure.

For harsher sanctions: Tonali bet heavily and repeatedly, including on matches in which he played, and continued after moving to England. Treating it largely as an addiction risks excusing conduct that the rules exist to prevent. A fully suspended English ban for 50 bets may look lenient.

For softer treatment: he never bet against his own team, there was no evidence of fixing, and he lost almost a full season at the peak of his career. Addiction is a health condition, and sanctions should focus on recovery.

Applying the frameworks

Utilitarian

A utilitarian analysis would weigh the deterrent effect of each sanction against the benefits of treatment and education. Sixteen public talks to amateur clubs and recovery centres might reduce harm among young players more than extra months of suspension. On the other side, perceived leniency could encourage others, and the consequences of any player-betting scandal for trust in football are large.

Care ethics

A care lens focuses on Tonali as a young man with what his federation described as a gambling addiction, and on the duty of clubs and federations toward him. It asks whether football’s environment, with gambling sponsors and heavy betting culture, contributes to the problem, and whether the sanction helped him recover. It also asks what care was owed to teammates and fans whose trust was affected.

Kantian (duty)

A Kantian would stress the duty to follow rules that every player knows protect competition. If every player bet on matches, even only on their own team to win, the conflict of interest would undermine the sport. The duty is not reduced by intent to win. The lens would also respect Tonali’s honesty in self-reporting as an act of duty that deserves recognition.

Walk it through: the Simple Decision Model

1. Spot the issue. You are Newcastle United’s head of player welfare in October 2023, learning that your new signing is under investigation for betting and has told you he also bet after joining the club. Stakeholders include the player, his family, teammates, the club, the FA, the FIGC, fans and sponsors. The codes in play are FA Rule E8, Italian disciplinary rules and the club’s duty of care.
2. Gather facts. What has he bet on, and when? Is there evidence of addiction? What will happen in Italy? Watch for the bias of protecting a valuable asset over doing the right thing.
3. Test options. Options: (a) advise him to wait and say nothing in England; (b) encourage him to self-report to the FA and support him through treatment; (c) distance the club from him. Run each through consequences, duties and character.
4. Check codes and law. FA rules require compliance and cooperation; what does the spirit of the betting rules require of a club that learns of a breach?
5. Decide and document. Record the advice given, the welfare support offered and the reasoning. Consult legal counsel, the players’ union and medical staff.
6. Communicate and follow up. Agree what to say publicly, protect his medical privacy, and add gambling-harm screening and education for new signings.

What’s settled and what’s contested

• Settled: the FIGC plea agreement and its terms, FIFA’s worldwide extension, the FA’s findings and sanction, and his return in August 2024.
• Contested: whether commuting part of the ban to treatment was appropriate; whether the FA sanction was lenient; and how football should balance integrity rules with addiction treatment.

Why this case matters

The Tonali case shows a governing body treating player betting as both a disciplinary offence and a health problem, and another rewarding self-reporting. It gives students a clear example of how rules, sanctions and welfare interact when a high-profile player breaks the betting rules without any evidence of fixing.

Key terms

Integrity

A commitment to honesty and ethical principle in competition and administration, including when nobody is watching.

Conflict of interest

A situation where a person’s private interest could improperly influence a decision they make in an official role.

Duty of care

The responsibility of coaches, organizations and institutions to protect the health, safety and well-being of those in their charge. It is not a license for total control.

Sanction certainty

The principle that the likelihood of being caught and punished deters misconduct more than the severity of the punishment.

Trust

The public’s belief that what they are watching is real. Integrity failures are ultimately failures of trust.

Codes and guardrails

Written rules of conduct, backed by real consequences, that turn values into expected behavior. Without enforcement they are decoration.

Definitions from the Ethics Cases glossary.

Discussion questions

1. Was swapping eight months of Tonali's ban for treatment and public talks a sound approach, or did it dilute deterrence?
2. The FA commission rejected the argument that betting on your own team to win does no harm. Why?
3. Should self-reporting reduce a sanction as much as it did here? What message does that send?
4. What responsibility does a club have to discover a player's gambling problem before signing him?
5. Should national federations' betting sanctions be harmonized, given that FIFA extends them worldwide?

Sources

1. Federation Prosecutor reaches Tonali decision — FIGC
2. Newcastle: Sandro Tonali's 10-month ban begins after being extended worldwide — BBC Sport
3. The FA v Sandro Tonali: Decision and reasons (Regulatory Commission, Apr. 25, 2024) — The Football Association
4. Tonali sanctioned — The Football Association
5. Tonali confessed to betting on football - sources — ANSA
6. No disciplinary action against Zaniolo in betting probe, says Italian FA (Oct. 28, 2023) — theScore (AFP)
7. Newcastle United announces Sandro Tonali return date — Newcastle United
8. Nottingham Forest 1 Newcastle United 1 (Newcastle win 4-3 on pens) — Newcastle United
9. Tonali e Fagioli fazem acordo com Justiça para encerrar inquérito por apostas (May 7, 2026) — ANSA Brasil
10. Caso scommesse, patteggiamento a Milano: 78mila euro di multa per Tonali, un mese di arresti con sospensione della pena per Fagioli (May 7, 2026) — Jamma