Huddersfield forward Kian Harratt has received a four-month suspension for violating FA betting rules.
Harratt is reported to have placed 484 bets on soccer from June 2020 to June 2023, including bets on his own team’s matches. He was fined £3,200 ($4,049) in addition to the ban.
some of the bets were “more problematic than others”
In a statement, Harratt said that some of the bets were “more problematic than others” as they involved his team. He also admitted that he bet on his team to lose, adding “of the 44 bets of this nature that I placed, 36 involved Huddersfield.”
Nine of those 36 bets were on Huddersfield to lose. Harratt emphasized that he was not involved with the team during those matches, as he was either on loan to another club or training elsewhere.
Facing the FA, Harratt explained that his gambling started on his 18th birthday when he opened an online betting account. He initially bet on horse racing, but eventually moved to soccer. According to Harratt, gambling was a way for him to get the same “buzz” he had when competing on the field. When soccer failed to achieve that, his gambling activities increased.
In a statement, Huddersfield said it supported Harratt, who is recovering from hamstring surgery.