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Former England striker Michael Owen has told ESPN FC that footballers should be allowed to bet on matches they are not involved in and that the strict rules governing gambling in the sport are not required to protect the integrity of the game. The Football Association handed Burnley midfielder Joey Barton an 18-month suspension from the game on Wednesday after he was found guilty of placing 1,260 bets worth £205,172 on football matches between March 2006 and May 2016. Players are not allowed to bet on any match under FA rules, yet former Liverpool, Real Madrid, Newcastle and Manchester United striker Owen says the regulations banning players from any form of betting are too strict. "I think the whole rule that you can't bet at all is wrong," Owen said, speaking at an event to promote BT Sport's end-of-season football coverage. "I totally agree with the rule that you are not allowed to bet on games that you are involved in. Obviously Joey has done that in certain situations and that is wrong. "It's right to have rules and regulations, more so for the image of the game rather than [to stop] anything underhand. I'm certain that the game is as clean as it can be in this area and that has to be maintained. "But if I am at home as a Liverpool player and Chester are going to play against Oxford in a non-league game, why can't I have a bet? If I'm sat there twiddling my thumbs and I want to have a tenner [£10] on Chester to win, I don't think that will affect the game in any way, shape or form. "I'm partial to a bet. I like watching a game of football and predicting who is going to win. When you are involved in the game, maybe people will say you shouldn't bet, but I would question whether that rule is right." Barton argued the presence of betting companies in high-profile sponsorship deals with football clubs was fuelling a gambling culture in the sport, in a long statement issued following the FA's verdict. Owen rejected the notion that betting companies advertising in football or sponsoring top clubs was influencing the gambling habits of players. "I don't think having betting companies sponsoring the game affects whether a footballer will put a bet on, and a betting company can refuse a bet if a player was to ask for one," Owen added. "I don't have any problem with a betting company sponsoring shirts or being involved in that side, it's fine. "Where do you draw the line? If you say betting is bad for you and that is a reason for it not to be allowed in football, do you then talk about [banning] alcoholic drinks and all kinds of things. I would not blame a betting company for someone having a tenner on himself to score a goal."
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