The England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) are exploring any possible breach of rules by England’s Test coach, Brendon McCullum, pertaining to his ties with a betting company, 22Bet. The former New Zealand cricketer entered a deal with the Cyprus-based company in November 2022, and since then, has appeared in their advertisements.
ECB’s step comes a week after an official complaint was filed to New Zealand’s internal affairs department by the Problem Gambling Foundation (PGF), after social media users complained about the repeating 22Bet advertisements on their feeds. A PGF spokesperson also termed it “the most aggressive marketing I’ve ever seen,” as per quotes in The Guardian.
Upon inspection, it was revealed that the company is not registered, or licensed in New Zealand, and all commercials featuring McCullum have since been blocked in the country.
Now, the ECB are holding discussions with McCullum’s representatives, whilst also checking for any possible breach. “We are currently exploring the matter and in discussions with Brendon around his relationship with the Cypriot-based betting company, 22Bet,” they confirmed in a statement.
What Does the Rulebook Say?
According to article 2.1.4 of ECB’s anti-corruption code, every individual associated with the organized is prohibited from “directly or indirectly soliciting, inducing, enticing, instructing, persuading, encouraging, or facilitating” any activity that involves betting.
McCullum’s agent, Simon Auteri has also confirmed that they are in talks with the ECB regarding the issue. “We have rules in place around gambling and will always seek to ensure these are followed,” he was quoted as saying.
Besides McCullum, 22Bet is also endorsed by Emmanuel Adebayor, the former Togolese footballer who has played for Premier League giants like Manchester City and Arsenal, and Julio Cesar, the former Brazilian goalkeeper.
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