Mina fined but avoids ban for gambling advert

Everton defender Yerry Mina has been fined £10,000 and warned of his future conduct after admitting an FA misconduct charge for breaching betting rules.

The 24-year-old was charged after he appeared in a betting advert back in his native Colombia earlier this year.

There had been speculation that Mina could be given a lengthy ban for the incident but those fears have proven to be unfounded.

In publishing their written reasons for its decision, the FA said it took into account that fact Mina made no money from the advert, instead donating his fee to the Yerry Mina Foundation – a charity he set up in 2016 to help disadvantaged young people from his hometown in Colombia.

Mina also admitted the charge and apologised at the earliest opportunity as well as requesting the advert be removed as soon as he had realised he was in breach of FA regulations.

He also ended his relationship with the betting company in May.

In light of those mitigating circumstances anything more than a fine and slap on the wrist would have been extremely harsh.

But while this incident is now closed, questions remain about football’s relationship with gambling companies.

The irony won’t be lost on many that while Mina has been fined for promoting a gambling company, the Everton shirt he wears week in, week out is emblazoned with another gambling company - as are nine other teams in the Premier League.

Taking a hardline approach to players gambling or promoting gambling is fine and indeed welcome, but the FA are opening themselves up to accusations of hypocrisy for as long as gambling companies have such a prominent position on shirts and advertising hoardings at grounds across the country.