iGaming Business – The English Football Association (FA) national governing body has announced that all professional footballers in the country will be banned from betting on any match or competition in the world from next season.

An earlier proposal by the FA to implement the new rules was ratified by the governing body’s shareholders at its Annual General Meeting on Wednesday.

The new rules, which will come into force on August 1, will apply to professional players in the top eight tiers of English football – the English Premier League, Championship, League One, League Two, Conference and top Northern, Southern and Isthmian leagues.

Under the changes, players will also be prohibited from betting on any other football-related matter, such as the transfer of players, employment of managers or team selection.

Players will also be unable to pass on inside information to a third-party who uses it for betting purposes.

Current FA rules state that no participant can bet on a match or competition in which they are involved or can influence that season, or any other football-related matter concerning the league in which they play.