Serie A Players, Including Weston McKennie, Under Investigation for Illegal Betting

Serie A is facing a new gambling scandal, one that doesn’t just test player conduct but exposes the cracks in how football deals with risk, regulation, and reputation. What started with two banned players has now pulled more names into the spotlight, raising serious questions about the integrity of the game.

With more players under investigation and the possibility of broader implications for the league, the stakes have never been higher. This scandal goes beyond individual misconduct; it challenges the entire framework of accountability within football. Let’s dive into who’s involved and what this means for the future of the sport.

The Serie A Betting Scandal: A Storm Brewing Behind the Scenes

Serie A finds itself in yet another controversy, but this time, it’s not match-fixing or club finance. A growing number of top-flight footballers, including US international Weston McKennie, are being investigated for their links to illegal online betting platforms.

What began in 2023 as a disciplinary response to Sandro Tonali and Nicolò Fagioli’s betting violations has now evolved into a wider probe led by prosecutors in Milan. As investigators follow new leads and digital trails, a broader network of player involvement is coming to light. While the latest cases may not carry the threat of long-term bans, they raise urgent questions about player accountability, league governance, and the deeper relationship between football and gambling.

Breaking Down the Allegations: Who’s Really at Risk?

The current investigation stems from testimonies and digital evidence provided by Sandro Tonali and Nicolò Fagioli, two players who were banned last year after admitting to placing bets on football. Now cooperating with authorities, both have reportedly identified other players who engaged in illegal online gambling, such as poker, roulette, and other non-football-related betting activities.

Some of those under investigation are:

• Weston McKennie, Juventus midfielder and USMNT regular
• Junior Firpo, Leeds United defender
• Multiple unnamed current or former Serie A players

So far, investigators have not found any evidence that these players bet on football, which is critical. That distinction separates them from Tonali, whose betting history included AC Milan matches, a clear breach of FIFA integrity rules. Instead, McKennie and the others are facing scrutiny for allegedly using unlicensed platforms, which under Italian law carries a maximum fine of £200 but no sporting sanctions.

Inside the Investigation: What You’re Not Being Told

Publicly, this looks like a list of names that surfaced from depositions. But behind the scenes, prosecutors are using a mix of digital forensics, chat logs, and payment tracking to trace player activity.

According to the reports, one of the key breakthroughs came from Fagioli’s phone, which contained messages linking other players, including Nicolò Zaniolo, to illegal sites. Fagioli admitted he had promoted the platforms to teammates after being promised benefits in return.

“The organisers of the sites had told me that they would give me some advantages if I brought other bettors”, he reportedly stated.

Authorities are now reviewing how widely these illegal platforms were used in football circles and whether players were incentivised to recruit others. They’re also looking into betting behaviour overlapping with matchday activity or club sessions. While the offences themselves might be legally minor, the structural blind spot they reveal is anything but.

Illegal Betting Exposed: The Dark Side of Football

This case is just the latest flare in a longer, deeper issue: professional football’s uneasy relationship with gambling.

While players are heavily restricted in what they can bet on (particularly football), they are constantly surrounded by gambling in other forms: bookmaker sponsors on shirts, in-app betting integrations or commercial deals between clubs and betting brands.

It creates a contradictory landscape – don’t bet, but market it. Don’t participate but profit from the system.

And when a young player stumbles into unregulated platforms, often through friends or teammates, the line between casual play and illegal conduct isn’t always clear. That’s not a defence but a warning. These violations are often symptoms of a bigger cultural gap, not just personal recklessness.

Serie A’s Reputation on the Brink: A Crisis in the Making

Serie A, already struggling with internal financial instability and external competition, now faces a problem of credibility. The league has tried hard to present a modern, international image. But when headlines start stacking up (Tonali, Fagioli, now McKennie and others) it starts to feel like player oversight is optional, not operational.

For clubs with global fanbases and sponsors, this isn’t just embarrassing, it’s commercially risky. Brands tied to integrity don’t want their logos next to betting scandals – even ones involving fines rather than bans.

Serie A isn’t collapsing under the weight of this case. But it’s another crack in the system and the next one might not be so easy to contain.

Footballer Futures in Jeopardy: What’s at Stake for McKennie?

Let’s be clear: Weston McKennie has not been accused of betting on football, nor has he been charged with any crime. But being under investigation, particularly in a case that began with banned teammates, puts his name under the kind of scrutiny that doesn’t fade quickly.

If the case ends with a small fine, he’ll walk away without sporting punishment. But reputationally, he’s already been dragged into a narrative of risk and clubs, agents, and sponsors don’t ignore that.

He’s far from the only one. As more names are expected to surface, the real fallout may be less about legality and more about trust within squads, with fans, and across locker rooms that are already under media judgment.

Gambling in Football: The Silent Crisis No One Talks About

There’s something no one wants to say out loud: gambling in football is everywhere. Not necessarily illegal or corrupt, but omnipresent.

From sponsorships to locker room banter, from fantasy leagues to odds awareness, footballers are surrounded by betting culture, even as they’re asked to opt out completely.

Combine that with high-pressure environments, sporadic income for lower-tier players and social media platforms normalising risky bets, and it’s easy to see how rules get blurred, even unintentionally.

Football’s gambling problem isn’t always about addiction. Sometimes, it’s about access without education and platforms without regulation.

The Aftermath: What’s Next for Serie A and Its Players?

In the weeks ahead, investigators are expected to finalise their reviews and issue fines for players found to have used illegal gambling platforms unless deeper links or further violations come to light. Serie A clubs may respond proactively, introducing internal guidelines or conducting media training to reinforce acceptable conduct around gambling.

Even for players who are ultimately cleared of major wrongdoing, the consequences might still ripple outward, with brand partnerships or sponsorship deals put on hold or withdrawn altogether. Meanwhile, regulatory bodies such as UEFA are likely to assess how the case was handled and whether broader policy reform is needed across European football.

This scandal may not end careers, but it could reshape them. It also puts pressure on the Italian league to demonstrate that it takes player conduct seriously, not just when headlines break, but through consistent action. Because if football wants to keep gambling on the outside, it needs to start paying more attention to what’s happening inside.