Inverness CT: Richie Foran supports call for gambling amnesty

Inverness Caledonian Thistle manager Richie Foran supports the concept of an amnesty allowing players to admit to historical gambling on football.

His player, Lewis Horner, has been charged by the Scottish Football Association for betting on football stretching back to 2011.

"First of all he needs help," Foran told BBC Scotland.

"This is not just a lad that gambles every now and again. He has a gambling problem."

Foran says that Horner received help for his gambling previously, but fell back into old habits. He received a notice of complaint from the SFA for allegedly placing 353 football bets, including three accumulators involving his own side.

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Horner's charges also range from July 2011 to 1 May 2017. The midfielder was at Hibernian and then on loan at East Stirlingshire when 12 of the bets were placed between July 2011 and June 2012.

"He had counselling years back - it worked," Foran said. "He stopped gambling. He stopped going to the counselling - big mistake. He had a relapse.

"Lewis needs our help now. He needs the help of the Scottish FA, he needs the help of the PFA. He needs people around to help him with this addiction and that's what we will do here at the club."

'The only ones gambling now have an addiction'

The former Inverness winger Barry Wilson told BBC Scotland that he feels there should be an amnesty in order to draw a line on the past for players.

"Come out there, be open, be honest," Foran said, in support of the idea.

"Maybe they shouldn't be punished for what they've done in the past. Let's help them for their future.

"I don't think it's a huge problem in terms of having a lot of addicts. It definitely goes on in football.

"I'd like to think it's not going on in the club with anyone else here, because I spoke to them three, four months ago. The PFA came in and spoke to them.

"The lads would be very, very silly if they were gambling on football now.

"The only ones maybe gambling now are the ones that have an addiction, so they're the ones that need help."