UNION chief Tony Higgins has urged players to refrain from betting after Joey Barton became the latest star to fall foul of Scottish FA rules.

The Rangers midfielder was issued with a notice of complaint on Wednesday after allegedly placing 44 wagers on matches between July 1 and September 15 this year.

Players are forbidden from punting on any match worldwide and it emerged last month that Barton was under investigation by the SFA and the Gambling Commission following claims he had backed Celtic to lose heavily to Barcelona in their Champions League Group C opener.

Barton is not the first Rangers player to find himself at the centre of a betting controversy. In 2013, Ian Black was given a ten-game ban, seven of which were suspended, and fined £7500 after betting on more than 160 matches, including fixtures involving Rangers. Last year, goalkeeper Steve Simonsen served a one-game suspension after betting on 50 matches over a twelve month period.

Michael Moffat of Ayr United and Partick Thistle forward Steven Lawless have also fallen foul of the strict rules in recent years.

PFA Scotland President and FIFPro member Higgins said: “Each country, each federation, has its own betting regulations. Some are stricter than others. Any breach of the regulations can have serious consequences for a player’s career.

“Professional footballers should take their responsibility and check their country’s regulations.

“Or even better, avoid betting on any football match. Of course, they can always consult their players’ union for advice.”