Chelsea legend Eden Hazard under investigation after signing gambling deal

Eden Hazard is reportedly under investigation by the Belgian Gaming Commission after taking up a role promoting online casino Stake.

The retired Chelsea legend, who hung up his boots in 2023 at the age of 32, recently announced his partnership with the betting company as a global ambassador.

Hazard, a former star for Lille, Chelsea, and Real Madrid, will participate in exclusive activations and campaigns to promote Stake's brand.

However, Stake is considered illegal in Belgium, prompting the nation's Gaming Commission to launch an probe into whether the role violates betting advertising rules.

According to Belgian outlet Het Laatste Nieuws and also reported by The Sun, the Commission has opened an investigation against the former Red Devil. Stake has previously enlisted other high-profile football icons as promoters, including Sergio Aguero and Iker Casillas.

But Hazard, 35, risks facing legal sanctions over the betting promotion, as the ambassadorship may breach local gambling laws. The Belgian icon, known for his dazzling skills during his prime at Chelsea where he won two Premier League titles, has kept a low profile since retirement, but this new venture has quickly drawn scrutiny.

Hazard's football career was a story of two halves: a decade of world-class dominance followed by a sharp decline due to injuries. He rose to prominence at Lille, where he became the first non-French player to win the Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year award twice before leading the club to a historic league and cup double in 2011.

In 2012, he moved to Chelsea, where he truly established his legacy as one of the Premier League's greatest-ever wingers. During his seven seasons at Stamford Bridge, Hazard amassed 110 goals and 92 assists, winning two Premier League titles, two Europa League trophies, and multiple individual honours, including the 2015 PFA Players' Player of the Year. 

In 2019, Hazard made a long-coveted dream move to Real Madrid in a transfer worth up to €150 million. However, his time in Spain was plagued by persistent ankle fractures and muscle issues, limiting him to just 76 appearances and 7 goals across four seasons.

While he technically won eight trophies with Madrid, including the 2022 Champions League and two La Liga titles, he was primarily a fringe player and famously never played a single minute in any of those final matches.

Internationally, Hazard was the talisman and captain of Belgium's 'Golden Generation', leading them to their best-ever third-place finish at the 2018 World Cup. He officially retired from professional football on October 10, 2023, at the age of 32.