Various overseas sportsbooks have provided evidence as part of the ongoing probe into soccer players in Australia’s A-League who allegedly engaged in match-fixing.
Ulises Dávila, Clayton Lewis, and Kearyn Baccus appeared in the Downing Centre Local Court in Sydney on Thursday for a hearing, with the judge adjourning the cases until October 17.
They all played for the same team when the allegations came to light, with Dávila acting as the captain for the Macarthur Bulls at the time. Authorities believe he was the middleman between his teammates and a Colombia-based crime group. Police arrested the players in May, with Dávila and Baccus departing the club shortly after.
paid his two teammates as much as AU$10,000 (US$6,724) to ensure they got yellow cards
Dávila allegedly paid his two teammates as much as AU$10,000 (US$6,724) to ensure they got yellow cards during two games in November and December 2023. The authorities also believe they failed in their attempts to do so again in games on April 20 and May 4. The crime group behind the wagers reportedly earned hundreds of thousands of dollars from the winning bets.
Some of the sportsbooks providing evidence in the case include Bet365 Bulgaria, Bet365 New Jersey, and BetPlay Colombia. Dávila’s legal counsel said that the prosecution has not yet handed over the statements from these operators or their relevant betting records.