3 days ago
Football Australia facing integrity probe amid match-fixing allegations
Football Australia is being investigated over its ability to protect the sport's integrity as it grapples with the A-League's second match-fixing scandal in 12 months.
ABC Investigations can reveal the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission will launch a 'suitability review' of Football Australia that will examine the governing body's integrity measures, as well as the range of betting markets it allows on soccer games in Australia.
The revelations of the probe come after Victoria Police this week charged 25-year-old Western United player Riku Danzaki with 10 match-fixing charges for allegedly intentionally receiving yellow cards during A-League matches in April and May.
In May last year, NSW Police charged Macarthur FC players Ulises Davila, Kearyn Bacchus and Clayton Lewis with match-fixing offences also allegedly involving yellow cards.
The VGCCC says the latest match-fixing allegations involving the Western United player were "concerning."
"The VGCCC will conduct a suitability review of FA in the 2025–26 financial year to assess its ability to ensure the integrity of its events," the regulator said in statement.
"This will include looking at the activities FA allows betting on, such as yellow cards.
"The scope of the FA review is yet to be finalised but will focus on the legislated integrity requirements of sports controlling bodies."
In a statement, Football Australia said the VGCCC informed it of the review in April.
"Football Australia welcomes the opportunity to continue to refine our vigilance against integrity threats," it said.
"Football Australia subscribes to continual vigilance in our standards to meet this challenge, but it's something that all Australian and international sports, regulators and government agencies must do together, as this stain isn't unique to footy players.
"The job on integrity is never complete as offenders are becoming more and more sophisticated."
Under Victoria's gambling laws, Football Australia is a designated "sports controlling body", which gives it the responsibility to oversee integrity of soccer and the power to negotiate with betting companies about the range of events on which they can offer bets.
It also enables Football Australia to earn a portion of the revenue of gambling on soccer games – including bets on the number of yellow cards in a match.
Football Australia has similar powers and responsibilities under New South Wales gambling laws.
In 2023, Four Corners revealed Football Australia was allowing bookmakers to offer bets on all levels of the sport – from international games to amateur suburban matches.
Most other major sporting bodies, such as the AFL and NRL, only allow betting on first and second-tier professional competitions.
While the VGCCC has not disclosed the terms of reference for its inquiry, Melbourne University sports law expert Jack Anderson said it would likely focus on the range of gambling Football Australia allows on all levels of professional and amateur soccer in the country.
"Probably what [the regulator] is doing is saying, yes, we have agreed that Football Australia can allow a range of bets on football. But are some of these bets presenting such a risk that they should be struck off and not offered?" he said.
Professor Anderson said soccer governing bodies and authorities around the world are grappling with rising instances of alleged match fixing involving yellow cards, which is one of the few elements of play in the sport that can be influenced by a single player.
"It's very discrete, in that a player can effect the foul that generates the yellow card. And they can do it almost to the minute, or to a particular time in the game."
Brazilian midfielder Lucas Paqueta, who plays with English Premier League side West Ham United, is facing a possible lifetime ban after the UK Football Association charged him with allegedly intentionally receiving yellow cards as part of a spot-fixing operation.
Paqueta has denied any wrongdoing.
