By Riley Walter and Vince Rugari
Former Macarthur FC captain Ulises Davila has been charged with five additional offences over an alleged A-League bet-fixing scheme, including directing a criminal group, with four more of the club’s matches under the scrutiny of organised crime detectives.
Davila, 33, was on Thursday charged with three counts of facilitating conduct that corrupts the betting outcome of an event, and one count each of engaging in conduct that corrupts the betting outcome of an event and knowingly/recklessly directing a criminal group assist crime.
Former Macarthur FC captain Ulises Davila has been charged with five further offences over an alleged A-League bet-fixing scheme.Credit: Getty
Davila, who did not appear in Downing Centre Local Court on Thursday, is already facing four charges over the alleged scheme, which police allege was being directed by a man in South America. The new charges were filed on Tuesday.
Davila and his former Macarthur teammates, Kearyn Baccus and Clayton Lewis, were in May last year arrested and charged over the alleged scheme. Police have claimed Baccus and Lewis were each paid up to $10,000 for taking part.
Two other former Macarthur players, Jed Drew and Matthew Millar, were named in court documents shortly after the trio was arrested but have not been charged with any offence in relation to the alleged scheme.
Police allege the new charges against Davila relate to A-League matches played against Adelaide United and Wellington Phoenix on January 8 and April 27, and in matches against Sydney FC on April 20 and May 4.
Kearyn Baccus, Ulises Davila and Clayton Lewis have all been charged over the alleged scheme.Credit: Getty/AAP
Baccus and Drew received yellow cards in two of those games. Davila, Lewis and Millar did not receive yellow cards in the matches.
Police last year laid charges over two games in 2023 – against Melbourne Victory on November 24 and a match against Sydney FC on December 9 – when they allege the conspiracy was successful.
Davila received a yellow card in the match against Melbourne Victory. Davila, Lewis and Baccus received yellow cards against Sydney FC.
In the latter game, the five yellow cards distributed by the referee to Macarthur players for foul play exceeded the over-and-under line of 3.5 set by markets in South America. A total of three would have fallen short of being successful, but once four cards were awarded, the bet came off, and hundreds of thousands of dollars were paid out as a result, mostly in South America, police said last year.
Football Australia last year said Drew, who this year joined Austrian Bundesliga club TSV Hartberg, was not suspected of being involved in the alleged scheme and was not under police investigation.
Davila, Baccus, Lewis and Millar have all been let go by the Bulls since the alleged scheme became public.
The NSW Police organised crime squad’s gaming unit formed Strike Force Beaconview to investigate the alleged scheme in early 2024 after being alerted by the United Kingdom Gambling Commission to betting abnormalities on Macarthur yellow cards. The scheme allegedly involved players intentionally receiving yellow cards in exchange for payment.
Davila, Baccus and Lewis remain on bail and will appear in Downing Centre Local Court on April 10.
Macarthur FC has been contacted for comment.
Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.