A year ago, five footballers in Australia were arrested on suspicion of spot-fixing. Earlier this month, another Australian footballer was arrested on suspicion of the same offense, prompting the Professional Footballers Australia (PFA) to call for a ban on betting on cards in Australia.
Earlier this month, two men in Australia were arrested for possible involvement in spot-fixing. One of the two men was a footballer from the Australian football club Western United, who allegedly deliberately received a yellow card in four matches in April and May to influence the outcome of bets.
The pair has since been released on bail and will appear in court in Melbourne on July 31. Players involved in such offenses risk imprisonment in Australia. Western United, the club of the suspected footballer, released a statement after the arrest and stated that it was cooperating with the investigation:
“We take this matter seriously, condemn any actions that jeopardize the integrity of the game, and are fully cooperating with all relevant authorities.”
Western United
Ban on Betting on Cards in Australia
This is the second gambling scandal in just twelve months in Australian football, as five footballers were arrested a year ago on suspicion of possible spot-fixing in the A-League. Professional Footballers Australia (PFA) has therefore openly criticized Football Australia, the country’s football association.
PFA criticized the integrity department of the FA board and demanded that the training program for players be expanded, according to ABC News. The football association is currently in consultation with bookmakers about the contracts, in which it is determined which matches and which elements can be bet on.
Beau Busch, CEO of PFA, has therefore called for a ban on betting on (yellow) cards. According to Busch, the sport is being opened up to potentially more manipulation.
“We need to look at how damaging this has been to the sport and can we be confident that we can design a new system that also excludes these risks?”
Beau Busch, PFA
In the Netherlands, since the opening of the online gambling market, there has been a ban on betting on cards and corners at legal online casinos. These policy rules in the Remote Gambling Act are designed to prevent possible match-fixing.
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