Ulises Dávila Pleads Guilty in Betting Case
Mexican footballer Ulises Dávila, former captain of Macarthur FC and winner of the A-League Men Player of the Year award in 2021, admitted his participation in a lucrative betting scheme. Dávila, 34, was accused of being the ringleader of a betting scheme involving him and two Macarthur teammates, who deliberately got yellow cards to fulfill the betting results. The charges relate to six A-League Men season 2023-24 football matches. The former Chelsea youth player appeared in a Sydney court on Thursday and pleaded guilty to facilitating and participating in conduct that corrupts the outcome of betting on an event. The prosecution withdrew eight charges against him, including that of directing and participating in a criminal group. Dávila’s sentencing is scheduled for December 19. During a match on December 9, 2023 against Sydney FC, Dávila and his teammates Clayton Lewis and Kearyn Baccus received yellow cards. The captain was cautioned for delaying the game by kicking the ball, Lewis was cautioned for pushing an opponent in the chest, and Baccus was cautioned for a rough tackle. According to the facts agreed upon by Dávila’s teammates, bets had been placed on the Macarthur team receiving at least four cards during the match. The winnings from bets placed through the Betplay betting site amounted to more than $200,000. Dávila paid Lewis and Baccus $10,000 each for their participation in the betting scheme, according to teammates. Both men received a good behavior bond and avoided conviction in September, as the magistrate considered that both were “at the bottom of the scheme”. Lewis and Baccus emphasized that they got involved at the behest of Dávila, who they claimed was “not only the captain of the team, but the captain of the scheme.” The three players were suspended by Macarthur FC after their arrests and are no longer under contract with the team. The club previously issued a strong statement saying that “serious deficiencies” around integrity processes in Australian football needed to be addressed.An urgent and comprehensive review and reform of integrity protocols is required to safeguard the future of the game. Dávila, who was an elite youth talent, played in a U-20 World Cup with Mexico and was signed by Chelsea at the age of 20. He never made it to the Blues’ first team and played in various leagues before arriving in the A-League Men in 2019 with the Wellington Phoenix. He won the Johnny Warren Medal as the league’s best player in 2020-21 and moved to Macarthur after that season, where he was named captain. In 2022, the Mexican suffered a great loss when Lily Pacheco, his wife and mother of his two-year-old son, suddenly passed away at the age of 31. Australia’s National Gambling Helpline: 1800 858 858Existing systems are inadequate to protect clubs from risk and lack the responsiveness needed to manage problems of this magnitude.
Macarthur FC Statement
