Former Macarthur FC captain Ulises Davila has admitted to his role in a betting corruption case that rocked the A-League, according to News.co.au. The 33-year-old pleaded guilty on Thursday to charges of engaging in conduct that corrupts the betting outcome of an event and facilitating similar conduct. Eight additional charges against him were dismissed.
Davila was arrested in 2024 alongside former teammates Clayton Lewis and Kearyn Baccus following a police investigation into spot-fixing during the 2023–24 A-League season. The scandal centered on a December 9, 2023, match between Macarthur FC and Sydney FC, in which both Lewis and Baccus intentionally received yellow cards in exchange for payments from Davila.
Court documents revealed that the former captain paid each player $10,000 for deliberately earning bookings during the match, which Macarthur won 2-0. Lewis was cautioned in the 53rd minute for shoving an opponent, while Baccus was booked in the 72nd after a reckless tackle. The suspicious pattern of wagers on yellow cards during that game triggered an investigation by authorities after alerts were raised by an overseas betting operator.
Last month, both Lewis and Baccus were sentenced to two-year community release orders without recorded convictions, acknowledging their cooperation during the proceedings. Davila, regarded as the ringleader in the scheme, is scheduled to be sentenced on December 19.
The revelations mark one of the most serious match-fixing cases in Australian football history, casting a shadow over the domestic league’s integrity. Law enforcement officials have since reinforced measures aimed at monitoring irregular betting activity, as the A-League and Football Australia continue to strengthen their anti-corruption frameworks.
Davila, a former Chelsea youth player who joined Macarthur in 2021 after stints in Mexico and New Zealand, captained the Bulls until his suspension last year. His admission of guilt now closes a chapter that has tested the credibility of Australian football’s professional era.
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