Former A-League footballers Clayton Lewis and Kearyn Baccus have received two-year conditional release orders for their roles in a betting scam during a match in December 2023. The duo was paid $10,000 each to deliberately earn yellow cards in a Macarthur FC versus Sydney FC game, affecting overseas betting outcomes.
Both pleaded guilty to charges of conduct corrupting betting results. Lewis earned a yellow card after pushing a Sydney FC player, while Baccus was booked for a tackle from behind. Authorities say the scam was orchestrated by their team captain, Ulises Alejandro Dávila, who allegedly worked with a Colombian contact known as “J Col.” Dávila has yet to enter a plea.
Court documents reveal the scheme caused $167,387 in betting market losses. Following the scandal, Lewis and Dávila were dismissed from Macarthur FC, and Baccus’s contract ended the following June.
Magistrate Michael Blair described their offenses as “low on the spectrum of objective seriousness,” imposing fines of $10,000 each. Both players had no prior criminal records, which factored into the reduced penalties.
Lewis, now employed in retail, was diagnosed with gambling addiction, major depressive disorder, and PTSD, and must continue psychiatric treatment. Police noted he was targeted by Dávila due to his gambling vulnerabilities.
Baccus, 34, now works as a truck driver and has vowed never to play professional football again. He also must undergo treatment for gambling addiction. Both players remain suspended from football in Australia, with no convictions recorded against them.
