Australian Football's Illegal Betting Problem Just Keeps Getting Worse

For well over a decade, Australian footballers have been caught fixing matches on a regular basis. So why the hell is the situation so damn bad?

An investigation was inevitable. A gambling watchdog in Australia has launched a review of the ways in which Football Australia fights against match-fixing and illegal betting.

This was announced after the June 2 arrest of Danzaki Riku, a midfielder with Western Australia, for multiple match-fixing offences, although the review was planned since April.

Danzaki, a 25-year-old Japanese recruit, is accused of intentionally getting himself yellow-carded in at least four A-League matches in April and May, allegedly as part of a betting scheme.

Macarthur FC after winning the 2024 Australia Cup. The team faced a severe match-fixing scandal in 2023/24 when three players, including the captain, were arrested for allegedly running a match-fixing ring. Source; Macarthur FC

While his arrest made national headlines, it’s hardly an isolated incident. Danzaki is part of the second betting-related scandal to hit Australia’s top soccer league in 12 months and is one of many in recent years.

The review, by…