Two former Macarthur Bulls players who deliberately received yellow cards in exchange for $10,000 have been spared a criminal conviction. Kearyn Baccus and Clayton Lewis were handed two-year conditional release orders – similar to good behaviour bonds – in Sydney’s Central Local Court on Wednesday.
The charges relate to a match against Sydney FC on 9 December 2023, when bets were placed on Macarthur receiving at least four yellow cards. Winning payouts from the gambling site Betplay, allegedly orchestrated by then-captain Ulises Dávila, totalled more than $167,000, according to agreed facts.
Magistrate Michael Blair described the pair as “right at the bottom of the scheme”, noting there was no evidence they knew wagers were being placed on their actions or how much they would be paid. Both men must also repay the $10,000 they received as a fine.
The court heard Dávila recruited Lewis due to his history of gambling addiction, promising “a little bit of extra coin”. Lawyers for Baccus and Lewis emphasised the uneven relationship, calling Dávila “not only the captain of the team, but the captain of the scheme”.
All three players were suspended by Macarthur FC after their arrests. Baccus and Dávila have since been released from their contracts; Baccus now works as a truck driver. Dávila, accused of acting as a conduit to a Colombian criminal known as “J Col”, has not yet entered pleas to nine charges.
