Gambleaware NSW forced to pull video featuring accused Macarthur FC player Kearyn Baccus
The NSW government have been forced to pull a “responsible gambling” ad which featured one of the A-League player’s charged last week with betting corruption.
Macarthur Football Club player Kearyn Baccus was one of three players charged on Friday following an investigation into alleged yellow card manipulation.
But just months earlier, the 32-year-old midfielder had starred in a Liquor and Gaming NSW campaign aimed at raising awareness to gambling issues.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.The video, which has since been removed from GambleAware NSW’s Facebook page, Baccus told people to reach out for help if betting was making them stressed.
The video was posted on February 21 and was captioned: “Kearyn Baccus from Macarthur FC shares how you can tell if you are overdoing it when it comes to betting.”
Other ads involving Macarthur remained on the GambleAware Facebook on Sunday — including one with the caption: “If you’re watching Macarthur take on Melbourne Victory tonight, keep your mind on the game. Don’t let a bet take you away from a match!”
Baccus was one of three players arrested and charged on Friday, alongside 33-year-old Macarthur FC captain Ulises Dávila and 27-year-old player Clayton Lewis.
Police allege Mr Davila enlisted two other players to deliberately get yellow cards in two A-League games last year before rewarding them with $10,000 each.
Mr Davila, 33, is originally from Mexico and was allegedly taking instructions from a man believed to be involved with a criminal group in South America.
The three men were released on Friday and their matters remain before the courts. No pleas have been entered.
According to report on Sunday, Investigators obtained secret recordings which allegedly captured at least one of the Macarthur FC players speaking about the alleged yellow card scam.
Sources confirmed police had obtained secret recordings of at least one of the players allegedly linking them to the plot, with prosecutors planning to use the recordings — which were not from phone taps — as evidence.
Prosecutors are also working on information gleaned from other agencies overseas, who allegedly picked up the irregular betting patterns on the A-League games.
More than 20 identical rapid-fire bets in just one minute are said to have set the stage for the biggest corruption scandal in Australian soccer.
In December 2023 the bets were allegedly placed in South America on the low-key game involving the Macarthur FC.
The wagers gambled on Macarthur being awarded more than 3.5 yellow cards in the one game.
Police will allege those bets prompted an alert to pop up in Birmingham, through the surveillance network of the United Kingdom Gambling Commission —an organisation tasked with monitoring suspicious betting activity at home and abroad.
The alert led to police uncovering another yellow card-manipulated game and another two failed attempts — which investigators allege could be the tip of the iceberg.
