A former A-League player and his friend have been convicted and fined for committing yellow card betting fraud which “strikes at the heart of competitive sport”.
Ex-Western United midfielder and Kingsville resident Riku Danzaki and amateur player Yuta Hirayama, were each handed $5000 fines on Friday.
The pair had pleaded to be spared conviction over the one-month fraud, where Hirayama would place bets on Danzaki deliberately receiving yellow cards.
However, magistrate Nick Goodenough decided to convict both men to ensure others were “deterred and discouraged from doing the same thing”.
He said the offences “strike at the heard of competitive sport”.
“Supporters, teammates and coaching staff are entitled to know that all members of the team are working towards one objective,” Mr Goodenough told Melbourne Magistrates Court.
“Teams win, teams lose, teams draw, but on any given day either team has a chance.
“What you have both done is a betrayal of that ideal and that trust.”
Both pleaded guilty to seven betting corruption charges, including engaging in conduct that corrupts or would corrupt a betting outcome and one attempt at betting fraud.
They made fraudulent bets through agencies, including Bet365 and Tabcorp, with Danzaki pocketing about $16,000 in winnings from three matches after deliberately receiving yellow cards.
The pair successfully bet on Western United matches on April 27, May 3 and May 9, after Danzaki told Hirayama he would attempt to deliberately receive yellow cards in those matches.
Hirayama placed bets on Danzaki in the “player to be booked” market and Danzaki went on to perform reckless tackles on opposition players to get carded.
They also failed at placing bets on another match involving Melbourne city.
Hirayama and Danzaki agreed to split their winnings, with 70 per cent to go to the then-A-League player.
“Although your roles are different, I’m of the view that you are equally liable for the totality of the offending,” Mr Goodenough said.
“This type of offending undermines the integrity of sport, and it undermines the legal betting markets.”
Both man’s lawyers asked the magistrate to take into account their early guilty pleas and admissions to police as soon as the fraud was uncovered, as well as their good character and lack of priors.
