Australia’s professional footballers’ union is calling for an outright ban on betting markets involving yellow cards, following the second A-League match-fixing case in just 12 months.
In a rare public rebuke, Professional Footballers Australia (PFA) has criticised Football Australia’s integrity unit and urged the governing body to significantly expand its player education efforts.
PFA CEO Beau Busch went public with the demands after a Western United player was charged last week with match-fixing over games played in April and May. The incident follows similar charges laid against three Macarthur FC players in May last year. If convicted, all players face the possibility of prison.
“We need to learn from this and improve significantly,” Busch said.
“If it takes public pressure to achieve better outcomes, we’re ready to apply it.”
Gambling Under Scrutiny
Last week, ABC Investigations revealed that Victoria’s gambling regulator is examining whether Football Australia is doing enough to safeguard players from match-fixing and whether it should permit certain betting markets.
Football Australia is currently renegotiating its deals with betting agencies, which define what aspects of soccer can be wagered on.
Busch said bets on yellow cards should be banned entirely unless major reforms are made. Both recent match-fixing cases allegedly involved players deliberately receiving yellow cards—acts of spot-fixing.
“Allowing these types of bets opens the sport up to manipulation,” he said.
“We need to assess how damaging this has been and whether a safer system can be built.”
Busch added that yellow card markets should only return if integrity training is significantly overhauled.
Financial Ties to Betting
In 2023, Four Corners revealed Football Australia receives a share of all bets placed on matches across all levels—from the Socceroos and Matildas to local club games.
While the organisation does not disclose how much it earns from these “product fees,” its 2024 financial report listed $15.1 million in “other” revenue, which includes income from betting, appearance fees, player fines, and payments from the A-League’s operator.
Football Australia’s acting CEO, Heather Garriock, was unavailable for comment while travelling with the Socceroos. The governing body did not respond to detailed questions about its gambling agreements.
Calls for Stronger Player Education
Busch is urging Football Australia to invest a greater share of its gambling revenue in player integrity education.
“You shouldn’t benefit from gambling income without also bearing the responsibility to protect players,” he said.
Currently, integrity training is offered as an annual online seminar. Busch says this format does not go far enough to educate players on the dangers and consequences of match-fixing.
He revealed that since the Macarthur FC scandal, the PFA has repeatedly called for a return to the in-person workshops used pre-COVID—but with no major changes.
“We’ve tried working collaboratively with Football Australia, but the response has been inadequate,” Busch said.
“We want to see improvements made quickly.”
Busch, who played in the A-League during the late 2000s, said players once took part in detailed face-to-face training before each season.
“It was an intensive preseason workshop led by the integrity unit,” he said.
He also criticised the current online seminar for being English-only, despite the league featuring players from diverse linguistic backgrounds.
“Our league includes players speaking Spanish, Japanese, French, Italian, German—you name it,” he said.
“We need to ensure that every player not only watches the seminar but fully understands what’s expected of them.”
Football Australia Responds
After the ABC presented Football Australia with the PFA’s concerns, the governing body confirmed it would resume face-to-face training before the next A-League season.
“Football Australia and partners including Sport Integrity Australia, the PFA, FIFA, and the AFC work together on delivering integrity education,” it said in a statement.
“We’re committed to evolving our training programs and continue collaborating with the PFA to improve them.”
Expert Says Education Is Key
Melbourne University sports integrity specialist Jack Anderson backed the call for better player education.
“Face-to-face sessions and regular check-ins throughout the season are crucial,” Anderson said.
“Given the reputational damage caused by scandals, investing in education will pay off significantly.”
