Overview

• Riku Danzaki deliberately sought yellow cards through reckless tackles in A-League matches during late April and early May to trigger player-specific bets placed by Yuta Hirayama.
• Tabcorp’s rejection of a large wager on the May 22 semi-final prompted Victoria Police’s Sporting Integrity Intelligence Unit to investigate and arrest the pair on May 30.
• Prosecutors outlined that the scheme netted about $16,000 for Danzaki and approximately $5,200 for Hirayama, with incriminating LINE messages and bank transfers cited as evidence.
• Defence lawyers argued that financial strain at Western United—now in administration with its A-League licence revoked—contributed to Danzaki’s conduct, a claim prosecutors said did not implicate the club.
• Though the charges carry up to ten years’ imprisonment under federal wagering laws, Magistrate Nick Goodenough has ruled out jail as a penalty and ordered sentencing on August 22.