Ulises Davila Faces Sentencing for Corrupt Conduct in 2026

Former A-League Star Accused of Facilitating Betting Scam

Ulises Davila, a 34-year-old former A-League star, will face sentencing in February 2026 for his role in a betting scam that involved corrupting the outcome of several A-League matches. The attacking midfielder, who previously played for Chelsea, pleaded guilty to the charges earlier this year.

Details of the Scam

According to court documents, Davila was accused of being the ringleader of a betting scam that involved himself and two Macarthur Bulls teammates, Clayton Lewis and Kearyn Baccus. The scam involved deliberately earning yellow cards to satisfy a betting outcome, with bets placed on Macarthur players receiving at least four cards during the games. The charges related to six fixtures across the 2023 and 2024 A-League seasons.

Winning Payouts and Sentencing

Winning payouts for the bets placed through gambling site Betplay totalled more than $200,000. Davila paid Lewis and Baccus $10,000 each for their roles in the betting scam. Both Lewis and Baccus were handed good-behaviour bonds and escaped conviction in September, with the magistrate finding the pair were ‘right at the bottom of the scheme’.

Football Australia Bans Lewis and Baccus

Ahead of Davila’s sentencing next year, Football Australia confirmed they have banned Lewis and Baccus for at least four years over the spot-fixing offences. Lewis and Baccus were given five-year bans backdated to 17 May 2024, when they were both issued no-fault interim suspensions by FA. Those bans will be cut by a year by completing community service.

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