AUSTRALIA Law and Practice Contributed by: Sven Burchartz and Jessica Bell, Kalus Kenny Intelex
1.3 Betting-Related Offences No National Authority Regulating Sports Betting in Australia Sports betting is not illegal in Australia, and there is no single overarching statute or authority regulating gambling activities, including betting, in the country. Sports betting is, however, separately regulated by way of a series of federal statutes and by separate legislative frameworks in each of Australia’s eight mainland states and territories. By way of example, the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Com - mission Act 2011 establishes the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (“VGCCC”, formerly known as the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation), which is empowered to regulate the gambling and liquor industries in Victoria. Regulation of the Betting Activities of Professional Athletes The betting activities of professional athletes are often regulated more strictly than those of non-ath - letes by the governing body of their sport. The AFL, for example, prohibits players from betting on AFL matches and, in 2022, fined Rhys Nicholls AUD5,000 and banned him from playing for two matches after he placed bets on ten games during the 2021 AFL season. More recently, these regulatory and enforcement measures have extended beyond domestic compe - tition. In August 2025, former A-League player Riku Danzaki, of Western United, pleaded guilty to deliber - ately receiving yellow cards as part of a betting fraud involving amateur player Yuta Hirayama. Hirayama placed bets on the number of yellow cards Danzaki would receive during his matches on 27 April, 3 May and 9 May 2025, with Danzaki earning AUD16,000 from these bets. Protecting the Integrity of Sport – Information Sharing In certain Australian states, organisations that obtain Sports Controlling Body (“SCB”) status through regu - latory approval (for example, from the Victorian Gam - bling and Casino Control Commission) are permitted to enter into agreements with sports betting providers
ments covering certain match-fixing behaviours, with penalties including a maximum of seven to ten years’ imprisonment. By way of example, Part 4ACA of the Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) criminalises conduct that is likely to affect the outcome of any type of betting on any event (that is lawful to bet on in any state, territory or the Com- monwealth), and which does not meet the standard of integrity that a reasonable person would expect of those in the positions that affect this outcome (ie, corrupt conduct). Cheating, bribery, fraud and other offences In addition to match-fixing laws, a range of Common - wealth, state and territory laws apply to athlete and official misconduct involving cheating, bribery, fraud or gambling. These include criminal offences such as bribery, corruption, fraud, misuse of information and obtaining a financial advantage by deception, which may apply where sporting events are manipulated for personal or third-party gain. Gambling legislation at both the Commonwealth and state levels further regulates betting behaviour by prohibiting corrupt or deceptive conduct connected with wagering on sport. Role of Governing Bodies Athlete misconduct, including match-fixing and other forms of cheating in sport, is regulated by the rele - vant sporting code’s governing body in accordance with the specific rules and the guidelines of participa - tion and integrity framework in that particular sport. Depending on the nature and seriousness of the con - duct, athlete misconduct can trigger suspension or, in more serious cases, the termination of an athlete’s contract. Recent Case Example The actions of former Australian Test Cricket captain Tim Paine, in 2017 (which came to light in 2020), serve as a stark reminder of the consequences of miscon - duct in Australian sport. Paine was accused of send - ing sexually explicit and unsolicited text messages to a former Cricket Tasmania employee. As a result, he lost the support of the Cricket Australia board and was reportedly forced to stand down from his captaincy. He has not played in the Australian side since retiring from first-class cricket in March 2023.
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