Ulises Dávila Fined: $11,000 Penalty in Sydney

Former A-League star Ulises Dávila has avoided jail time after admitting to his role in a betting scandal that attempted to manipulate yellow card outcomes in several matches. The 34-year-old former Macarthur Bulls captain pleaded guilty in October to charges related to corrupting the betting outcome of events, and was fined on Wednesday, February 18, 2026.

The scheme, which unfolded across the 2023 and 2024 seasons, involved Dávila working with a Colombian associate known only as “J Col.” Dávila then enlisted the help of teammates Clayton Lewis and Kearyn Baccus, incentivizing them to receive yellow cards to satisfy pre-determined betting results. ESPN reports that 50 suspicious bets were placed on a December 9, 2023 match, with over $200,000 in winnings and approximately $26,500 in Mexican pesos deposited into a foreign bank account.

While Magistrate Marguerite Vassall acknowledged that Dávila’s actions didn’t directly impact any game scores, she stated the conduct “to some extent brings the integrity of the game into disrepute.” Lewis and Baccus each received $10,000 from Dávila for their participation, but both avoided convictions in September, receiving good-behaviour bonds instead. The magistrate determined they were at the “bottom of the scheme.”

RÉCORD confirms that Dávila has accepted the fine. All three players were suspended by Macarthur FC following their arrests and are no longer under contract with the club. The scandal marks a significant fall from grace for Dávila, once a highly-regarded figure in the A-League. Ultimominuto.news details the player’s journey from promising talent to facing legal repercussions.