Japanese A-League star Riku Danzaki has been charged over his alleged involvement in a match-fixing scheme.
Danzaki, 25, most recently played as an attacking midfielder for Western United and was indicted for ten offences including:
- Engaging in conduct that would corrupt a betting outcome
- Facilitating corrupt conduct information for betting
- Using corrupt conduct information for betting
The player featured in 49 games for United last season before his contract expired. He allegedly placed a $250 bet on being given a yellow card in an A-League game against Sydney FC in April.
In the match, Danzaki dived in for a contested ball and received a card – settling the wager he had backed at 11/2 with sports betting apps.
As per charge sheets released by Melbourne Magistrates Court, police allege he also deliberately received a yellow card on May 9 against Adelaide United and unsuccessfully tried to get himself booked on May 3 against Auckland FC.
Furthermore, Danzaki used ‘corrupt conduct information’ on May 22 by attempting to place a $1000 bet at 10/3 odds that he’d get carded against Melbourne City.
Danzaki previously played for a number of J-League clubs and also had a brief spell with Scottish Premiership outfit Motherwell.
He won the Golden Boot in the 2020-21 season when on loan with Brisbane Roar, scoring nine goals and also took home the Goal of the Season award.
Second Player, Yuta Hirayama, Also Charged With Betting Offences
Another footballer is also embroiled in the scandal, 27-year-old Yuta Hirayama who was charged with 16 offences similarly to Danzaki.
Hirayama is alleged to have placed 11 bets on three Western United matches with insider information that Danzaki would receive a yellow card.
It’s believed he bet $3,566.67 with online casinos to win a profit of $17,189.04.
Hirayama is a friend of Danzaki and plays for a local team in Victoria. Both men were arrested on May 30 and later released on bail.
Joe Lyons is a betting industry writer for GamblingIndustryNews with years of experience on reputable gambling websites. Joe specialises in long form content in the world of sports betting and gambling. Joe is recognised as an expert in sports fields such as horse racing, soccer, NFL and NBA.
