Game, Bet, Match: Gambling with Australian sport
At first glance, the man sitting in a folding chair on the sidelines of a soccer field in Melbourne's suburbs could be just another supporter of South Springvale Football Club.
You'd be forgiven for not having heard of the team. They play in the fifth tier of Victoria's state competition.
But the man wasn't one of South Springvale's loyal local fans. He was a data scout - working for an international company that generated almost $1.2 billion in revenue last year.
Because of the man's live updates, several international bookmakers were offering people the chance to bet on this amateur game in real-time.
The club, and players, had no idea.
Not only does the sport's governing body Football Australia allow data scouts to be on the sidelines of games like this, but it also receives a cut of any domestic bets that are placed.
This is Australian sport in 2023.
I've spent the past six months investigating how the games we love have become deeply entwined with gambling.
I found secret deals between the biggest sporting codes and global betting giants and explored how the influence of gambling infiltrates local community sports.
Many clubs, players and fans I spoke to say they've had enough. Is a change coming?
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