The Australian Football League (AFL) integrity unit is investigating a Gold Coast Suns team manager over alleged links to a gambling firm that was previously sanctioned by Victoria’s gambling regulator for unlawful inducement practices involving community football clubs.
According to multiple media reports, Gold Coast Suns staff member Mark Opie, a longtime Richmond team manager and Richmond life member, was connected to bookmaker partnership Okebet, which was fined AU$100,000 ($75,500) by the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) in 2024.
The regulator found that Okebet had entered into arrangements with local football clubs in 2023 that encouraged players to open betting accounts, conduct deemed to breach Victoria’s gambling laws relating to prohibited inducements. Okebet challenged the penalty before the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT), however the decision was upheld earlier this year. The matter remains formally unresolved, with payment of the penalty currently paused pending final determination.
VGCCC CEO Suzy Neilan previously said the case highlighted the need to protect local sporting communities from harmful gambling practices. “Local footy clubs are often the heart of their communities, places where people come together to support one another. They should not be used as vehicles to promote gambling, particularly where those promotions include inducements that are prohibited by law,” she said.
Media outlet Crikey reported on Friday that Opie, who joined the Gold Coast Suns in 2024, remained associated with Okebet. AFL media reports indicate the league’s integrity unit has now opened an investigation into the matter. The Gold Coast Suns declined to confirm Opie’s employment status directly, but said all staff comply with AFL industry rules and governance requirements.
“All of our people adhere by the rules and regulations of employment with the football club and abide by the training, education and requirements of working within the AFL industry,” a club spokesperson said. The AFL, Opie and Okebet have reportedly been contacted for comment.
Opie has regularly been seen alongside Suns coach Damien Hardwick during the current AFL season, having previously worked with Hardwick throughout Richmond’s premiership-winning era between 2017 and 2020.
According to VGCCC records, an individual identified as Mark Bradley Opie, alongside three others, received approval to operate Okebet in 2021. While the other partners are no longer involved, Opie reportedly remains registered as a bookmaker in Victoria.
