Charges laid over betting scandal

TWO men responsible for the integrity of the voting system for the NRL’S Dally M Awards are accused of using their own betting accounts to place fraudulent bets, using their inside knowledge of the Coach of the Year winner.

Joshua Wilson, 29, and Ben Trevisiol, 31 – the owner and general manager of data firm Stat Edge – were each charged by police yesterday with two offences, the most serious of which carries up to 10 years jail if convicted.

Stat Edge is the company Dally M judges used to submit their votes in secret ahead of the October 2 awards ceremony in Sydney.

Police will allege Wilson and Trevisiol exchanged texts about how much they were going to wager on Melbourne Storm coach Craig Bellamy after realising he had garnered the most votes from judges.

Police then allege they used betting accounts in their own names to bet on Bellamy.

But betting agencies raised concerns to the NRL Integrity Unit when the betting plunge arrived late on Bellamy, who was not the favourite to win. His price as winner went from around $7 to $3.

The organised crime squad was then notified and established Strike Force Mirrabei, which raided Wilson’s home at Paddington and Trevisiol’s unit in Waterloo last week.

Yesterday they handed the pair Court Attendance Notices for charges of using inside information to bet on an event and possess inside information communicate to other to bet on event.

Police are now trying to see how far the alleged leak from Wilson and Trevisiol has travelled. They are investigating whether the largest bets placed in the sting may have come from others who got the tip about Bellamy.

“I can say though, there were some bets as large as $10,000 placed on the outcome of the coach’s award,” Assistant Commissioner Stuart Smith said.

THERE WERE SOME BETS AS LARGE AS $10,000 PLACED ON THE OUTCOME OF THE COACH’S AWARD

“The investigation will now focus on the individuals who may have benefited from the betting plunge that occurred.”

They have not ruled out making further arrests.

Bellamy was always in the frame for the coach of the year award given Melbourne topped the ladder in the regular NRL season, however Canberra’s Ricky Stuart and Parramatta’s Brad Arthur had also been considered possible winners.

The men are expected to front Downing Centre Local Court on August 20.