The AFL integrity unit has launched an investigation into a Gold Coast Suns staff member. The probe relates to alleged links with a bookmaker previously fined for unlawful gambling inducements.
As reported by The Guardian, Mark Opie, a longstanding team manager formerly with Richmond and now associated with the Suns, is alleged to have been part of Okebet, a bookmaker fined AU$100,000 in 2024 by the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission.
The regulator found that Okebet had struck agreements with community football clubs in 2023 encouraging players to open betting accounts, conduct deemed to constitute unlawful inducements under Victorian law. Okebet challenged the penalty before the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, but the regulator’s decision was upheld earlier this year. However, the formal matter remains ongoing and the requirement to pay the fine has been suspended pending further proceedings.
Gold Coast Suns declined to confirm Opie’s employment status but stated that all club personnel are required to comply with AFL industry rules and internal policies regarding gambling and integrity matters.
Opie, who moved to the Suns in 2024 after a lengthy tenure at Richmond, is reportedly still registered as a bookmaker in Victoria. Regulatory filings indicate that he and three others were approved to operate Okebet in 2021, though the remaining partners have since departed the venture.
The AFL, Opie and Okebet have all been contacted for comment. The investigation will assess whether any breach of AFL integrity policies has occurred, particularly in relation to conflicts of interest and associations with betting operators.
Okebet’s appeal remains under consideration, with the payment of the penalty currently paused
