Gold Coast Suns have made an assurance they are acting within AFL rules, despite a key figure inside the club\u2019s dressing room allegedly working with a bookmaking firm which has been subject to disciplinary action by the Victorian regulator for inducing gambling at local footy clubs.<\/p>\n
Mark Opie, a longtime Richmond team manager and Tigers life member, moved to Gold Coast in 2024<\/a>, and is now subject to an investigation by the AFL integrity unit.<\/p>\n According to multiple reports, he was part of a partnership known as Okebet, which was fined $100,000 in 2024 by the Victorian Gambling<\/a> and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC), after it was found to have struck deals with local football clubs to encourage their players to open accounts in 2023.<\/p>\n Okebet appealed the matter with VCAT, but the decision was upheld earlier this year, prompting VGCCC chief executive Suzy Neilan to declare that the decision showed the importance of protecting vulnerable individuals and community institutions from harmful gambling practices.<\/p>\n \u201cLocal footy \u2026 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,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Formally, the VCAT matter is still being determined, and the requirement to pay the penalty has been paused.<\/p>\n