NRL’s number one referee had $400k gambling problem
NRL chief referee Ashley Klein has been allowed to officiate in the code’s biggest matches despite having a gambling problem that has cost him hundreds of thousands of dollars.
An investigation by reporter It could reveal the NRL knew about Klein’s gambling problems for four years but allow him to continue refereeing matches at the highest level.
The experienced whistleblower is the most high-profile match official in rugby league and will be the referee for the second State of Origin match in Melbourne next week, making his 14th consecutive interstate appearance.
But away from the bright lights of packed stadiums, Klein may be revealed to have a gambling habit that is the subject of an NRL investigation.
He lost more than $400,000 on horse racing and greyhound racing with corporate bookmakers, then closed his accounts in 2023 and placed himself on BetStop, which has a national self-exclusion register, according to sources familiar with the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The NRL said in a statement on Friday Klein’s bets came to its attention seven years ago.
“The NRL first became aware of this matter in 2019 and it was investigated to the satisfaction of NRL management at that time,” an NRL spokesman said.
“The NRL subsequently took appropriate steps to ensure that NRL rules and policies were not breached. At no stage was Ashley Klein’s position as an NRL match official affected. The NRL naturally takes proactive steps to provide training on the rules and policies. Given this is an employment matter, it would be inappropriate to comment further.”
Satisfied that he had not broken any rules, the NRL did not deny Klein or remove him from pre-refereeing for any period of time.
It is understood the NRL has spoken to Klein about gambling since the matter first emerged and he has said he has the incident under control.
In a statement, Klein said: “Many years ago I had a problem with gambling on horse racing and greyhound racing. This gambling was unrelated to any betting in Rugby League and my job as a referee was never affected. I received help to deal with the problem and closed all betting accounts involved. This was a difficult period in my life but it did not affect my job as a match official in any way.”
There are no allegations that Klein acted improperly or breached any NRL regulations while officiating. Referees earning more than $330,000 a year are prohibited from betting on rugby league, but like players, coaches, administrators and other participants, they are free to bet on other sports, including racing.
Given the referees’ role of authority on the field and their ability to influence matches and match outcomes, the revelation of Klein’s past gambling raises questions about the steps the NRL took before granting him permission to continue at the top level and the measures put in place to mitigate integrity risks.
Sports integrity figures warned that players with serious gambling problems were leaving themselves open to pressure, but referees were on a different level.
Dr D., an expert on integrity in sport and visiting professor at the University of NSW in Canberra. Catherine Ordway said a referee with a gambling problem was “definitely a vulnerability”.
“We are increasingly seeing players and officials being exploited by organized criminals when they have vulnerabilities,” he said.
“In the team sports environment, referees and referees have the greatest leverage to influence not only the outcome of the game, but also the micro elements of the game that can be bet on.”
He said his preference would be for referees to be banned from betting on any sports, not just their own, including racing.
Klein has refereed every State of Origin match since 2022 and will extend that run at the MCG next Wednesday after overseeing NSW’s thrilling come-from-behind victory at Accor Stadium last month.
The 46-year-old sent off Queensland full-back Kalyn Ponga for a shoulder charge on NSW winger Tolutau Koula, a game-changing decision. It was a controversial call but the NRL said he was right.
Klein has also been awarded other valuable assignments, including the 2022 and 2024 grand finals, and has been selected to referee matches in Las Vegas on all three occasions when the NRL opens its season at the American casino venue.
Off the field, he has been a guest on the racecourses of Racing NSW and the Australian Turf Club as the plus one of his partner, who until recently was an advisor to the NSW Minister of Games and Racing, David Harris.
Racing NSW chief executive Peter V’landys is also chairman of the Australian Rugby League Commission and will be interim chairman of the NRL from July 15 when Andrew Abdo leaves to take over Tennis Australia.
Klein had been a mainstay of NRL refereeing for 17 years but first came to public attention in 2008, when he and England match officials were verbally abused by then Australian coach Ricky Stuart following the Kangaroos’ defeat to New Zealand in the World Cup final in Brisbane.
He was officiating in the English Super League at the time but moved to the NRL in 2009 and has since become one of only three referees to decide 400 matches in the competition.
The NRL has lucrative ties to the betting industry.
Its annual sponsorship with Sportsbet is worth an estimated $15 million annually, and all but four clubs have either jersey sponsorships or corporate partnerships with bookmakers.
The NRL has also cashed in on the sports gambling boom, collecting more than $50 million a year in product fees from punters.
The Albanian government has announced restrictions on gambling advertising on television, radio and the internet that will begin next year.
Under the reforms, betting sponsorships on jerseys and stadiums will be banned, but the federal government has indicated these changes will be reinstated, meaning NRL team agreements with bookmakers can be honored until they expire.
The AFL also has close links to betting, some of which include referees. Sportsbet last month parted ways with AFL grand final referee Nick Foot after a court hearing shed light on his additional employment as a racing analyst for the betting agency.
Meanwhile, former AFL referee Michael Pell is facing charges brought against him by Victoria police over alleged questionable gambling on the 2021 and 2022 Brownlow Medal tallies. He will object to these at a committal hearing in Melbourne on June 24.
Chris Barrett is senior sports reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald. He is a former Southeast Asia correspondent for the Herald and The Age newspapers.Connect with: X or email.
