Betting Syndicate Crumbles After Kidnapping Scandal

Worldwide Sporting Investments (WSI), an Australian sports betting syndicate run by 28-year-old Tyler Roberts, came crashing after taking a particularly dark turn last spring. 

$1.5M Debt, Kidnapping, and Crime Networks  

Currently, WSI is in court-ordered liquidation, and creditors claim the company owes them roughly $1.5 million. Court filings say the business now has less than $1,000 left in its accounts.

Roberts’ model was pretty straightforward: he would obtain money from investors and use it to place bets with online bookmakers. Things seemed to work smoothly for a while.

However, in April 2025, Roberts and his girlfriend, Mariah Burr-McLean, were kidnapped on the Sunshine Coast by alleged members of the Alameddine crime network. 

According to police statements, the couple was taken late at night after a group of men surrounded their car outside their home.

They were taken to a nearby apartment, where the atmosphere reportedly swung between bizarre and threatening. At one point, the group ordered food while warning Roberts they would cut off his fingers if he did not repay money he allegedly owed. 

Roberts later told police he believed he was going to be killed, but that his girlfriend’s presence may have changed the outcome.

Police Found Them on Time

The situation only came to light because Burr-McLean was allowed to keep her phone. She used it to contact friends and family, asking for money and alerting them to what was happening. 

Police eventually tracked the location and arrested all seven men involved in the deed. They were all later charged.

Investigators believe Roberts had earlier secured around $3.1 million from individuals linked to the same crime group. He has claimed that a former business partner disappeared with the funds, though that has not been verified.

Now, separate from the criminal case, legitimate investors are trying to recover what they can. Three creditors alone say they are owed $1.28 million, with others claiming hundreds of thousands more.Liquidators say the chances of recovering meaningful funds are slim, but investigations are ongoing to determine whether any assets can be traced.