Australia targets influencers promoting illegal gambling
Australia is fighting back against influencers promoting illegal gambling. The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), which regulates online gambling in Australia, said it had “seen influencers promoting illegal online 바카라s on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and other social media.” It warned that “substantial penalties apply” to those who continue to flout the law.
“Social media influencers are on notice: stop promoting illegal gambling services to Australians. If you don’t, you risk facing significant penalties,” ACMA declared in a press release this week.
Crossing the line
Influencers are specifically being cautioned against live-streaming gameplay on unlicensed gambling platforms, embedding links to such services, or running promotional giveaways associated with illegal operators. “If you are an influencer and you profit from promoting illegal games and wagering services to Australians – you are breaking the law,” the ACMA stated.
Under Australian law, the online offer or promotion of pokie-style slots (or poker machines), 바카라 games like blackjack, and in-play sports betting without a licence is prohibited. Penalties for individuals who publicise or promote such services can reach up to $59,400, while those who facilitate access—for example, through hyperlinks—may face fines of up to $2.475 million.
The regulator explained: “The risks of using illegal gambling services are high. These services don’t provide the consumer protections Australians expect, so players can be scammed out of their money.” ACMA also warned influencers: “Young Australians who are active online can be more vulnerable. You may be putting people that follow you at real risk of harm.”
Underage exposure
Dr Mark Johnson, Co-Director of the University of Sydney’s Game and 바카라 Lab, echoed these concerns in his recent paper, Live Streaming Gambling: Who watches, why, and what effects is it having?
“Firstly, we found here a prominent theme involving concern around children or young people in these news stories,” Dr Johnson wrote, referring to widespread alarm over underage exposure to gambling content.
He observed that “many described concern with the lax or often essentially non-existent age-gating on gambling live streams, and hence the possibility that children and young people might be watching these broadcasts.”
While Johnson’s survey only included respondents aged 18 and over, he explains that the absence of robust age verification on platforms like Twitch and Kick means younger audiences could still be accessing gambling content. “What is clear, however, is that the ages of those watching gambling live streams are an important topic to consider, and that the possibility of young people gaining access to gambling through these streams (in a way not possible in 바카라s, for example), is becoming a key element of the public discourse surrounding the practice,” his report noted.
Among adult viewers, Johnson found that platforms like Twitch and Kick are attracting a predominantly young demographic. “Most users of these sites, both streamers and viewers, are in the 18-30 age group, although it is notable how many respondents here reported being in the 31–40 age group,” he wrote.
Driving gambling behaviour
The report also found that the impact of these streams is not merely passive. “Many of our gambling respondents… deemed themselves more likely to gamble as a result of watching these broadcasts,” Johnson wrote. “For more viewers than not it appears that watching gambling live streams does, indeed, increase their inclination to gamble (according to this self-reported data).” He is not the only one making that case. Another study supported by the Australian Research Council also concluded that rising use of influencers in gambling ads affects young players’ risk perception.
There is also growing concern that this behaviour may encourage addictive tendencies. “Many expressed concern that gambling addiction would be promoted by these streams, an important finding when combined with our observational data which demonstrates how often these streamers are making verbal statements that seem to suggest a possible presence of disordered thinking around gambling play,” Johnson said.
While live-streaming platforms remain the core hubs for this content, Johnson noted that the content is being disseminated far more widely. “It is clear that while the live streaming of gambling might be primarily associated with these sites, it is being discussed, shared, and highlighted on other platforms, even those with no dedicated live streaming facility, such as Twitter.”
“Respondents listed YouTube and TikTok as the most common other sites where gambling live stream content was being consumed,” he added.
Balancing regulation and industry competition
As is the case globally, licensed operators in Australia who comply with regulations and invest in player protections face unfair competition from illegal gambling sites. These unregulated platforms not only avoid the levies associated with responsible practice but also tend to advertise more aggressively, often leveraging influencers, as the ACMA has highlighted.
While some player protection groups advocate for a total ban on gambling advertising, many within the industry—both in Australia and abroad—are calling for a more balanced approach. They argue that consumers should be made aware of safer, regulated options rather than leaving the entire marketing landscape to illegal operators.
