ACMA said the maximum penalty for influencers that facilitate illegal gambling in Australia is set at AU$2.5 million.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has issued a warning to social media influencers over promoting illegal gambling. They could face penalties in excess of AU$2 million (US$1.3 million) for actively marketing black market sites.
ACMA, which regulates online and land-based gambling in Australia, has reported a rise in influencers promoting illegal online casinos via their social media. This includes on platforms such as Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.
This activity is in breach of the Interactive Gambling Act 2001, which prohibits the promotion of illegal gambling services. As such, those found to have broken the rules could face hefty penalties.
Only sports wagering and certain lotteries are legal online in Australia through licensed sites and operators. All forms of online casino, as well as in-play sports betting, remain illegal in the country.
“Influencers must understand the promotion of illegal gambling services in Australia is illegal and substantial penalties apply,” ACMA said. “If you’re an influencer and profit from promoting illegal games and wagering services to Australians, you are breaking the law.”
Maximum penalty of $2.5 million for influencers
For individual influencers, ACMA said breaching the law could result in civil penalties of up to $59,400. This could relate to actions such as live streaming an illegal service or offering promotional giveaways via an influencer’s channel.
However, those who facilitate access to illegal online gambling, such as providing hyperlinks to websites, face a maximum penalty of $2.5 million.
“The risks of using illegal gambling services are high,” ACMA said. “These services don’t provide the consumer protections Australians expect, so players can be scammed out of their money.
“Young Australians who are active online can be more vulnerable. You may be putting people that follow you at real risk of harm. ACMA is monitoring what influencers are promoting very closely.”
ACMA clamps down on rule-breakers
The regulator has issued a series of penalties and warnings in recent months to operators that have breached regulations.
Earlier in June, Buddybet, Ultrabet, VicBet and Topbet were all rapped for breaking rules on gambling self-exclusion. Breaches included VicBet and Topbet sending marketing material to a self-excluded person.
In May, ACMA also penalised Unibet over self-exclusion failures. Unibet was ordered to pay $1 million for more than 100,000 contraventions by Unibet of the Interactive Gambling Act 2001. ACMA said Unibet failed to close 954 user accounts in a timely manner after they self-excluded.
