Ex-AFL Players Face Investigation Over Illegal Casino Promos

Two former Australian rules football players are being looked into because people say they used social media to promote an unlicensed online gambling site to their fans. 

ACMA Warns of Heavy Fines for Promoting Unlicensed Casinos

Mitch Robinson and Rhys Mathieson, who used to play for the Brisbane Lions, are said to have supported the offshore casino Vegastars. The platform is said to have real-money games like poker-style machines and roulette, which are illegal in Australia when they are aimed at people in Australia. 

The controversy is about promotional material that was shared online, such as a giveaway campaign that offered prizes worth about AUD 5,000 ($3573). Authorities and advocacy groups say that these kinds of ads could make people want to use services that are not regulated by the country, as reported by news.com.au. 

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) says that people who help or promote illegal gambling services face harsh punishments. Depending on how serious the violation is, fines can be as high as AUD 2.5 million ($1.8 million). In recent years, the regulator has worked harder to stop the spread of unlicensed operators, mostly by making it harder for people to get to their websites. 

Officials said that since late 2019, more than 1,500 illegal gambling websites have been blocked. However, it is still hard to enforce these blocks because many operators quickly set up mirror sites to get around them. The regulator said it would keep an eye on these copies and shut them down as they show up. 

Unregulated Gambling Surge Sparks Fresh Calls for Oversight

Advocacy groups, such as the Alliance for Gambling Reform, have also spoken out against it. A spokesperson said that if the claims are true, the former players’ actions would show a lack of responsibility, especially since they have a lot of power over younger audiences. 

The problem brings up bigger worries about how quickly unregulated online gambling is growing in Australia. Data from Responsible Wagering Australia shows that Australians lose billions of dollars every year to offshore betting sites. The illegal market is growing faster than licensed services. 

Robinson and Mathieson have both gained fans since they stopped playing. They co-host a sports podcast that has a small but loyal following. Robinson also has a personal YouTube channel with tens of thousands of subscribers.

Their online presence is now being looked at more closely because regulators are paying more attention to influencers who may indirectly send people to illegal services. So far, neither person has publicly responded to the accusations. The situation is happening at a time when there is more political focus on gambling ads. Recent proposals have tried to limit public exposure, especially among younger people.