Australia’s communications regulator has issued formal warnings to two former AFL players for promoting an unlicensed online gambling site, the first high-profile use of its powers against influencers rather than operators. Mitch Robinson and Rhys Mathieson published videos promoting Vegastars between March and April 2026, the Australian Communications and Media Authority said in its announcement.
Vegastars holds no Australian licence, so promoting it breaches the Interactive Gambling Act. Section 64A covers formal warnings for promoting a prohibited service. The content, posted on Instagram and on Robinson’s Rip Through It podcast on YouTube, displayed the Vegastars name, logo, website address and gameplay footage.
ACMA member Carolyn Lidgerwood said the two men accepted responsibility and removed the material after the regulator contacted them in May. “After we contacted Mr Robinson and Mr Mathieson about the conduct, they accepted responsibility and promptly ended their involvement with Vegastars and removed all promotional material,” she said in the ACMA statement. No fines were imposed on this occasion, but individuals promoting illegal gambling services face civil penalties of up to A$65,520 per contravention.
The warnings mark a shift in what ACMA pursues. Lidgerwood said the regulator has increased its monitoring of illegal gambling promotion online, and that the action continues recent enforcement against individual social media influencers. “All influencers are now firmly on notice,” she said. The operator behind Vegastars, Neptune Projects SRL, has been under ACMA action since January 2026, when it received a formal warning and Australian internet providers were asked to block its websites. The service still reaches Australian users through mirror sites.
A preview of the 2027 ban
The enforcement lands days after ACMA published guidance on new wagering advertising laws that from 1 January 2027 will bar licensed wagering providers from using current or former athletes, influencers and other notable people in their promotions. Regulators elsewhere are taking a similar line against illegal gambling advertising: the Dutch gambling authority has threatened legal force against Google and Meta over illegal gambling ads on the big platforms, and Finland’s police board has stepped up fines and bans on illegal gambling marketing.
Separately, ACMA ordered Picklebet operator Puntaa Pty Ltd to pay an A$19,800 penalty for accepting a bet from a person registered on the national self-exclusion register, BetStop, on 9 February 2026.
Guidance on gambling harm: https://insidebitcoins.com/responsible-investing-gambling
