ACMA Influencer Warning Turns Illegal Gambling Ads Into a Player-Safety Test

ACMA’s latest illegal-gambling action is small in penalty terms but useful for players because it deals with a very modern route into risky betting: a trusted social feed. On July 7, 2026, the Australian Communications and Media Authority said it had issued a formal warning to mixed martial arts fighter Jamie Mullarkey for breaches of Australia’s online gambling laws.

The regulator said its investigation found that in 2025 Mullarkey promoted an illegal offshore gambling service in sponsored Instagram posts. ACMA also said his profile referred to sponsorship arrangements with the service, including a link to the gambling site and promotional hashtags. That detail matters because a link in a profile can turn an endorsement into a direct route to deposit.

ACMA member Carolyn Lidgerwood described the case as the first enforcement action the regulator has taken against an influencer for breaching online gambling rules. The authority said it issued a warning rather than going straight to civil penalties after considering the circumstances, including that Mullarkey ended the sponsorship arrangement, cooperated with the investigation, removed the material, accepted responsibility and expressed remorse.

That does not make the message soft. ACMA said individuals who promote or publicise illegal online gambling services can face civil penalties of up to A$59,400. People who facilitate access to those services, including by providing hyperlinks or directing users to them, may face penalties of up to A$2.475 million.

The Risk Is Trust Transfer

Influencer gambling promotions work because they borrow trust. A fan may know the athlete, streamer or creator long before they know anything about the operator. By the time a follower sees the betting link, the basic questions can feel secondary: Is this site legal for my location? Who owns the licence? Are withdrawals handled by a regulated business? What happens if support refuses a payout?

Those are not abstract compliance questions. ACMA’s 2025 influencer warning said online slots and casino-style games such as blackjack are illegal in Australia, and that unlicensed lotteries, wagering services and online in-play sports bets also raise legal problems. Rules differ by country, but the player routine should not. A promotion should never replace a local licence check.

TopGamb covered a related Australian enforcement angle earlier today in our story on ACMA online poker penalties. This new warning is different. The poker case dealt with services and promoters behind prohibited play. The Mullarkey warning deals with the public doorway: the sponsored content, the profile link and the moment a follower is invited to click.

What Players Should Check Before Clicking

The safest sequence is boring on purpose. Check whether the operator is allowed to serve your country before creating an account. Confirm the domain against the regulator’s own register, not against a badge in a footer or a creator’s caption. Read the cashier terms before sending money. Make sure identity checks, complaint routes, limits and self-exclusion tools are visible before the first deposit.

That same order runs through TopGamb’s guides to online gambling safety, testing a casino cashier before bonuses, casino KYC verification, online casino loss limits and Australia’s current gambling reform debate. The promotion comes last because it is the least reliable part of the decision.

The responsible-gambling point is direct. Social-media gambling ads can arrive when someone is tired, bored, watching sport or trying to copy a personality they follow. If the ad makes the decision feel urgent, pause. If a site looks attractive because it skips identity checks, hides legal detail or offers unusually easy access, treat that as a warning sign rather than a benefit.

Reader Questions

Does an influencer link prove a gambling site is legal?

No. An endorsement, sponsorship tag or profile link says nothing by itself about whether the operator is licensed to serve your location. Check the regulator’s register first.

Is this only an Australian issue?

The ACMA action applies to Australian online gambling rules, but the player lesson travels. Influencer links can blur the difference between licensed, grey-market and illegal gambling in many jurisdictions.

What should I do if I already clicked one of these links?

Stop before depositing, verify the operator through an official regulator source, save records of any account or payment activity, and use local gambling-help or self-exclusion services if the promotion has pushed you into unplanned play.

Further Reading

• ACMA: Mixed martial arts fighter warned for promoting illegal online gambling site
• ACMA: Investigation report and formal warning – Jamie Mullarkey
• ACMA: Warning to social media influencers
• ACMA: Online gambling compliance and investigations