VGCCC Targets Social Media Posts Promoting Poker Machines
MELBOURNE – Victoria’s gambling regulator has warned social media influencers that posts promoting poker machines could breach state law.
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE:The Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission said it is monitoring gambling-related social media content and considering legal action where posts breach the Gambling Regulation Act 2003.
VGCCC CEO Suzy Neilan said influencers who promote gambling may be exposing Victorians to harm while also creating legal risk for themselves.
When influencers fan out wads of cash and celebrate winning thousands of dollars, they’re not only sharing content, but they’re also shaping perceptions and attitudes towards gambling and downplaying the very real risk of harm that comes with it”.
The regulator outlined the warning in a new player protection campaign aimed at influencers and online accounts posting gambling content.
Related: Dutch Gaming Authority Clarifies Ban on Influencers in Gambling Ads
Poker Machine Promotion Is Prohibited
Under Victoria’s Gambling Regulation Act, advertising or promoting poker machines is prohibited outside gaming areas. The VGCCC said posts showing venue visits, gameplay or gambling wins involving poker machines could constitute illegal gambling advertising in the state.
Neilan said gambling products, particularly poker machines and sports betting apps, can carry high risks of harm that are often missing from social media content.
“We are aware of influencers and other social media accounts posting content portraying gambling as harmless fun, a lifestyle, or a source of easy money”, she said. The regulator said individual offenders could face fines of up to AU$24,421 if a criminal offence is substantiated.
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Regulator Points to Youth Harm
The VGCCC said many influencers have significant influence over young adults aged 18 to 24, a group it described as particularly exposed to gambling content online.
The regulator cited Australian research showing that gambling content on social media can contribute to the normalisation of gambling among young people. It also warned that influencer posts can blur the line between advertising and entertainment, making gambling appear more trustworthy and less harmful.
Victoria recorded AU$3.14 billion in player losses last financial year, a figure the regulator said is rarely reflected in social media posts celebrating gambling wins.
Venues Urged to Stop Filming
The VGCCC also reminded licensed venues that poker machine advertising outside gaming areas is prohibited. Venues have been encouraged to set clear conditions of entry, including bans on filming inside gaming rooms. The regulator said some venues have already introduced no-filming rules.
“People should not be filming content inside venues, and some venues have already imposed a ‘no filming’ condition in their gaming rooms”, Neilan said. “It is our expectation that other venue operators follow suit.”
The targeted campaign forms part of the VGCCC’s wider effort to reduce gambling harm and limit content that presents gambling as risk-free entertainment or a path to easy money.
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