Regulator Targets Social Media Influencers

L&GNSW is responsible for monitoring online wagering and gaming machine advertising visible to the NSW community, including posts on social media, to ensure they comply with NSW laws.

Hospitality and Racing Deputy Secretary Tarek Barakat said with the rise of social media influencers promoting gambling, it was important businesses, including online bookmakers and gaming machine operators, understood the law and their responsibilities.

“We are putting gambling operators on notice that a key priority for us this year is examining their marketing and customer retention practices, including the use of social media personalities,” Mr Barakat said.

“Gambling operators should be careful about any affiliate or partnership arrangements as we are holding them responsible for the advertising of their products.

“The things we are targeting include paid and unpaid promotional partnerships with wagering operators and gaming machine operators, influencer content that normalises betting behaviour or glamorises gaming products, and in particular, the use of platforms, including podcasts, with large youth or vulnerable audiences.

“These practices may increase the risk of gambling harm by blurring the line between entertainment and marketing, and by exposing at‑risk groups to persuasive promotional content.

“L&GNSW will require social media content creators to demonstrate that their social media and website content complies with legal requirements.

“We also work with other responsible agencies as required to ensure people abide by the law and gambling harm is minimised.” 

 Mr Barakat said other 2026 regulatory priorities are targeting:

• Barriers to closing gambling accounts, VIP or loyalty programs and other marketing practices, including direct advertising used by casino and gaming venue operators.
• Casino governance and integrity.
• Alcohol-related harm hotspots, including areas experiencing increasing rates of alcohol-related crime and high-risk events. 

By publishing its annual regulatory priorities, L&GNSW aims to communicate the key regulatory issues that it is addressing and provide industry with an opportunity to proactively modify or cease behaviour that may raise concerns.

To read more about L&GNSW’s Strategy and Regulatory Priorities, go to:  Hospitality and Racing Strategy 2026-28 | NSW Government