Meta Leaves Illegal Crypto Casino Posts Up as Australian Influencer Faces AU$2.4M Fine Threat
An Australian influencer’s Instagram promotion of an offshore crypto casino has raised fresh questions about Meta’s response.
Despite potential fines of up to AU$2.4 million (US$1.7 million), an Australian influencer continued promoting an offshore crypto casino to more than 820,000 Instagram followers. At the same time, Meta Platforms declined to remove most of the posts.
Instagram creator Dinah, a Rainbet partner, consistently promotes the platform to her Instagram followers. This is despite a warning from the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) in June 2025 to influencers who advertise “illegal gambling services to Australians.”
ACMA says individuals can face fines of up to AU$59,400 (US$41,656) for breaches. That jumps to AU$2.4 million (US$1.7 million) for helping people access gambling sites, including by sharing links.
According to The Guardian Australia, Dinah’s followers reported nearly a dozen gambling-related posts to Meta. The social media giant refused to take down most of them, claiming the content didn’t violate its fraud or scam policies. In some cases, Meta only age-restricted the posts.
Dinah no longer has a Rainbet link in her bio. The crypto casino blocks people from the country, but some players reportedly bypass that restriction using VPNs.
Australia Is a Big Gambling Market
Australia enforces strict online gambling rules. While sportsbooks can apply for licenses, the country bans online casinos entirely. Australians nevertheless continue to gamble heavily.
Research from the Grattan Institute showed that Australians lost more to gambling per capita than any other country in 2022, equating to about AU$1,635 (US$1,146) per person.
Slot machines, or “pokies,” are widespread across pubs and clubs, underscoring the country’s entrenched gambling culture. New South Wales ranks second only to Nevada for pokies per capita, with one machine for every 88 people.
However, concerns about addiction numbers, especially on offshore gambling sites, remain a central enforcement issue. The ACMA actively enforces the rules.
Since November 2019, it has blocked 1,455 illegal gambling sites and penalized operators who break national standards. In June 2025, the ACMA fined Tabcorp Holdings AU$4 million (US$2.8 million) for sending more than 5,700 spam marketing messages. The following month, it fined Betfair AU$871,660 (US$611,273) for similar violations.
Meta Faces Regulatory Scrutiny
Regulators have also questioned Meta’s enforcement record on illegal gambling advertising.
UK Gambling Commission Executive Director of Research and Policy Tim Miller called out the company at ICE 2026. He told regulators worldwide that Meta does not proactively remove illegal gambling ads. Miller said it’s “simply false” for Meta to claim it doesn’t know these ads exist.
He added that the company appears “quite happy to turn a blind eye” while continuing to profit from criminal scammers.
Illegal advertising may also represent significant revenue. A Reuters report in November cited internal documents estimating that up to 10% of Meta’s US$164.5 billion in 2024 revenue may come from illegal advertising. A Meta spokesperson said that figure was rough and claimed the documents misrepresented the company’s approach to fraud and scams.
ACMA says it will continue targeting both operators and promoters of illegal gambling services as enforcement intensifies, increasing pressure on influencers and platforms alike.
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