Liquor & Gaming NSW (L&GNSW) is putting gambling operators on notice that social media influencers are a key focus of its regulatory priorities for 2026.

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 programmes 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.

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Tabcorp Holdings Limited (Tabcorp) has paid a $158,400 penalty for taking online in-play sports bets, which is illegal in Australia.

An Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) investigation found Tabcorp accepted 426 in-play bets across 32 tennis matches between February 2024 and June 2025.

Online in-play betting, wagers made on a sporting event after it has commenced, is prohibited in Australia under the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 (IGA).

The online in-play sports bets that were accepted in breach of the IGA were voided by Tabcorp and the bets were refunded.

The ACMA accepted the evidence from Tabcorp that the breaches occurred due to systems and communication issues with its third-party provider.

ACMA member Carolyn Lidgerwood said this is the third time since 2021 that Tabcorp has breached the in-play betting rules.

“The law is clear and wagering services must have processes in place to prevent illegal in-play bets from being accepted,” Ms Lidgerwood said.

“While we understand that most wagering operators rely on third-party providers to close betting on sporting events, they cannot outsource their legal responsibilities.

“The length of time it took Tabcorp to identify and then fix the problem was concerning and we expect Tabcorp to do better in the future,” Ms Lidgerwood said.

In addition to the financial penalty, Tabcorp has entered into a comprehensive enforceable undertaking requiring the company to undertake a review of its systems and processes relating to the closing of betting on tennis matches and to report regularly to the ACMA.

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Quick Custom Intelligence (QCI) has launched its Data Community platform in Australia, bringing unified consumer intelligence to the rapidly expanding $13 trillion global Fun Economy. By connecting venues, retailers and destination districts into a single interoperable ecosystem, the platform enables real-time insights, personalised engagement and seamless digital-to-physical experiences.

The Data Community platform enables smarter staffing, stronger tenant collaboration and more personalised engagement, helping operators manage increasingly complex, high-traffic environments. The global “Fun Economy” — spanning leisure, hospitality, retail and entertainment — is valued at over $13 trillion, according to joint research from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and Zero Labs.

Tony Toohey, Director of TT Management welcomed the platform’s availability in Australia: “The Australian market is increasingly focused on connected, experience-led destinations,” said Toohey.

“Operators here understand the importance of breaking down data silos and collaborating across venues and partners. QCI’s Data Community platform arrives at the right time, enabling a more coordinated and commercially intelligent approach to managing entertainment and hospitality environments.”

Andrew Cardno, Co-Founder and CTO of QCI, said: “Australia represents a sophisticated and forward-looking market for experience-driven destinations,” said Cardno.

“By bringing Data Community to the region, we are equipping operators with the tools to unify their data, understand guest journeys more deeply and curate experiences — not just transactions.”

QCI’s technology is deployed in more than 1000 sites globally, including over 300 casino resorts across North America, Australia and Europe. The company’s platform supports leading brands across gaming, hospitality and mixed-use entertainment districts, helping operators align marketing, operations and guest engagement within a single intelligence framework.

With the launch of Data Community in Australia, QCI continues to expand its role as the intelligence layer powering connected destinations across the evolving Fun Economy.

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