Australia probes former AFL players over illegal casino ads

Friday, April 17, 2026 10:03 AM
Photo: Shutterstock.com
  • Ziv Chen, COMPLETE iGAMING

Two former Australian Football League players are facing scrutiny after promoting an illegal offshore online casino to their social media audiences.

Former Brisbane Lions players Mitch Robinson and Rhys Mathieson were identified as promoting Vegastars through social media posts, including a giveaway tied to the operator.

Regulators and industry groups say the promotion of unlicensed gambling services presents risks to consumers, with Tim Costello, a representative of the Alliance for Gambling Reform, calling the promotion “outrageous” and “utterly irresponsible. ”

Responsible Wagering Australia, which represents bookies like Bet365 and PointsBet, estimates that Australians lose AU$3.9 billion (US$2.8 billion)1 AUD = 0.7171 USD