TLDR Australian media found ads for unlicensed offshore casinos running on Facebook and Instagram Some ads appeared to impersonate real casino brands Crown Melbourne and Star Current Australian law makes it hard for regulators to force removal of these ads A new bill could give regulators power to block illegal gambling sites and payments from 2027 A separate dispute is playing out in the Netherlands under EU digital rules
Meta is facing fresh scrutiny in Australia after a report found ads for unlicensed online casinos running on Facebook and Instagram. The report came from The Sydney Morning Herald on August 14.
Reporters found promotions for offshore casino websites, online poker machines, roulette games, and blackjack simulators. Some of these ads were still visible weeks after being flagged.
A number of the ads appeared to copy the branding of real Australian casinos. Crown Melbourne and Star were both named, though neither company runs an online casino.
Many of the ads were placed by affiliate marketers. These marketers can earn commissions of up to 20% based on money lost by the customers they refer.
Some of the sites linked in these ads were described as “scambling” platforms. This term refers to gambling sites built so that winnings cannot be withdrawn.
Current Law Limits Regulators
Under the Interactive Gambling Act 2001, the Australian Communications and Media Authority must prove that most users of a site are located in Australia. Only then can it treat an ad as breaking the law.
This is hard to prove for websites hosted overseas that draw users from many countries. Because of this gap, ACMA can ask Meta to take down an ad, but it cannot currently force the company to do so.
ACMA’s own numbers show the size of the problem. In the 2025-26
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