Australians deserve the same protections online as they do on TV. Right now, that’s not happening.

• Gambling content is flooding TikTok and Instagram, often without warnings, age gates, or any mention of risk.
• Influencers are glamorising pokies, inserting hundreds of dollars into machines and celebrating “big wins” while addiction and harm go unmentioned.
• The social cost of gambling in Victoria alone has doubled to $14 billion — yet this dangerous content is turning a public health crisis into entertainment.
  

A dangerous new trend is slipping under the radar, putting Australian lives at risk.

While strict rules limit gambling ads on TV and radio, social media has become a free-for-all. Influencers are now uploading flashy, high-stakes pokies content, often with no age restriction, no disclaimers, and no sense of the real harm behind the scenes.

Young people are watching. Families are paying the price.

The Australian Medical Association has called this content “shocking,” warning that it glamorises addiction, fuels financial ruin, and destroys relationships. Some influencers are even promoting illegal offshore gambling sites, skirting bans, and putting vulnerable Australians in direct danger.

This is a clear loophole that is being exploited. We wouldn’t allow this on prime-time TV, so we shouldn’t allow it on Instagram or TikTok either. If it looks like an ad, acts like an ad, and profits like an ad, it should be regulated like one.

It’s time for the government to shut this loophole and hold social platforms and influencers accountable.