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Offshore iGaming operators that had been prohibited from targeting Australians used the Australian Open (18 January–1 February) as a high-visibility marketing hook, according to reporting by The Guardian. The investigation described a wave of social-media promotions that had borrowed the tournament’s look and feel, creating an impression of legitimacy during one of the country’s biggest sporting events.

One example the report cited was the online casino Vegastars, which had run an Instagram giveaway offering front-row tickets to a night session at Rod Laver Arena and a $500 flight voucher, while featuring the Australian Open logo despite having no official affiliation. The post drew roughly 2,500 comments, including from Australian users evidence, the report argued, that offshore brands had still reached locals at scale even when their services were unlawful in Australia.

How the Tournament Became a Shortcut to Trust and Visibility

The Guardian said Vegastars’ giveaway had not explicitly mentioned betting, but the promotion had still raised concerns because offshore operators were banned from encouraging Australians to gamble. Responsible Wagering Australia (RWA) CEO Kai Cantwell warned that tournament branding and “prize”-style campaigns could have misled consumers into thinking an offshore site was legal or connected to the event especially when it ran openly during peak national attention.

The report also described the activity as broader than a single post. It said at least three other unlicensed sites had used the tournament’s logo and images of tennis players in promotions, while around ten operators had run Australian Open-themed offers online. In parallel, the story highlighted how influencer content had amplified reach, citing an Instagram video promoting live in-play betting for another offshore operator that drew tens of thousands of views.

What Regulators Could Do Next and Why It Was Hard to Keep Up

An ACMA spokesperson told The Guardian it had determined Vegastars was illegal and that it would request the site be blocked in Australia, adding it would investigate other companies identified in the reporting. ACMA could ask ISPs to block access to unlicensed gambling services, but critics argued offshore operators had often reappeared quickly through new domains and new social accounts.

The episode also landed amid a wider debate about enforcement tools. Australia’s Interactive Gambling Act 2001 banned certain online services from being offered to people in Australia including online casinos and in-play sports betting and said prohibited services must not be advertised in Australia. The Guardian noted proposals to go beyond site blocking, such as disrupting payments to unlicensed operators, because the current approach could become “whack-a-mole” as marketing shifted faster than takedowns.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/jan/22/offshore-gambling-operators-using-australian-open-to-promote-services