Liquor & Gaming NSW has published its regulatory priorities for 2026, with social media influencers promoting gambling products named as a key area of focus for the year ahead.
Liquor & Gaming NSW has published its regulatory priorities for 2026, with social media influencers promoting gambling products named as a key area of focus for the year ahead.
L&GNSW is responsible for monitoring online wagering and gaming machine advertising visible to the NSW community, including posts on social media, to ensure compliance with NSW laws. Hospitality and Racing Deputy Secretary Tarek Barakat has confirmed that examining operator marketing and customer retention practices, including the use of social media personalities, is a priority for 2026.
Operators are on notice that L&GNSW will hold them responsible for influencer advertising of their products. The regulator has identified paid and unpaid promotional partnerships, content that normalises betting behaviour or glamorises gaming products, and the use of platforms including podcasts with large youth or vulnerable audiences as practices of particular concern.
L&GNSW's 2026 regulatory priorities also include barriers to closing gambling accounts, VIP and loyalty programs and direct advertising used by casino and gaming venue operators, casino governance and integrity, and alcohol-related harm hotspots.
Operators are encouraged to review their marketing and affiliate arrangements now. L&GNSW has indicated it will require social media content creators to demonstrate that their content complies with NSW legal requirements.
